#SOMEBODY CALL CHRIS BROWN | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

madelynraemunson · 9 months

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CALL ME WHAT YOU WANT 𓆩♡𓆪

(Book #1 of the Hellfire Gentlemen's Club series)

strip club owner!eddie x fem!exotic dancer!hargrove!reader

𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐍 𝐀𝐔 18+ MDNI

Chapter 015: Eddie, Do You Copy?

Learning about, understanding, and loving all parts of Eddie.

* = somewhat smut

** = smut

↳ chapters: 001, 002*, 003** , 004**, 005 , 006 , 007* , 008**, 009, 010, 011, 012* , 013**, 014**, 015, 016**, 017, 018, 019, 020*

word count: 5.8k words

disclaimers — fluff, grief, flight of icarus easter eggs bc of eddie’s mom, ANGST, talks of childhood abuse/negligence/foster care, implied domestic violence, homicide, cancer, mentions of suicide, mentions of underaged drinking/drug use if you squint, lil modern-nostaglia moment btwn eddie and the boys (as a treat ✨), erica and wayne cameo yayyy

author's note: eddie is so boyfriend in this chapter 🫠 happy holidays, you filthy animals ♥️

“I put the record on, wait till I hear our song. Every night I’m dancing with your ghost.”

♡

Your eyes accommodate the first beacon of light as thirst creeps its way into your system.

6:38 AM.

Quietly chucking the covers off, you find yourself hobbling over Eddie in attempts to get to the kitchen. You can only hope that it doesn’t wake him.

Eddie responds with a low grumble. Followed by some mumbling and flailing. And then you watch as he shifts around, doing his best to return to the state of comfort he was in before his sleep was interrupted.

But if he’s anything like you — which you know for a fact he is — his cranky self is most likely awake by now and just pretending to be unconscious to avoid early morning conversation.

To put it to the test, you press a soft kiss onto Eddie’s forehead. He smiles.

You smile to yourself. Called it.

When you get to the kitchen, you seek out Eddie’s Garfield mug for your reservoir of choice. And as it fills with water, the bedroom adjacent from his captures your attention.

Steve’s door is open. A huge indicator that he’s still not home.

Judging by the energy levels of everyone last night, you assume it’s because they were still out partying. And for Steve’s sake, a part of you hopes it’s also because he went home with somebody.

Once you’ve got your water, you sneak back into Eddie’s room, using the newfound, natural light to really study it.

You would’ve thought it was an extension of Steve’s room, not Eddie’s. Everything’s a posh navy blue, something Eddie wouldn’t be caught dead in if he had been anywhere else.

But the corner of his room is more like him, decorated with vinyls and a Crosley just like your sister’s. There were records of his favorite metal bands: Sabbath and Maiden. Anthrax, Metallica, and Judas Priest. And the unsuspecting like Elvis, The Doors, and Pink Floyd. Even country — both old and new, Johnny Cash and Chris Young — followed by a wide selection of Chicago blues and bluegrass.

The rest of his personality could be found on the bulletin board sitting on his desk.

Hand soap, dryer sheets, FUCKING DO PAYROLL

Eddie’s to-do list. You let out a soft chuckle.

Familiar faces canvas the board. There’s photos of Eddie, Jeff, Gareth, and Grant. A picture of him with his uncle — Young Eddie with his hair buzzed and Uncle Wayne’s a subtle gray, most likely Eddie’s doing.

There’s a photo of Steve and Eddie at a Colt’s game. Eddie and Dustin. And Eddie with Will at what looked to be a D&D convention of sorts.

But one photo catches your eye the most.

‘MOMMY & ME: LIZ + EDDIE , 1994’

His mom’s name was Liz. You graze the picture of Liz holding a baby Eddie in her arms. On her face was a dimpled smile like no other, the love-filled look in her eyes having been shielded by her thick wavy brown hair.

But you didn’t need to see her eyes to know how much she loved Eddie. You see it in how she’s holding him, gently pressed to her chest while she supports his neck, his beady brown eyes staring at her with the same amount of adoration.

It all reminds you of Mom. You’re almost certain there’s a picture of you two like that, but it’s back home with Billy… evidently a forbidden turf to trek.

At least there’s still the memory of it. But like the bond with your twin, it’s also growing to be distant.

Your eyes and tears trickle down to another picture of her on Eddie’s bulletin board.

It’s of Toddler Eddie now with Liz in what looks like a kitchen. He’s standing on her feet and, judging by the motion of the picture, is dancing along to a song that was probably playing on the stereo. Behind the two of them sat piles and piles of CDs, all of which were all of the blues.

“She was pretty, wasn’t she?”

Eddie is behind you now. He smiles at you with a dreamy gaze, beaming at the mere fact that the two women who made him happiest could be visually processed in the same frame.

You gulp.

“Really, really pretty,” you insist. “You have her smile. A-and her hair.”

"Yeah, I look a lot like her," Eddie chuckles with a hint of pride. He grazes the photos of her in the same way you did. "She’s influenced me a lot growing up. Bet that's why my sperm donor can't stand me."

You carefully dissect his choice of words. There’s a lot of resent for Alan Munson on Eddie’s part. You don’t blame him, if what Billy discovered had been true. It’s the same reason you and him resent Dad.

Eddie fixates on the expression on your face. He knows why this is so moving for you.

“It never gets easier, does it?” he questions, hinting at your own ongoing struggle with grief.

You cross your arms and shake your head. Softly you mutter, “Never.”

You feel stupid. Eddie’s doing his best to navigate his own baggage, yet you still found a way to make it about yourself.

He pulls you close and wraps his arms tenderly around your waist. Eddie doesn’t have to say it to reassure you that your burdens are safe in his presence. You can just feel it. Two traumatized individuals understand each other in a way others can’t.

“Time just keeps going,” you speak again. “Everyone moves on and you’re kinda just…stuck in place.”

“World just keeps going. Grief doesn’t care about your plans when it blindsides you, taking you for everything you’ve got.”

You swallow hard as Eddie’s words sink into you.

Tragedy just feels so non-consensual. No one ever asks for it to happen.

You and Billy can’t even go surfing without thinking about Mom. Whenever you try you both always end up fighting. That’s why Max tends to go alone or with her own friends.

“I have to stay away from a whole genre of music because I’ll burst into tears,” you scoff in agony. “Billy and I can’t even listen to Iration without thinking of our mom.”

“Can’t listen to Muddy Waters without thinking of mine.”

You and Eddie sway in place to the tandem of your beating hearts. It’s a breath of fresh air knowing you have each other now.

After a while, he ruffles your hair and spins you around so that you can face him.

"But enough about that," Eddie attempts a smile. He rubs your shoulders and you hum in awe. "This is supposed to be a happy time."

"Happiness and despair can coexist," you sniff. “Duality, remember?”

Eddie smiles. It's a you're right kind of smile. "I was yesterday years old when I learned that."

He kisses your forehead and soon you two are in the shower, rinsing up and mentally preparing for the long day of errands ahead.

You’re the first to hop out and get dressed, eager to devour a bowl of oatmeal before tackling the day.

"Hey… babe?" Eddie calls out to you from his closet.

The pet name almost sounds too natural rolling off his tongue. But then again he is the owner of a strip club, and was married for a few years before meeting you.

“Yeah?” you call back, heart skipping a beat.

“Can you make me a coffee while you’re out there?” he requests. “The usual black drip coffee with some hazelnut? Please and thank you.”

“Of course, hun.”

You can get used to this.

So you make your way back out into the living room and kitchen shortly after, practically skipping. But the person you see in the kitchen — with tired eyes and a bowl of his own oatmeal in hand — stops you in your tracks.

"Morning, Hargrove," Steve responds.

You're so dumb. You've gotta start realizing that when you sleep with one of them, the other may pop in at any minute. After all, it’s their townhouse.

As frozen in place as you are, you do your best to shoot Steve a shy little wave. Again, the look on his face indecipherable.

"Morning..." you pathetically respond.

Steve eventually grants you a wave back. He pokes around at his oatmeal while you make your way over to the fridge, your cheeks flushing a timid red as you do so.

You move in a way that seems like you were way too conscious of your actions. Even Steve notices. But he keeps trying to eat, his spoon clinking against his bowl as he intermittently clears his throat, all an attempt to fill the void of silence.

"Did you have a fun night?" you question. "You know... bar-hopping."

"Yeah, I did," he replies. "Argyle had to get cut off cuz he was being real extra with it."

"Oh geez."

"I know."

“How was Max?”

“She was fine,” Steve shrugs. “The bars use the same 21+ wristbands Hellfire does so we were able to sneak her in no problem. Chrissy made sure she got home safe. The girls were just stoked they finally got to have a carefree night.”

“That’s so good,” you breathe a sigh of relief. “I’m so happy for them.”

“Yeah,” he nods in agreement. “I’m really happy for them too. Seems like they needed it.”

Finally, your friend decides to address the elephant in the room.

"We uhh..." he begins. "We should probably end what we have going on here. Just so no one gets hurt."

“I think that’s a smart idea too,” you mumble as you nod.

You make your way over to Steve, stunned that he doesn’t shy away from you when you invade his personal space. Instead he leans into you, opening up his lap so you can maneuver between his legs.

You know, like how friends usually talk.

“It was fun while it lasted…”

"I know. I just feel so bad..." you choke, rubbing his arm softly. "I’ve wasted your time."

"I wouldn't say that," Steve refuses, shaking his head rapidly. He touches you back, running his hand across your arm. "I've thoroughly enjoyed your company."

Eventually his hand intertwines with yours.

There’s a heaviness in the room and something tells you that Eddie is near, looming at the foot of his room so that your business with Steve remains uninterrupted. He knows there’s some dust that still needs to settle. And he will linger until it does.

"You helped me get out of a really dark place," Steve admits. "And Eds too, I'm sure."

You look back towards Eddie's room.

“It wasn’t my intention to fall for him,” you say. “It just…happened. The connection, i-it’s...”

“I know…” Steve soothes you. “Been pickin’ up on that for a while. If you think I’m blaming you, I’m not.”

Steve urges you to meet his gaze again. And when a teardrop falls from your eye, he uses his thumb to wipe it away. Tells you to stop, before he too starts crying.

"This is... a huge step for him," Steve manages a grin. “I don’t think you realize, Shy Girl.”

"Yeah, I bet," you nod. "After Isabelle..."

"Yeah, Isabelle and everything else that dude's got going on," he confirms. "This is really good for Eddie. I can tell. It’s why I think it’s best that we part ways.”

Steve eventually does cry too, but it’s a rather suppressed one. The both of you take turns wiping each other’s tears, embracing the presence of each other for just a short while longer before needing to distance yourselves indefinitely.

You’re never going to forget Steve Harrington. His charm. His integrity. His everlasting devotion to the ones he loves most, and how he’d — time and time again — go to the ends of the earth for them. A noble soul in the highest regard. A true king.

“Thank you for being so kind,” you say to him. “You made my first week in Indiana a lot less intimidating. I hope you’ll still be around.”

“Of course I’ll still be around,” Steve chuckles. “Look at our friend group. Look at where I live.”

You share a laugh with him again.

“Ain’t no getting rid of me that easy, Hargrove.”

“I can sure try though, right?”

“Now why would you do that?” he banters sarcastically, chuckling into you.

He kisses your cheek softly one last time. Finally, Eddie’s door swings open, prompting you and Steve to asunder from one another.

“RISE AND FUCKING SHINE!” Eddie announces his entrance. “Both my soul and thine.”

You get out of Eddie’s way so he can go over and hug Steve good morning. Eddie then breaks the hug with a peck on the cheek and rough slap to Steve’s ass. Steve winces but you can tell he enjoys it.

“Mwah!” Eddie cheers. “Love you, babyboy. What you got going on today?”

“Oh, just gonna work on the online biz for a bit,” Steve mumbles as he ushers his hands through some paper. “Then ’m gonna start recruiting peeps for my other new job.”

“I forgot you dropship now,” Eddie says. “How’s that going?”

“Really fucking good,” Steve smiles. “I shouldn’t count on it too much though. It’s why I also have Newby’s. Speaking of which…”

Steve hands you a flyer. You take it from his hands.

NEWBY’S COFFEE ROASTERS: Even Superheroes Need Coffee!

Steve explains to you that a new coffee shop is taking over Family Video’s old suite. The owner grows his own coffee beans and all syrups are organically made from Hawkins locals. And since they’re a Mom and Pop shop, they were really going to need some help.

“If Maxine is still looking for a job, she’s more than welcome to apply,” Steve says. “We’re gonna need baristas. And we’ll be coworkers so whenever she’s on, I can drive her to work.”

“That sounds like an awesome gig for her!” Eddie pitches in. “Free coffee for employees too, I’m guessing.”

Steve nods at Eddie’s remark.

“That’d be amazing,” you blush. “Thank you, Stevie.”

“Thank you, Stevie,” Eddie parrots you. You elbow him playfully.

“Yeah, anything for you guys. I’ll put in a good word for her to Bob. He’s the owner. Great guy.”

“And what about this owner, huh?” Eddie chimes in. “Hope you can pull some strings and snag me some of those magic beans as well. I’m gonna need it. I also don’t mind paying full price cuz it’s goin’ to Newbs.”

“T’yeah with your job? You can have all the beans you want.”

“Mm, speaking of which,” Eddie scoffs as he stares at the time on his Apple Watch. “It’s almost time.”

Steve imitates Eddie’s gesture. Your eyes dart between the two of them, confused about the context of the whole ordeal.

“What are you guys-” you begin.

“Ah, buh-buh!” Steve stops you. “Wait for it…”

You look at the time on your phone to feel some sort of involvement as well.

7:59 —> 8:00

Eddie’s phone rings.

"An everyday thing," Steve tsks, shaking his head, resuming his breakfast as he does so.

"First problem of the day," Eddie looks at you. "It’s always something with Hellfire. From the moment the day begins...Yello?"

It’s Lucas. Sinclair never really calls unless it’s a dire situation, so you listen closely, doing your best to make out what he’s saying on the other line.

"I can't come in tonight,” is what it sounds like.

"Uh, why the fuck not?" your man demands. He places a sassy hand on his hip. "We need you for front of the house."

"Erica's sick and my car is in the shop."

"I'll pay for your Uber, you're coming in."

"I think it's covid. I don't wanna spread it to anyone if l've been exposed."

"It's not fucking covid, you guys have been jabbed more times than I can count for school."

The two continue to bicker back and forth like they’re brothers. Steve excuses himself from the narrative, going over to the kitchen sink to wash the dishes.

You watch Eddie as he lights up a pre-roll, taking a frustrated drag from it while he listens to Lucas’s, probably bullshit, excuse.

Eventually there’s a scuffle on the other line. Something something, “GIMME THE DAMN PHONE” followed by a “NO” followed by a “PHONE. NOW”. Eddie’s drags from his blunt grow increasingly slower.

Then another person speaks. The voice belongs to a girl. She sounds slightly younger than Lucas. And she sounds sick. And angry.

"Listen here, Ed-NERD Alan Munson," the girl hisses sassily. " I KNOW I did not just hear you tell my brother that he is coming in even when HE TOLD YOU why he can't. It's giving desperate. It's giving exploitation of your employees. If you want my brother to come in for a half shift at your stupid gentlemen's club then you best pull up to our residence, YOURSELF, with them spicy chicken wings level Creeping. Death. My tongue? It needs to be on FIRE. My eyes? They need to be burning from the temperature and sauce. My sinuses? BOYYY, you better be-LIEVE they oughta be SO CLEAR, I could cough up a loogie, SPIT IT OUT THE WINDOW, and have it smack you RIGHT UPSIDE THE HEAD SO HARD you won’t even THINK about forcing my brother to do something he isn’t comfortable doing again. Keep trying me, motherfucker. THE FUCK WRONG WITCHU."

Steve is flabbergasted. Eddie's mouth is wide open. You would’ve thought Lucas’s sister was on speakerphone but she wasn’t.

You're scared of Erica Sinclair. And so is Eddie, the way his eyes widen at her spiel. If Lucas's sister ever got into a heated argument with Billy, Billy would go home crying.

“And some sweet potato fries," she adds softly. "Please. Do we have a deal?"

"At your service," Eddie deals her a salute through the phone, even though she can't see it. "Anything Applejack wants, she gets. I'll be over after my Meijer run."

"As you should, sir."

Eddie turns to you after he hangs up the phone. "Don't ever own a business."

——————— 🛒—————

“WE GROW UP AND MOVE AWAY... The seasons pass, but the monsters stay.”

𓆩ꨄ︎𓆪

Hellfire is Eddie’s baby. The man lives and breathes that strip club.

As much as you’ve already harbored that suspicion, you didn’t realize his work-life balance was practically non-existent. Running errands. Frequent call-outs. Always having to prepare for the unexpected. But that’s the price one pays for owning a business. It also only seems to get harder and harder when you’re a handsome business man like Eddie, someone with the drawing power like that of a 13,000 gauss magnet.

“Mike to Munson, do you copy?”

You and Eddie have hit the road now, ready to start your errands run before your shift begins. As Eddie drives, he has you hold his phone up for him while he speaks to the boys in their group FaceTime call.

“Copy,” Eddie responds. “Thank you for covering ground, dear Paladin. It is because of you we are no longer… short staffed.”

God, they’re such dorks. You’d cringe if Eddie didn’t have the sex appeal of a Roman god.

“It’s the least I can do,” Mike insists. “Taking inventory as we speak. We need more ground chili and pop cans. Cola and Fanta, please. When you go to Meijer.”

“Done deal,” Eds nods. “Who’s doing side quests?”

“Me!” Will chimes in. “Doing silverware, stainless steel, and just helping Jonathan open up the bar.”

“Thank you, Byers-squared.”

“And I’ll sweep and do windows,” Dustin adds. “We’ll figure out the front house situation as it unfolds. Gonna be a little late. Getting gas.”

Eddie places a firm palm over your hand. He smiles at you when you look over.

“Running errands with Shy Girl, we’ll see you soon.”

“Pulling in now. Over.”

“Us too. Over.”

“Over and out, boys.”

————- 🚐———-

After your Meijer run, you and Eddie stop by CVS for Wayne’s medications and the ‘morning after’ pill. And shortly after that, you two haul ass to the other side of town to scoop up Nina.

Eddie gives the young dancer a ride to work almost every day. He also smokes her out before the shift, evident by her waltzing in stoned out of her mind all the time. It brings you peace knowing the whole story now, and that there truly is nothing more to it than that.

“Your boyfriend really needs a new car,” Eddie huffs to Nina as she climbs into the backseat. “Been telling him that shit’s on it’s last good tire.”

Figuratively and literally. The 90s Buick that you caught sight of shortly before Nina shuffled in can only be described as a lost cause. Nina knows it too, the way she scowls at the thing.

She tsks as she clicks her seatbelt in place.

“Duh, Eds. What do you think I’m saving up for?”

Eddie holds up an eighth.

“I can think of a few things,” he chuckles. “I take it you’re a fan of all things eco mode.”

“Hey, it’s 2022, of course we’re going green.”

Eddie grins. “I like how you think, sweetheart.”

Nina looks over to see who’s in the front seat. Her eyes glimmer when she realizes it’s you.

“Oh, hey Shy Girl!” she cheers.

You smile at her contently. Securely.

“Hey, Neens.”

Eddie starts up his van once again.

“Alright everyone,” he says as he shifts gears. “Hold onto something. We’re on a tight schedule so expect some Eddie Stops.”

“Not this again,” Nina mutters.

“Oh boy…” you add.

SKRRRT!

———— 🏠 ————

After dropping both Nina and the groceries off at Hellfire, you and Eddie set out to Forest Hills Trailer Park to visit his infamous Uncle Wayne.

“Wayne’s the man,” Eddie boasts as he drives on. “Taught me how to fish. Somehow taught me how to drive. Automatic and stick.”

He laughs at that one.

“Even took me out of the foster care system when I was 16. I lived in his old room for years while he took the pull-out couch in the living room.”

“Foster care?” you echo as he nods. “He was tired of you jumping from home to home?”

“Nah, I just kept running away,” Eddie cackles. “If a kid was ever in the police station for something, nine times out of 10 it was probably me. I was stressing way too many people out, Uncs probably felt bad for them.”

“But he also loves you, I bet,” you grin. “You’re his nephew, Eddie.”

Eddie smiles too. “Yeah, somethin’ like that.”

Eddie pulls into an empty dirt road just yards from the estate. You two climb out of the van together, slamming the doors in unison.

Eddie leads you up the stairs by the hand, then uses his other one to wave at old neighbors close by.

“Hey y’all! How ya doin’?” he exclaims. He lowers his voice when he speaks to you. “Those are the Johnsons. Their sons were frequent customers of mine in high school.”

Your eyes widen in shock. Eddie waves to another pair of neighbors.

“And those are the Jacobsons. I bought their sons alcohol their senior year for homecoming. Buncha lightweights though. Wouldn’t recommend.”

“Well aren’t you a hero,” you jest.

“Hey, someone’s gotta pay the bills,” Eddie shrugs, half-jokingly. “You would think 40 years at The Plant gave you a decent insurance plan but that wasn’t the case. Had to help Wayne out for a fat minute. Still do every now and then.”

Eddie shifts closer to the door and gives it a couple knocks. He leans his head towards the doorframe, placing his lips just inches away from the chipped, painted wood.

“Wayne Munson,” Eddie bellows in his playful, deep voice. “It’s your friendly neighborhood pharmacist here. I’ve come with your percs, your piss pill, and your Motrin.”

Percocet and Motrin.

Two very strong pain killers. Hearing those names send chills down your spine. Those are the same meds Mom overdosed on when Billy found her.

But given Wayne’s circumstances, it’s not too much of a concern. According to what Eddie has told you, his uncle had just retired and is very frail. Heavy machinery and long hours can do that to someone. Just constant, chronic pain.

The door swings open and you hear Eddie greet Wayne like a grateful man would greet his dad. “Hey, Old Man! How are you?”

“Hello, there my boy. Agh, watch it. ‘s hurtin’ again.”

It didn't seem like anyone was at the door when you look over. But that was because you were looking about two feet too high.

Your eyes travel to the level at which Eddie bends down and there you see Uncle Wayne, having wheeled himself to the door to greet Eddie with a warm hug.

Oh this goes deeper than you thought.

A nose cannula. Yellow grippy socks. The wheelchair that housed his thin, fragile body. The navy blue Pacers beanie that concealed the fact that the man had very little hair.

Wayne’s face was extremely chiseled in, deeming him malnourished and underweight. The bags under his eyes that drooped heavily against his sockets took up a good portion of his face — nearly half.

You look at the place behind him. His trailer had lots of rails installed, Ensure protein shakes for adequate nutrition, and the pull out couch was set up to look like a bedroom, with a collapsible dresser right beside it that was nearly lost in a sea of orange medicine bottles.

The realization nearly knocks the wind out of you.

Wayne is sick. He almost looks terminal.

It feels like the ground had opened up and swallowed you whole. Your knees feel wobbly like gelatin, but Eddie is too busy reuniting with his father figure to notice. When he turns back around, he pulls you into him, with the biggest smile on his face.

“There’s uh, someone I want you to meet,” Eddie says to Wayne, his cheeks now a deep shade of pink. “This is Shy Girl.”

“Shy Girl,” Wayne smiles the same bright smile that Eddie has. “So you’re the THEE Shy Girl that my Eddie’s been rambling to me about. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, sweetheart.”

You meet Wayne where he’s at, shaking his cold hand at eye level and giving him the warmest smile you can.

“It’s nice to meet you as well, Mr. Munson.”

“Mr. Munson,” Wayne smirks cheekily. There’s a hint of who he used to be when he does that. He was most likely a firecracker just like Eddie, evident by how the two start poking at each other in a teasing manner. “Didn’t realize we were at a business meeting. In that case, we shall not waste any time. You and Eddie can come on in now, Miss Hargrove.”

Butterflies form in your stomach. You never told Wayne your last name.

And soon you’re in Wayne’s trailer, Eddie’s old home before he grew his wings and left the nest. A bittersweet energy floods the room. It only becomes more prominent when you see Eddie and Wayne holding hands as they make their way inside.

“Welcome to my office,” Wayne proceeds, carrying on with the banter. “I’ve got some tea in the cupboards, as well as some stale saltines because this one over here thinks I should watch my sodium intake. You’re more than welcome to help yourself.”

“Thank you so much,” is all you’re able to say.

“No worries, doll.”

Wayne darts his gaze back over to Eddie. “Anywho. Now that the formalities are over… son, I need to take a shit.”

The same dry humor too. You giggle and glance over at Eddie while he grimaces at Wayne in annoyance. But, since it’s not his first rodeo, he obliges, unlocking Wayne’s wheelchair to wheel him over to the commode that was concealed behind a DIY curtain.

“Did you do your exercises today?” you hear Eddie ask him.

"I tried. Got tired ‘bout halfway through.”

“What are your oxygen levels looking like?”

“Satting 88 percent without my oxygen. 93 percent on three liters.”

“That’s what we like to see. Good job, baby. I’m proud of you.”

You stand off to the side, giving Wayne as much privacy and dignity you can throughout this very intimate ordeal.

While Eddie is away with him, you keep yourself distracted with Wayne’s mug collection, as well as the array of trucker hats that decorated one of the four walls. You take a look at what’s on the TV: The Price is Right is just about to go on a commercial break. And on the coffee table rested an assortment of dated magazines, all going back to as early as 2008. Ah yes, recession core.

Within a few short moments, Eddie comes back out. You study him as he makes his way to the kitchen to wash his hands, making faces at the friendly neighborhood cats who liked to make themselves at home on the porch.

“Anyways!” Eddie exclaims. “I’m gonna start making Erica’s wings cuz we got everything here.”

He starts back over to you.

“But before I do, want me to show you my old room? It’s like a huge time capsule. Wayne hasn’t touched it since I left.”

You can barely meet his eyes. Eddie is acting way too normal about this. Or maybe you’re too dramatic.

He sees you frowning, thinking.

“…You okay?” he attempts with you.

"Eds... I didn't know," you whisper softly.

But Eddie smiles a bit. "That's okay. I initially didn't want you to know."

"How bad is it?"

"Stage 3. Lung cancer."

"How long has he had it?"

"Siiiince… March of 2020?” Eddie recalls. "We initially thought it was covid because of all the pulmonary stuff..."

He gestures around his own lungs.

"So what started out as a — rather intimate — nose swab turned into a biopsy that turned into getting a team of specialists….”

He glances over at Wayne to make sure he’s still okay.

“To having uncomfortable talks with the case worker about...exploring other options... And then to me being his full-time caregiver."

"March of 2020..." you recall. "Isn't that the same time you and Isabelle got divorced?"

"We were finalizing it..." Eddie corrects you. “But that’s neither here or there.”

“And Hellfire?”

“We were struggling for a bit not gonna lie,” Eddie chuckles. “It was during the start of covid and no one wanted to leave the house. Even when the babes were smoking hot.”

Holding up a palm, you stop him from explaining any further.

“So let me get this straight,” you state. “Your piece of shit dad UNALIVED your mom in cold blood when you were a kid, your father figure has cancer. You somehow manage to care for him full-time all while basically living at Hellfire, your business that your ex wife tried to SABOTAGE; which led to you getting arrested and released on bail up until your trial where you were then proven NOT GUILTY. But even then, your reputation still remains slightly tainted because almost everyone in Hawkins is a narrow-minded, self-righteous prick who weaponizes religion to get an upper hand? And they know you’re an easy target so that’s exactly what they did in this case, making your life and Wayne’s a living hell when it was the last thing you two needed at the time?”

“It be like that sometimes.”

Eddie flashes you a sarcastic, ‘I’m alive’ peace sign. He’s not helping.

Your heart just about shatters.

Eddie has suffered so much. But he hides it so well with his never-ending sarcasm and Munson magic.

And to think all of this — Hellfire, Wayne, and divorcing Isabelle — went down a couple years ago. He still had his childhood to sort through. If that's even plausible.

“It’s also kinda why Chrissy and I were screwing around,” Eddie adds, snapping you out of your thinking. “Apparently I was constantly depressed and she wanted to keep me distracted and all. Again, fun. But very short-lived.”

You fall into him and squeeze him tight. Eddie is almost taken aback by it. But nevertheless, he returns the favor.

"Are you alright?"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" you demand. "You have all of this going on and you're asking me if I'm alright?"

Oh, how lonely Eddie must’ve felt through all of this. You just want to hold him. Take away all of his pain.

It’s always the angels on earth who get sent to hell and back. Eddie deserves the world, and you’re going to go your best to give it to him.

"Are we alright?" you question him.

"Of course we're alright," Eddie insists, ruffling your hair like it’s the silliest thing you’ve ever asked him.

He pulls away from you. Rubs your back delicately as you soak in all of this new information.

“You sure you want to sign up for all of this?”

You are absolutely more than sure.

“Now why would you even ask that?” you choke. “You know my stubborn ass. I’m not backing down without a fight.”

“Yeaaah,” Eddie squints. “I guess you are pretty stubborn.”

You fall into one another again, kissing each other like it’s the air you need to breathe. Eddie delicately cups your face with his hands, relishing in the last couple of smooches before he pulls away.

“I like stubborn though.”

“You and me, Eddie.”

“You and me, sweetheart.”

“Eddie!” Wayne calls, innocently interrupting the moment. “I’m done, boy, now come help me get up.”

“Comin’!” Eddie cranes his neck, shouting in Wayne’s general direction. He kisses you one more time on the forehead before excusing himself. “Be right back, babe.”

You and Eddie leave for Hellfire shortly after spending a little bit more time with Wayne.

The entire ride there, you let Eddie talk about his memories with his uncle… how he’s attended homecoming rallies, talent shows, graduations, and the less-than-celebratory court hearings — loving Eddie unconditionally through thick and thin. He was there for Eddie’s senior prom, snapping photos of him with the boys and his date Ronnie, who was also his best friend at the time.

Wayne was also there for Eddie’s wedding, even though he didn’t particularly like Isabelle. Again, every milestone, Wayne was there for.

You fawn over Eddie as he continues to talk, the spark in his eyes never leaving for as long as it’s about his loved ones. You can only hope he talks to Wayne and the others about you in the same way.

You can’t believe this is real life.

From here on out, it’s going to be you and Eddie. And you’re going to be by his side no matter what, because he’s proven to you that he is committed to doing the same.

From here on out, it’s going to be Shy Girl and Eddie… and nothing… NOTHING will ever change your mind or get in the way of that.

🏷️ tag list: @chrrymunson , @the-fairy-anon , @ali-r3n , @corrodedcoffincumslut , @bebe07011 , @mmunson86 , @eddiesguitarskills , @chelebelletx , @imonhereforareasonsadly , @eddies-trailer-babe @hideoutside , @motherfckerr , @jxpsi , @lindseyj23, @sidthedollface2 , @manda-panda-monium , @elvendria , @micheledawn1975 , @hereforshmut , @siriuslysmoking , @nymphetkoo , @m-chmcl-rmnc , @justinelittlewoodsworld , @ahoyyharrington , @keepittoyourselftellnobodyelse @kellyxo1 @emsgoodthinkin @winchester-angel @chloe-6123 , @redbarn1995 @angietherose @kiyastrf94 , @purplewitchcauldron @kellsck @joyfulfxckery @munsons-mayhem28 @dragonfire @emma77645 @drivelikenina @livosssblog @thinkingth0ts @hugdealer @ellielunamckay

#eddie munson #joseph quinn #eddie munson fanfic #eddie munson fanfiction #joe quinn #eddie x reader #eddie munson x reader #Spotify

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psychelis-new · 1 year

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pick a pile: "It's about timing"

take a breath, close your eyes and ask yourself a time-related question. then, open your eyes and choose the photo or number that calls you the most to find out about the possible amount of time needed for/time span in which the subject you're enquiring about may manifest or start manifesting for you. reminder timing can change according on different factors: this reading mainly wants to provide some kind of general advice/have a calming effect.

don’t take the reading too seriously. only take what resonates with you and leave the rest. if you're not called by any pile, let this reading slid as it may not hold messages for you. if you're called by more than one pile, there may be messages in each of those piles. remember that is a general reading and some things may not resonate with you. energies can change and readings are based on present ones (as you read); you're always in charge of your life.

(photos found on unsplash)

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1 2 3 4 5 6

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pile 1

timing: present time, short time, imminent (2 months max.) it depends also on your ability to focus on what you can control/yourself (keep your mind in check as it may sabotage you through insecurities and similar)/stay grounded. you're attracting your blessings anyway, just try to stay as calm as you can and keep working.

song: still life | dawn golden

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pile 2

timing: next year, more likely end of the year or late autumn. I heard july too (could be specific for some or a confirmation -eg. a birth month). it may be also when you are near to close a cycle in your life (end of self insecurities)/divine timing. you'll balancing out something in your life too, either your inner/outer self or two endeavours or simply two energies.

song: dynamite | bts

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pile 3

timing: in 10 months-2 years. march could be a favorable month or a confirmation of some kind (eg. birth month). go slow, keep working on your happiness and be determined. If this is really what you want and what really makes you happy too, it will be (check within during these months).

song: i like | kut klose

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pile 4

timing: 8 months or 2-4 years. something needs to be changed within you or your approach to this matter. even if you cannot see it well yet and it feels so far away, be hopeful and more determined. you may meet help on the way. "a pinch of belief" (dunno what it means or if it resonates with anyone... maybe somebody wants to cook something?)

song: easy | danileigh, chris brown

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pile 5

timing: it's a surprise! keep working on healing your heart, especially from negative past experiences/emotions you may still carry within and find a hard time to free yourself from. try to not overworry if you can. take good care of you and be kind with yourself if it's taking a while: it's okay, even if it seems unbearable at times. be patient.

song: heart to heart | mac demarco

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pile 6

timing: when you start a new cycle or you are in a moment of reflection/pause. divine timing. might happen suddenly and shake things up a bit. try to close that hurtful chapter and take time for yourself. grow your confidence. let the Universe work for you behind the scenes.

song: butterfly | crazy town

#pick a pile #pick a photo #pick a card tarot #pick a card reading #pick a picture #pick a card #free tarot reading #tarot readings #tarot reading #intuitive readings #clairs readings #psychic readings #divination #timing

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operationandre · 1 month

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Meeting Cal: Tomas vs. Chris

Tomas.

Cal’s mom had just pulled out of the Kriegman driveway, and Andre could see Cal waving from the front seat despite the dark night that enveloped the car. He had to leave early as they had another week of eighth grade starting in the morning. Once Cal was out of view, Andre stepped back inside and saw his brother, Tomas, waiting for him.

“So that’s your boyfriend?”

Andre was confused. He was in only eighth grade. Why would he have a partner? Let alone a boyfriend? “No. He’s my friend. I’ve talked about him to you before. It’s Cal, y’know?”

“Yeah, sure.” Tomas rolled his eyes. He basically towered over Andre; he was a senior and over six foot four. Andre hated him. “I saw the way you were looking at him, Dre. Don’t be fucking weird.”

Weird. Andre had been called that before a billion times, but this was different. Why was the way he felt about Cal weird? What even were his feelings for Cal?

Before Andre could get any more answers, Tomas walked away. The slam of his bedroom door could be heard throughout the house.

Andre could have stood by the front door for seconds or hours, he didn’t remember. The only thing he could think of was him and Cal being weird.

Chris.

Two years later, Andre’s fifteenth birthday party was held at his cousin’s apartment. The lights were a sickly white in Chris’ kitchen, a great contrast to the rainbow lights going off in the living room. Cal sat on the counter and rested his heads against the wooden cabinets. He had tried some vodka that Chris had bought a long time ago. The world seemed to spin every time he opened his eyes, so he kept them closed. He couldn’t see Andre’s brown eyes that were trained on his sharp jawline and soft features.

Andre saw everything from the way his almost white hair framed his head like a halo to the way his chest softly rose and fell. Andre saw his beauty. He saw everything and needed more.

A clap on his back drew him from inside his head. It was Chris.

“Hey! I hope you like the party!” he screamed over the music. He bent down towards Andre to whisper the next sentence in his ear. “Your boy is really nice by the way.”

Andre turned to Chris quickly, fear pooling deep in his stomach. He had only come to terms with his feelings for Cal a couple months ago. Somebody else knowing… well, Andre just wasn’t ready for that.

“What? Didn’t mean to scare you.” Chris giggled, clearly inebriated. He almost fell and caught himself on Andre’s shoulder. “Just saying. I approve.”

Someone called Chris’ name from the living room, saying that his song was on. Chris winked at Andre and glanced at Cal as he ran out.

Andre felt like his heart was in his throat. He was shocked but somewhat excited. Someone finally thought he wasn’t weird.

#chris kriegman my man #even though you’re annoying #you could never do anything wrong #zero day #zero day 2003 #andre kriegman #zeroday #cal gabriel #caldre #calvin gabriel #ben coccio #zero day movie #andre keuck #cal robertson #calvin robertson

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buddie911abc · 2 months

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Buddie Begins

I'm sure the first time Eddie kissed Buck, he wasn't planning it. It was a bro hug that held a little too long, a slow pull back that led Eddie to put his hand on Buck's shoulder, his thumb so close to Buck's pulse point. Eddie found himself staring at that spot so often that he came to think of it as a part of Buck that belonged to him. A small breath from Buck's lips, and Eddie realized that he was staring at it.

He met Buck's gaze. He could see the confused expression in those blue eyes, and then he pressed his lips into Buck's. He didn't give himself time to reconsider, no time to think of a reason why. He just did it. He was able to pull his mouth away only by making a silent promise to find another place to put it, and he did. He brushed his lips across Buck's jawline and down his neck until he reached that hypnotic pulse point.

Eddie couldn't account for his hands during all of this, at least, not until he felt Buck's blondish brown curls twisted in between the fingers of his left hand. He used the opportunity and tugged Buck's head back to allow his tongue to trace a small path from the bottom of Buck's pulse to the angle of his jaw. Eddie couldn't command his own body to stop. He opened his mouth slightly and pressed in. He didn't bite, but he made sure Buck could feel the press of his teeth on his skin. Eddie pulled Buck down into another kiss. His tongue seeking more. He wasn't sure, but he thought Buck moaned. The sound nearly undid him.

Eddie's phone beeped. A message. Like cold water in his face. He took a few steps back and apologized. Buck's eyes were wide with shock and something-else. "Oh, God. I don't know why I did that." He continued to back away. He can't ruin his friendship with Buck the way he's ruined every other relationship he's had. Chris wouldn't forgive him. Eddie wouldn't forgive himself. He turned, and he didn't run so much as he walked briskly toward the door. He thought he heard Buck call his name, but the sound was too faint.

---

And then he was gone. Buck tried to call his name before he got to the door, but his voice wasn't working. It came out as a small squeak. He realized he was leaning/sitting on his kitchen table. When did that happen? He pushed himself up to run after Eddie, to make him stop, to make him talk about what just happened. What did just happen? Buck fell almost face first to the floor. His legs were like jello.

It took a stunned moment, but then Buck laughed. Memories flashed through his head.

Memories of laughing at his friends as he gave every detail of his sexual escapades with various women and more recently, his escapades with men. The memories kept coming. They switched to the way he teased Eddie.

Eddie: I married the first girl I dated.

Buck: I think you might mean slept with.

They switched again to Eddie talking a woman through a jello body game to help her relax. She finally did, and it was enough to detach herself from her boyfriend's c@#k.

Buck: I've never seen a man turn a woman off with such skill.

Buck laughed harder. All the times he teased Eddie about his seduction skills and experience, and this is what happened. "I'll be damned if the man didn't just completely wreak me in less than two minutes flat and then turned around and ran away." Buck groaned and tried to push himself up only for his legs to say, "Not yet."

Buck laughed harder, his stomach clenching.

"F.M.L." He thought as he wiped away tears of laughter. He wondered who he should call, not 911, but he had to tell somebody about the karmic body slam he just received. He sighed loudly and opted for Athena.

#911 abc #buddie #oliver stark #ryan guzman #eddie diaz #evan buckley #i don't write fan fiction #so don't have expectations

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darklydeliciousdesires · 23 days

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Little Earthquakes - Chapter One.

Besties! I was thrilled with the response to the prologue, thank you all so much! :) So, now the story starts properly. Sit back and get comfy!

Previous chapters - Prologue

Tag list - In the comments. Please DM to be added/removed.

Words - 3,972

Warnings - 18+ throughout. Minors DNI!

Immediately, her mouth dropped open. “Oh my flippin’ god! Hello!” There he was, the cute lad she’d been in the same class as at school. Except now he was even bloody cuter than he’d been at fifteen. God, those cheekbones were virtually criminal. And his eyes, wow! Had they always been that beautiful a shade of green, and she’d simply never noticed? “I thought I recognised your name when I was looking at your work, but I couldn’t place how, and where from, and I’m babbling, and oh my god, you’re Kelsey Chapman! I remember you, too!”

She then turned to take in Chris, her mouth falling open yet again. “Chris Lawrence! Stop it, it’s a bloody Fulham Green Academy reunion!”

“How are you, Holly? All good, ay?” he spoke, side eyeing Nathan and beaming, watching how he stood scratching the back of his neck. He always did it when he felt uncomfortable, usually when he couldn’t hide in his hair, being that his cascade of waist-length brown locks were all tied back. So, Holly still had the same effect, it seemed.

“Yes, yes I’m good, thanks! It’s so nice to see you all,” she replied brightly as Nathan arrived with her.

“Ready?” he asked, gesturing towards his station.

She scrunched her nose a little. “Crapping myself to be honest! Right, where am I kotching?”

“On the table. Lie back and get comfy, unless you’d rather sit up. Either way, I just need you to place your foot flat and bend your knee so I can press the line drawing on, check it flows okay and make sure you’re happy with it.”

She’d emailed a few ideas to him, speaking the magic words that any tattoo artist liked to hear, that she trusted his judgement over what he came up with. Her only guide was that she wanted all the flowers to look like they were climbing up from her foot to her mid-calf.

Since he specialised at realism, each flower would look just as she’d requested, like it had been painted on. The line drawing was a guide for him to work to only, so he could then freehand them into the allotted space. Once pressed into place, Holly took a look and confirmed she was happy, beginning to swallow hard.

“Just take a few deep breaths, you’ll be fine,” he assured her. “It hurts, but not half as badly as some people make out.”

“Says the man who nearly cried when I tattooed his ribs,” Kelsey called from her station, poking her tongue between her teeth.

“Shit off,” he mumbled, looking back at Holly a little sheepishly. “Made my eyes water a bit, but any chance her over there has to make me look like a twat and she takes it.”

“Love you!” her over there chirped, loading the needle with more ink. All Kelsey based disturbances aside and he began, doing a small section to the side of her foot and pausing. “All good?”

Oh, no. It felt like somebody was dragging a hot knife through her flesh, but she nodded and smiled all the same. “Fine, yeah. I’m good.” He knew she wasn’t, but he was too nice to call her out on it.

“So, you’re Holly Jenkins now?” he asked casually, remembering her name in the emails they’d exchanged. Of course, she’d be married. Women as beautiful as her didn’t remain single. “How long have you been married for?”

“I was married for ten years, but we divorced last year. I haven’t gotten around to changing my name back as yet,” she spoke, resting her arm beneath her head.

“Oh, sorry,” he replied, looking away briefly, watching her mouth twitch slightly.

“Don’t be, I’m happy about it. I don’t think we were as well-suited as I once thought, so it was for the best, really.”

“Hm, yeah,” he breathed, circling the top of the first petal, noticing her foot tense a little. To be expected. Foot tattoos weren’t the best. “I understand that. My wife and I separated three months ago after I reached the same conclusion. Proper shit, but that’s life, ain’t it?”

“It is, and I’m sorry too, that you’re going through the same thing,” she offered, wincing slightly. “I can give you the number of a good divorce lawyer?”

He laughed, a small burst of air through his nose. He could certainly do with one of those, to be fair. “Appreciated.” Continuing, he noticed she remained tense, pausing, patting her ankle softly with his black gloved hand. “Relax, ‘kay? Hurts more when you’re tense.”

“I’ll try. Sorry, I probably look like a right knob to someone as heavily tattooed as you, y’know,” she confessed, Nathan beginning again.

“Don’t mean I’m immune to pain, and it does hurt, like I said. Trust me, though, you don’t look like a knob. Had a girl in here two weeks ago who literally screamed like she was being murdered. Proper put me off, I'm telling you.”

It reassured her a little, that her wincing and tensing was definitely at a lower level where reactions were concerned. He remained silent for a little time longer, Holly looking all around the studio, taking it in. It was a relaxed vibe, very dark academia in style with its black walls, dark wooden floors and counters, an abundance of artwork, plants dotted around everywhere and Edison lightbulbs suspended above each of the three stations.

What caught her eye the most though, well, it was the man tattooing her. Back at school, it had always surprised her, just how lovely she thought he was, so cute with his shoulder length hair and big, green eyes. Even though it was all tied back in a half pulled through messy man bun at the nape of his neck, she wagered it was a lot longer now, but the bottle green eyes were still just as beautiful. Even more so going by her reaction at first seeing him, in fact, his eyelashes also impossibly long and inky. And bloody hell, the pout on the man. Those lips? One hundred percent kissable.

“What are you doing for work these days, then?” he asked after a further few minutes of silence, loading the needle with dark red ink for the next flower.

“I’m an illustrator,” she began, noticing that the pain was getting a little less. Well, either that or she was becoming more used to the hot scratches goring at her skin, one of the two. “I mainly do adult colouring and children’s books, but I also contribute for other literature and cover art as well. I just accepted a role doing the digital art for a woman’s E-Magazine, too, which has been great so far.”

“Yeah? That’s proper sick,” he enthused, pausing to smile up at her. Oh, that smile. It lit up his entire face. “You were always really talented. Those little cartoon guys you used to do, I loved them. That unicorn dude, he was ace.”

She could barely believe he remembered them after so long, those pictures she’d submitted on her GCSE display. “As if you remember him! Sparky the unicorn.”

“Sparky, yeah, yeah. That was him.” In truth, he remembered exactly what the cartoon character of her creation had been called, but he didn’t want to look like a weirdo by remembering such an innocuous detail after so many years. Especially not after her surprise that he’d remembered it at all.

“So, how long have you been tattooing for?” she then asked.

“Right out of uni, more or less.”

“Yeah? Wow, long time, then. Did you end up going to Loughborough like you wanted to?”

Oh, so she’d remembered something innocuous herself too, then. “I did, yeah, yeah.”

“I remember you telling me. Well, you wrote it down.”

She began to chuckle, her soft giggle making his stomach tingle pleasantly, even more so when it loudened at watching him pause and close his eyes tightly for a few moments, laughing softly though his nose. “The legit shame of it.”

“Oh, come on! You weren’t that bad!” she cried, laughing more the further his cheeks pinked. Damn, he was so cute.

“Weren’t that bad? Holly, I couldn’t pissing speak!” He paused there, giving her a few seconds to compose her giggles. She couldn’t. Her beautiful laughter only spurred his further, both sitting there in soft fits at the memory of his fifteen-year-old self, so stoned he was rendered mute.

“Or walk by the end of the night either,” Kelsey offered from across the shop. “Had to give him a fireman’s lift to the taxi!”

Oh, the shame. “You needn’t bloody chip in over there, Chapman,” he snorted. “I can do a good enough job mortifying myself, by myself, thanks.”

“Sharing is caring!” she beamed, Nathan muttering as he continued and moved onto the next flower.

“How you holding up?”

“Fine, getting used to it,” she confirmed, watching him smile.

“Trust me, it won’t be your last. You get bitten by the tattoo bug. Seldom anybody who’s ever had them stops at just one.”

“Which was your most recent? Can I see?” she inquired.

“Hmm, only if I took my jeans off,” he confessed.

“You little tease,” she joked, winking. “Where is it? Anywhere naughty?”

Was she... no. No, no. She wasn’t flirting with him. Why the hell would she? He knew he was reasonably attractive. Hell, he’d gone from zero to sex in five minutes with someone just thirty minutes before, but seriously. Holly Madden, or Jenkins as she now was, flirting with him? No.

“It’s on my lower hip,” he confirmed, “cover up of the ex’s name.” Thanks to Kelsey, where Lisa’s name had once lay was now covered by an old school style black panther crawling its way up to his hipbone, a definite improvement now his wife no longer had any prominence in his life.

“Do you do any of your own tattoos?” she asked out of curiosity, Nathan loading more violet onto the needle.

“Have done in the past. I did my feet, but I’m not that great at tattooing myself. I do most of my own piercings, though. Save a couple.”

“How many do you have?”

He thought for a moment, counting. “Twenty-one. Used to be twenty-three, but I took my eyebrow ones out.”

“And where are they all?”

“Eight in my left ear, six in my right, one nostril, lip, two in my tongue, both nipples and one in my dick.”

Immediately, she gasped. “Crapping hell! I bet that bloody hurt!”

It would be fair to say he’d nearly gone through the roof. “Yep, a solid eight out of ten on the pain scale.”

“Why on earth would you do something like that? And have two in your tongue? I bet that was painful, too!” she cried, shaking her head in amazement.

“Same answer for both,” he smirked. “It’s purely a sex thing.”

“Can I see them?” she asked, suddenly kicking herself as her stomach plummeted, her cheeks colouring. “The tongue ones, I hasten to add!” Oh, the depth of her cringe. Shit.

He laughed softly, poking his tongue out and giving it a very rapid wiggle, the two black studs tapping against his teeth.

Her eyes rounded, making an impressed little hum in the back of her throat. “Bloody hell. A man who can move his tongue that rapidly doesn’t really need any further enhancements, if you ask me.”

“I know, but I like to show off,” he smiled, winking. Oh, oh yes. He could trust it. They’d definitely fallen into a little playful flirting. “What about you?”

She felt a bit vanilla, compared to him. “Just my ears, one in each lobe and one at the top of my right. I always said I was going to get something else, too, but I never know what.”

“Well, when you make up your mind, you know where I am,” he smiled, returning his focus to her tattoo.

She couldn’t help herself. “You do seem particularly apt at sticking needles in people, so yes, I think I’ll trust it to you.”

And neither could he. “Not just needles.” Again, he winked, Holly smiling a little shyly, definitely enjoying the exchange. Oh, and why the heck not? She was thirty-four-year-old single woman eleven months out of a terrible marriage. Why not flirt with the hottie doing her tattoo for her?

“You little devil!” she giggled, Kelsey and Chris exchanging knowing looks from their respective stations, watching their friend enjoying the hell out of himself in flirting up a storm with his teen crush. It was quite surprising for them to witness, since earlier that day aside, he wasn’t overly brash with it. He still wasn’t even then, but he definitely had something about him that exuded a bit more charm than usual.

At close to the hour mark, he gave her a little break, covering the tattoo for her with a piece of taped on kitchen paper so she could pop outside and make a phone call, taking his gloves off and grabbing his large vaping mod, going out to stand on the other side of the front door, blowing out plumes of sweetly scented vapour.

“What is that?” she inquired, moving to his side once her phone call to her friend Kate was done, confirming that she’d be on time for their dinner plans later that evening. “It smells delicious!”

“Strawberry bubble gum,” he replied, taking another lungful he blew out in a huge cloud ahead. “Because I’m a massive fanny who needs his nicotine with a nice flavour.”

“Ahh, are you using it as a quitting smoking aid?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I’ve never smoked cigarettes. They smell vile and make you stink, but after all the shit with my ex, I needed something to de-stress a bit, so I took up vaping.” He paused. “I’m aware that makes me look like a proper massive twat, but it is what it is.”

She giggled softly. “No, it doesn’t. When I’m drunk, I buy those disposable vapes sometimes. They’re awful, and I know they’re bad for the planet, too! Drunk Holly cannot be held accountable, though.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, same as drunk Nathan. He’s a pissing liability,” he chuckled. He paused, looking at her, the way she smiled at him, a sudden uprising of courage kicking him sharply. “Speaking of drinking, you busy later? Me and them two inside are heading to that bar just over the other side of the park tonight, Wolfpack. You fancy meeting up?”

“Erm...” She quickly worked out times in her head. She and Kate were meeting at six, dinner could likely be an hour and a half, and they had said they’d go on someplace else afterwards. With the borough of Brent, where they currently were only just under twenty minutes via car from her home borough of Hammersmith, it was entirely possible that she could. “Yes, alright then. That’d be great!”

His stomach all but caved in on itself with excitement. “Cool. I’ll be in there from about seven, ‘kay?”

“Alright,” she beamed, feeling little darts prickling her tummy. “I’ll be there later; I have dinner plans with my mate first. Mind if I bring her along, too?”

Blowing out another cloud, he shook his head. “Nah, no worries.” He might’ve appeared cool on the outside, but within, he had fireworks going off in his chest. He felt fifteen again, and as soon as Holly had left the shop half an hour later, it showed.

“Blud, why you bouncing?” Chris asked, just the three of them all between clients, Nathan tapping the pen in his hand begin the counter as he bounced on his heels.

“Has she moved away from the shop yet?”

Kelsey turned to peer through the windows. “She’s just got into a black cab.” As soon as he heard that statement he jumped up and down a few times, punching the air.

“Fucking got a date with her! She’s meeting us later! A few more air punches followed before he composed himself, taking a deep breath through his nose. “And I’m back to being a calm adult.”

His friends shared a look, Kelsey thinking how adorable his excitement was. It was nice to see. He’d been bordering on morose at times since his split from Lisa. “Only taken you nineteen years, but you got there in the end, eh Gilly?”

“Better late than never.” he replied, misting his station with antibacterial spray, his next client due to arrive at any moment. That client was a guy he’d originally met over in Dublin, who he’d reconnected with back in London a while ago. Alex was a gargantuan rugby player in the middle of having a full Japanese themed back piece done by Nathan, the appointment taking up the rest of his afternoon until they shut at 6:30pm.

They worked long hours at the shop, Closed Sunday and Monday, but open from 10am – 7pm Tuesday to Thursday, and 10am – 9pm on Friday, 9am – 6:30pm on Saturday. With nowhere else to be since the dissolution of his marriage, Nathan had begun booking people in late on other weeknights too, giving himself something to take his mind off the fact that he was separated and truly didn’t really want to be.

Well, that was only half true.

He was very glad to be free of Lisa after how things had ended between them, but he’d liked being married. He really wasn’t the type of guy who was into playing the field, hence why his friends had been so alarmed at the speed he’d ended up shagging the girl earlier that day.

In Nathan’s defence, he’d been horny. Very horny, and maybe just a tiny bit lit from the shot of vodka he’d had that morning upon waking, something to soothe his hungover brain. He made a point of never working under the influence, taking too much pride in his work for that, but one shot wasn’t the end of the world, and it had definitely helped him feel more human again.

After finishing up the latest section of the huge dragon head upon his client’s back, he went and had a few more tots from the bottle of vodka in his fridge before taking a quick shower and changing, meeting his friends back in the shop before they locked up and headed across the park to Wolfpack. Cue Nathan to spend the next hour trying to play it cool, but failing miserably. Whenever anyone female entered the bar, his eyes snapped over, checking to see if it was Holly. Much tapping and neck scratching ensured.

“Gilly, you’re going to give yourself carpal tunnel. Stop riffing!” Kelsey advised him, pulling his hand away from within his masses of hair. Immediately, he began drumming his fingers on the table. “Such a jittery boy!”

He cringed slightly, looking perturbed as anxiety corded through his entire body. “Can’t help it, bruv. She’s too hot for me! I mean really, proper gorgeous, she is. And she’s meeting my scruffy rocker arse. Can’t cope, Kels.”

He was so adorable. “Oh, no, no, no. There’ll be none of this. You, my friend, are bloody lovely. If I had to shag a guy, like if my life depended on letting a penis near me, I’d choose you. You’re a hottie, so stop sitting there looking like a deer caught in the headlights, and scratching like you’ve got the same amount of ticks as one!”

“Still wanna hide,” he muttered, laughing at himself.

Nathan was usually so chilled out, it was very odd for her to see him in any other way. Hell, the man had managed to score with a girl in less than five minutes just hours before, not that she really wanted to dwell on such an out of character occurrence too heavily, though.

“Why though?” she cried gently, shaking his arm. “You were vibing so well with her earlier, and now look at you! Working yourself into a state.”

“Yeah, but that was on my turf and now I just... ahh, pissing hell. Where’s Chris with those shots?” Turning his attention towards the bar, he could just about make out the sight of his bald head, thankfully appearing to be somewhat close to getting served. It was a very typically busy night. “It’s because it’s her. I’m telling you, she’s too hot for me.”

“For the love of the virgin Mary’s bicycle!” she exclaimed, making him snort laugh. It was always ‘for the love of the virgin Mary’s’ something or other with her, and it never failed to crack him up. “Calm down, stop scratching your neck and just breathe! Where’s zen Nath? He needs to come back.”

The back of his neck continued to receive a good scratching. “He’s otherwise engaged.” Looking towards the doors, he saw two women walk in, his heart hammering. Not her, thankfully. He needed the next round Chris was buying to arrive before Holly did.

Thinning her lips, she contemplated her next statement for a moment. “This isn’t anything to do with Lisa, is it? She didn’t say anything rotten that’s dented you, did she? Because Jesus Harold Christ, I will knock her through the floor if she did.”

Trust his favourite butch battleaxe on earth to be so protective. She always had been, and if you didn’t know how sweet and gentle Kelsey was, her sheer size alone cut her from a very intimidating cloth. He’d witnessed her knock out fully grown men in the past.

He huffed slightly, raising his eyebrows before sinking the rest of his pint. “She said plenty of rotten things, but we don’t speak of her any longer.”

Truly, Kelsey had hit the nail on the head. It was a little bit of his estranged wife’s nastiness making him nervous, but mostly it was a Holly specific. She was the girl he’d fancied from the ages of eleven to fifteen, and even though he was a grown thirty-four-year-old man, seeing her again had reminded him of being fifteen and way too shy and awkward to make a move on her.

Luckily, Chris arrived back with a tray of drinks, buying them two pints and two shots each, save going up again with how packed the place was. Nathan’s two shots of Jägermeister had been sunk before he’d even sat down.

“Blud, easy now!” he exclaimed, Nathan grimacing at the taste, but enjoying the warm feeling of the alcohol spreading through his chest. “You can’t be getting all wreck up before she even gets here, fam!”

“I can and I will, bruv,” he joked, taking a big gulp of his fresh pint, his eyes once again flitting to the entrance. This time, it wasn’t a false alarm. “Oh, hell upon hell. She’s here.”

His heart thundered in his chest at seeing her, her eyes scanning the crowd, smiling and waving when she saw him. God, she looked great. She was dressed casually in a figure-hugging black bodysuit with a high neck, her toned arms on show, and a pair of wide legged green trousers with very high heels that boosted her height up more than the flipflops she’d been wearing that afternoon.

“I’m legit having palpitations.” he muttered, Kelsey wrapping her arms around him and kissing his forehead. By the time she arrived with him, he’d calmed down a little bit, Holly introducing her friend Kate to them all, the women taking a seat. Immediately, Holly began sniffing the air.

“Oooh, what’s that lovely smell?” Sniffing around some more, she leaned closer to Nathan, identifying him as the source. “You smell delish!”

“Thanks.” He would say that was the moment he calmed down, but no, because the way she viewed him so appreciatively, Nathan felt anything but. In a good way, though.

#original fiction #original stories #original story #smutty fiction #smutty story #smutty stories #romance story #romance fiction #romance stories

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sageistri · 6 months

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I feel like no one talks about how the rise of social media justice is a double edged sword.

The past few years it's been hard for celebrities to get away with just anything. And it's one of the best things because now these people are being held accountable when needed and i think it could lead to celebs trying to be more careful with how they're perceived and also trying to align themselves with the right side of history because as we all know right now, there's nothing worse than being absolutely hated by social media for doing something deplorable, I'm not talking about not being liked by some people for no reason. Like actually being hated for doing something bad like Morgan wallen, Chris brown, Tory Lanez just to name a few.

But at the same time social media justice is scary because someone could just come out and say "*** did this or said this" without proof and that could be the end of your your reign as one of social media's favorites. And one thing that's annoying about this is that, some people could overlook grave accusations against a celeb that they like but will double down on stupid things that cannot even be called accusations just because they don't like the artist. Nothing could be done after that because the news about your name being cleared will never get a fraction of the engagement your accusations got because if there's on thing social media loves, it's a witch hunt, doesn't matter what the truth is. Stans are at their happiest when they can get hit tweets and tiktoks at the expense of someone else's misery.

From the whole Ariana being a homewrecker to yunjin drinking Starbucks to han so hee and her dating situation, I've found everything ridiculous because none of it is that serious. It's funny because yunjin is my least favorite member of le sserafim, I really struggle to like her most times because I think she's kinda corny and tries too hard to be relatable and accepted by kpop stans because she knows the inner workings of Stan Twitter, she has that edge over the other members and it's so obvious when she capitalizes on that, she's basically the token member of the group and some of y'all might know my thoughts on members like that, actually I expected that she was going to get a treatment like this eventually, like the lashings she got was just inevitable and I do not like han so hee at all and call me petty but my dislike for her went up a notch after she appeared on seven's music video, not because I don't like jk, i actually do like him as I've said multiple times but when I think of seven I just cannot help thinking about what happened to like crazy. And even with all this even I can think rationally enough to see how ridiculous these takes were.

The dissection of the timeline of Ariana's and so hee's relationship by people who in real life, are sleeping with other people's partners knowingly, cheating on their on partners, plotting on how to get with somebody else's partner, supporting their friends who have decided to go after someone in a relationship, crushing on their friend's partners and sometimes even end up acting on it, have family and friends who are actually home wreckers. They are also have acquaintances irl who are going to McDonald's and Starbucks right now because they could care less about the boycott but do not even have the guts to say anything to them but will come on Twitter to give their takes on situations like this.

Criticize and hold celebs accountable when needed but at what point and in what situations does it become bullying and just outright ridiculousness.

With the way everyone speaks on social media the world should be a better place. You would think these people were all beacons of morality but no the most terrible person you know in real life is on social media right now acting like they've never done anything wrong.

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deakyjoe · 2 years

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Sarge & Simon’s Playlist

(Somebody’s Watching Me Series)

Link to playlist

List of songs:

Somebody’s Watching Me - Rockwell

“I’m just an average man, with an average life.”

Hungry Eyes - Eric Carmen

“I need you to see this love was meant to be.”

She’s Like the Wind - Patrick Swayze

“Just a fool to believe I have anything she needs.”

Love Is Strange - Mickey & Sylvia

“Your sweet loving is better than a kiss.”

Mary On A Cross - Ghost

“Your beauty never ever scared me.”

God Only Knows - The Beach Boys

“The world could show nothing to me, so what good would living do me?”

I Don’t Want to Miss a Thing - Aerosmith

“Every moment spent with you is a moment I treasure.”

Nobody Does It Better - Carly Simon

“I wasn't looking but somehow you found me. I tried to hide from your love light.”

Every Breath You Take - The Police

“I dream at night, I can only see your face.”

Take My Breath Away - Berlin

“Watching every motion in this foolish lover's game. Haunted by the notion somewhere there's a love in flames.”

(You’re The) Devil in Disguise - Elvis Presley

“I thought that I was in heaven but I was sure surprised. Heaven help me, I didn't see the devil in your eyes.”

(They Long To Be) Close To You - Carpenters

“Why do stars fall down from the sky every time you walk by?”

I Feel the Earth Move - Carole King

“Oh, darling, I can't stand it when you look at me that way.”

Head Over Heels - Tears For Fears

“I'm lost in admiration, could I need you this much?”

As the World Caves In - Matt Maltese

“Yes, it's you I welcome death with.”

Stop The Calvary - Jona Lewie

“Oh I say it's tough, I have had enough.”

Love Grows (Where My Rosemary Goes) - Edison Lighthouse

“I’m a lucky fella and I just gotta tell her that I love her endlessly.”

Songs listed below are recommendations from readers:

You’re On You’re Own, Kid - Taylor Swift

Me Gustas Tu - Manu Chao

Whiskey Lullaby - Alison Krauss and Brad Paisley

Tennessee Whiskey - Chris Stapleton

Come Out and Play - Billie Eilish

Tell Him - Lauryn Hill

Gravity - John Mayer

There Is a Light That Never Goes Out - The Smiths

WE (Warm Embrace) - Chris Brown

Can’t Take My Eyes Off You - Frankie Valli

Iris - The Goo Goo Dolls

Make You Feel My Love - Adele

Run To You - Whitney Houston

Have a Heart - Bonnie Raitt

Love Sneakin’ Up On You - Bonnie Raitt

Thing Called Love - Bonnie Raitt

Almost Unreal - Roxette

Making Love Out of Nothing at All - Air Supply

The First Time I Ever Saw You - Leona Lewis

Guillotine - Jon Bellion

You’re My Soul and Inspiration - The Righteous Brothers

Undertow - Sara Bareilles

Feel free to send me song suggestions to add to the playlist and ask me for explanations for any of these song choices! Find Somebody’s Watching Me on my masterlist.

#playlist #sarge and simon #simon ghost riley #fanfiction #call of duty #ej’s musings #ej’s playlists #somebody’s watching me

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thesinglesjukebox · 4 months

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WILLOW - "RUN!"

youtube

The first time we've covered Willow solo since "20th Century Girl" in 2011!

[6.82]

Joshua Minsoo Kim: A phenomenal parlor trick of a song. It begins enjoyably obnoxious from the jump and spends its entire runtime transforming its needling bassline and insistent drums into something even-keeled. The way everything interlocks at the end is the direct result of Willow’s vocals — she was always the ringleader. There’s even a moment that has the unfurling beauty of Steve Reich’s minimalism. It’s apt; there’s so much joy in hearing the real-time transformations here. [6]

Nortey Dowuona: Asher Bank, the drummer on this song, has the most difficult job: he has to recede for the vocals to take center stage, emerge in order to provide sharp transitions, settle into a smooth groove for the pre-chorus, then carefully carry the outro. More difficult yet, he leans heavily on the kick/snare/kick/kick/kick/snare pattern, largely keeping the hi-hats on a straight, flat drone with no wild tom runs or heavy drum fills to provide flavor. He stays in the pocket for drum engineer Zach Brown to keep him at a low level for Chris Greatti -- handler of piano/bass/acoustic guitar too!!? -- to record. Then Mitch McCarthy quiets the hi-hats and buries them in the mix, letting the kick and snare take starring roles next to the bass as the electric guitar and Willow's vocals drift high over them, rounded off and cocooned with reverb. Willow's voice is a helpless, frightened cry until she settles into her deeper, lower register as the drums pause, rush back toward the front of the mix, then slowly thump into the last bars of the outro, only the kicks heard. All in all, fine job by Bank. Willow sounds great too. [8]

Alfred Soto: Listening to "run!" blind I'd have assumed HAIM or somebody were responsible for the freakout-in-real-time vocal. The wonder is drummer Asher Bank, whose unpredictable patterns recall similar work on Fetch the Bolt Cutters. The star is Willow, whose performance complements the rhythm. [8]

Jonathan Bradley: Willow’s anxious shrieks and paranoid gasps demand stronger accompaniment than one and a half post-punk basslines and an admittedly satisfying clattery drum kit. [5]

Dave Moore: In the past few years Willow has quietly become the most incredible pop artist that you are begging to hear in a language you don't speak. But, much to my own surprise, I couldn't care less about the dippy poetry and therapyspeak -- the right syllables always seem stick to the right melodies and assemble themselves into the right songs. She's a genius. [7]

Katherine St. Asaph: Willow's A-list family has, maybe paradoxically, caused their musical career to fall into relative obscurity compared to pop's A-list; casual listeners and jaded industry types have seemingly written her music off as nepo stuff that's safe to ignore. Which is a shame, because they're making more ambitious music, more deserving of being called "artpop," than many of the up-and-coming artists marketed in their stead. "Run!" is striking and angsty in a way that shares more in common with '90s singer-songwriters than '20s nu-pop-punkers. There are places in Willow's vocal where I would believe that someone spliced in a Tori Amos sample instead -- the inflections can be uncannily similar. (Well, OK, half the time who I actually hear is Charlotte Martin; close enough.) Docked a point for the outro, which is the sort of indulgent meandering that the doubters probably expected. [7]

Jacob Sujin Kuppermann: As with many of the great stars of alternative rock through the decades, it's hard to separate the craft from the shtick here. This annoys me in the nervy first half and still doesn't quite land itself in the repeated phrases of the spacier second half, but I can't help but be charmed by the song taken as a whole. To take big swings and fail interestingly is always more valorous than to just muddle through. [6]

Taylor Alatorre: Saves the Day had In Reverie, the Get Up Kids had On a Wire, Panic! had Pretty. Odd., and Willow has empathogen. Once you have chosen the path of the Emo Girl, there's no going back; record your self-consciously mature and classicist follow-up album, or perish. This is of course an oversimplification, since not even the sellout-iest of emo bands has a career path remotely comparable to Willow's. "I can't get out" is an appropriate grievance for someone with her profile, whether it's stemming from generalized anxiety disorder or the fact that "Whip My Hair" remains her highest-charting hit. Even while Willow is re-enacting a nervous breakdown, she's still the diligent aesthete, arranging her yelps and squawks in a painterly manner between the gaps in the skittering percussion. Then she suddenly realizes that the song's halfway over and she hasn't said the title yet, prompting a vision of escape that sounds like an extended cut of a sensitive Blink-182 bridge. It's pedestrian, it's predictable after 5 seconds, and it's still evocative enough to make me want to re-evaluate a certain therapeutic mantra. "'Wherever you go, there you are'?" Willow seems to ask. "Actually, dude, I was there, which sucked, and now I am here, which doesn't suck. Take that, mindfulness." [7]

Ian Mathers: I was one of the few positive outliers when we reviewed "Meet Me At Our Spot," and a lot of that was specifically Willow's vocals, so I'm nonplussed that for the first two-thirds here they don't do much for me at all. Might be the production, because during the last minute's worth of "runrunrunrunrun" bits the song does sound better to me. But instead of that section feeling like catharsis or fixation or something equally powerful, it just feels like they ran out of ideas. Better luck next time! [5]

Harlan Talib Ockey: One of my favorite under-discussed trends in music was the blues rock boom of the early 2010s. Alabama Shakes, Gary Clark Jr., Rival Sons, Kaleo, Hanni El Khatib, Blues Pills, Curtis Harding and Sinkane occasionally, Cage the Elephant and Royal Blood arguably. “Run!” is a near-perfect throwback to this era. Even the guitar tone sounds like it’s from The Black Keys’ Turn Blue, and Willow’s vocal delivery owes a debt to Brittany Howard and St. Vincent (who appears on this album). I’m biased toward giving “Run!” a good score simply because that was most of what I listened to as a teenager, but here’s the deciding factor: when Willow starts to drift away from the formula, she expertly dissolves the outro into dreamy exhilaration. [8]

Wayne Weizhen Zhang: Major theater kid vibes (non-pejorative). [8]

[Read, comment and vote on The Singles Jukebox]

#willow #willow smith #music #music writing #music reviews #music criticism #the singles jukebox #Youtube

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leverage-commentary · 2 years

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Leverage Season 3, Episode 11, The Rashomon Job, Audio Commentary Transcript

Arvin: Arvin Brown, Director.

John: John Rogers, executive producer and writer of this particular episode.

Chris: Chris Downey, executive producer, and this is The Rashomon Job. John?

John: Yeah. Which we played around with a couple different names for it, it’d always been shorthand, The Rashomon Job, and then it just- we wound up keeping it. This was-

Chris: You had another title, though, that you kinda-

John: This was The Five Story Job.

Chris: The Five Story Job.

John: The Five Story Job, just cause ‘Two Story’ is a classic. And also House won their Emmy with a three story job. So I figured two more stories would get us our Emmy.

[Arvin and Chris Laugh]

Arvin: I like Rashomon Job, though.

John: Thank you very much. It’s a classic. And really, it was born- this has been the free pitch that’s been kicking around for ages. This was that high-concept idea I think we even had in the first year, and just, like, all right, you have to know the characters really well for it to make any sense whatsoever and it has to be basically a standalone. And nicely enough, we hit a weird soft spot, a gap in the arc narrative this year.

Chris: Right.

John: So we had this free one. And so I took all our notes we had accumulated and basically banged this out in about a week. Which turned out pretty great.

Chris: Yeah, it has to be executed perfectly or it’s a complete disaster.

[Arvin Laughs]

John: Yeah.

Chris: And you did it in a week.

John: Yeah. [Laughs] Well, no, the boys up on set did it, because this- writing it was a bear, but- oh, “I stole it!” That was the high concept. The pitch was always, they were watching the news and “I stole it!” And Sophie Soong, who is a recurring character now, she’s the reporter from The Inside Job. Arvin, what’d you think when you got the script?

Arvin: I thought it was impossible.

[John and Chris Laugh]

Arvin: I thought this was probably the end of my TV career.

Chris: [Chuckles] Now Arvin, you have a background in theater. Now- and this one really required an awful lot of entrances and exits. What did you bring from your theater background to approach this?

Arvin: Well actually, y'know, the interesting thing is that a lot of the plays I did, particularly toward the end of my theater career before I made the total transition into television, were very impressionistic plays. Y’know, the- television and the screen has influenced contemporary playwriting more than anyone realizes. So, a lot of times I’d be in situations where I needed to create transitions, and odd appearances, and disappearances. One in particular, for example, there’s a writer, Peter Nichols, British writer. And I did a play of his called Forget-Me-Not-Lane in which people would open closet doors and there would be somebody, and then they’d close the closet door, and open it again and that person was gone. You know, so all that really played into this in fine fettle.

John: This is meant to be, really- you could do this as a play. This episode, if you had like three staging spots on a stage, you could pull this off.

Arvin: Yeah, that’s true.

John: And that was the key, is- our 1st AD, Eric- and this was also- the recurring visuals was really important for editing.

Arvin: Incidentally, doesn’t Gina look gorgeous?

Chris: Oof, wow.

John: Gina looks stunning in that dress. That dress is killer. And it was interesting, Eric, our 1st AD saw this and he said, “You’re mad.” And then as we talked about it, you realize everything really takes place in three spots. Everything else- is just, you talk about it a lot but you’re never actually there.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: You know what I mean? And that’s the key to any of this. Ah, there’s Traber, Traber Burns, he’s a local Portland actor, and did a great job for us as the main villain.

Arvin: And who had incidentally, a wonderful time doing it, and has been in correspondence with me since.

John: Oh, that’s great. No, he was fantastic. Now talk about- sort of the challenge about setting up Tim as the observer character. Because we talked about a couple different ways to establish him, and he was coming up the stairs with Gina there, as the, sort of- y’know, and there he is, he’s popping into frame.

Chris: I guess we call this the “Annie Hall” sort of narrative.

John: Yeah.

Chris: In which people appear in the flashbacks.

Arvin: One of the challenges, though, in this kind of a situation is to keep him active. Because the trap with the observer character, y’know, is that it becomes very, very passive. So that’s one of the reasons I kept finding these ways to sort of have him physically be there, appear, and visit, and suddenly be gone whether it’s in the closet or just-

John: Rather than just hanging about.

Arvin: Yeah, exactly.

John: It has to be startling and notable when he’s there. Also-

Arvin: And that creates its own sense of amusement, so that he’s got a certain color watching all of this stuff.

John: That also is an in-camera effect. The fade out. Dave Connell came up with that, right? The idea that we would have him fade out by bouncing a bright light on him and reflecting in that glass and then just killing the light.

Arvin: Right, yeah.

John: No, it was a really, really lovely effect.

Arvin: Yeah. I was- I loved that.

John: And this is where we start to get into the bones of it. Oh, that’s Juan, that’s Juan Canopii, who’s playing our minister. And this was- this was the trick, the- I’ll have on my website, you can go find it on kungfumonkey.com, or blogspot.com. There is the flowchart for where everyone is, who everyone is, and what they’re doing at any given time. And it’s three pages long.

Chris: Now, did you do it with- did you do it visually? Did you have the maps of the sets, and you had- and you had three pages, and you kind of-? Is that how you worked?

John: No, it was- I specifically built each person’s story.

Chris: Okay.

John: I figured out, what would Gina’s attack as a grifter be- and that was the fun of it, that was what really gave us the birth of Grifter, Hitter, Hacker, Thief.

Arvin: Right.

John: And nicely enough, a phrase we threw away in Season 1 became the archetype for the show.

Arvin: This guy, we should mention quickly, incidentally, is Riley.

John: Oh yeah, of course!

Chris: Riley Smith.

Arvin: Who is best friend of Chris Kane, yeah.

John: They’ve been friends since they were teenagers.

Arvin: Yeah. And he did a great job.

John: Just a great, great job. Really, really flawless. No, it was really- that was the trick, was building out Gina’s- pardon me, Sophie’s story, what everyone else could possibly play within that story, and then after that everyone’s approach to the crime fell out of that.

Chris: Right.

John: You know, why they would need to be there? Why they would need access? etc. etc. etc.

Chris: And then, presumably, the things they interacted with then were kind of things that you could incorporate into the other stories.

John. Yeah.

Chris: The ‘World’s Greatest Grandpa’ mug-

John: Yeah.

Chris: And stuff like that.

John: And we’ve got- I mean, in the room, I finally came out into the room with a bunch of paper cups and objects and folded notecards, to the writer’s room and said “All right, help me.”

[Chris & Arvin Laugh]

John: “I have- this object has to wind up in this cup. At some point through the iteration.” Cause the trick is, each person needs a perfectly flawless plan.

Chris: Right.

John: It’s five heists that have to all go wrong not independently, but interdependently.

Chris: Right.

John: I was drinking fairly heavily by the end of this one.

[Chris and Arvin Laugh]

Arvin: Incidentally, we should note, too, that I have rarely done a script that actors have fallen so completely in love with as this one. Cause of course every single member of the cast gets a phenomenal opportunity.

John: Oh, yeah. And they get ten big pages of playing a character-

Arvin: And every time they got hopelessly confused cause of the way I had to shoot this, and to try to remember desperately which story they were in, I would remind them of how much they loved this script.

[John & Chris Laugh]

John: “I know you’re really miserable right now at two o’clock in the morning.”

Chris: There’s some actor maintenance advice there from our director.

John: Yup. And John Billingsley, Oh, he’s great in this.

Chris: Now that was your suggestion, wasn’t it, Arvin?

Arvin: Yeah, John I have worked with so often and he is the most versatile, most remarkable character actor. I did a television film with him where he played a just brutal interrogator, prosecuting attorney. So he’s got tremendous dramatic chops.

Chris: But- but you needed him to swing from kind of meek to menacing. And that is- that’s a tough thing to do.

John: Absolutely.

Arvin: And have a certain believability in all of it, and also have a sense of comic timing. Which incidentally, is one of the things that the regular cast has in spades in this episode. Their timing is so good.

John: Yeah. And that was something that- we could not have a weak sister on this character. This character is as strong as the other five in this particular situation.

Arvin: Absolutely.

John: If you don’t believe that fifth act turn, you’re done.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: Really, yeah, no, it’s Noises Off, but with crime.

Arvin: [Laughs] That’s right! That’s almost- exactly right.

Chris: In a way, it’s almost his story, isn’t it? I mean, you look at it that way?

John: Yeah. Oh, absolutely.

Chris: If you had to zero in on whose story it is.

John: Absolutely. If the rule is the protagonist is the person who suffers the most, it’s definitely Cosgrove’s story.

[Arvin & Chris Laugh]

Arvin: Yeah.

John: No, it’s just- also I was delighted by the idea of the sort of cluelessness of hearing what people say and you’re not really paying attention so you assign- I love the fluidity of memory. That’s just one of my favorite things to write about. I’ve written about it a bunch of times.

Arvin: It’s wonderful- it’s a wonderful phrase, too. And I gotta tell you, while we’re looking at Gina, a very quick funny story there. We had one dark moment in prep where we had gone to Gina and she was really hoping to have complete costume and hair changes in every single story.

John: Yes. In each story.

Arvin: And of course, practically speaking that would have been an absolute nightmare.

John: Production-wise.

Arvin: So we had to convince her that she could do it completely from an acting point of view, which of course eventually she got excited about.

John: Yeah, and she does!

Arvin: She does. That’s wonderful.

John: Those are two entirely different- and that was - the hair is different, the difference between the geeky woman in the little jacket, and, you know, Gina in that dress- there’s no comparison, you know?

Arvin: Exactly.

John: And also, that’s tricky, because that was one of the discussions we had about the audience being able to track what the hell is going on.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: You know, because the entire episode is basically a series of nested flashbacks, and so if she’s wearing something different and she’s too different you lose-

Arvin: Exactly right.

John: Where in the narrative you are. Yeah.

Chris: Mmhm.

John: Also the voices are great. Because at some point in the episode, as her accent deteriorates, I actually wrote in the script, “Sophie:” and then the dialogue block just says “Unintelligible British gibberish.”

[Laughter]

Arvin: Yes! I know. I loved that.

John: And just- Gina, being a fantastic comedic actress, just tee’d off on it. Beth could barely keep herself together.

Chris: That was right, didn’t you- you got to shoot that over and over again, right?

Arvin: Oh yeah, they couldn’t control themselves.

Chris: They kept breaking up.

John: And now, also to say, Arvin, I also wrote this bear and then stranded you. Because I went straight from this into the finale with Chris.

Chris: Right.

John: So Jeff Thorne, the writer on Inside Job, who had been my writer on Inside Job, the one I directed, babysat this.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: And since, you know, we’d worked together, he knew what I was going for.

Arvin: And he did a nice job. He really did. And he has the right sense of how to deal with actors.

John: Well, you know, he used to be an actor.

Arvin: Oh, no, I didn’t know that?

John: Yeah that was Jeff-

Chris: [Laughs] We’re outing you on DVD, Jeff!

John: I know- How long was he on In The Heat Of The Night? Five-

Chris: Five seasons.

Arvin: He was on what?

John: He was on- In Heat of the Night for five seasons.

Arvin: Oh my-! I never knew that.

John: And it’s one of those things that he never talks about it in the writer’s room.

Arvin: Nor on set, let me tell you!

Chris: No.

John: And it’s like, when we found out in the writer’s room, it was like we found out he’d been involved in human trafficking.

[Laughter]

John: We were so filled with rage.

Arvin: One of the things I kind of worked on here with these little framing scenes-

John: Oh yeah, framing devices.

Arvin: Which is very important to me. Had a link with each- one actor would take us to the next area of the set that they would be in.

John: It’s a great use of space, whenever you bounce back, you know what version of the story you’re in.

Arvin: Yeah, rather than just finding people in different places, there was always a thematic element that took us to the new place.

Chris: Now this is a great little fight, John, and if I may just blow some smoke. I think you do an amazing job, in these episodes, of bringing us in media res in these-

John: Yeah, thank you.

Chris: In these Eliot fights, and they always have a great punchline to them.

Arvin: Yeah, this was- I love this one.

Chirs: They have a setup, they have a punchline, and it delivers exposition.

John: Uh, I will absolutely tell you that Jackie Chan taught me that. Jackie Chan taught me, because I worked with Jackie briefly, and he was like, you know, each fight is three acts. You know, each fight- and there’s also, if you look at the fights that I write, I wind up- you know, everyone’s got their toolbox, in a lot of scripts, in the Eliot fight, even if it’s not my script, I end up swanning in on it. He also showed me the fight line: the one line that you do the fight along. And everything else is peripheral, but as long as you have one line to shoot on, you can shoot it quickly. And that’s why you’ll notice a lot of times Christian is fighting along one axis.

Arvin: Yeah.

Chris: It’s great.

John: And then you can just throw a lot of stuff at him.

Chris: Yeah, exactly.

John: And this guy is named Gutman, of course because of The Maltese Falcon.

Chris: Oh, that’s great.

John: There you go.

Arvin: We love that.

John: There you go, this is plainly The Maltese Falcon at this point.

Arvin: We all love that.

John: Yeah.

Arvin: He did a great job.

John: He was fantastic and it’s a very small part.

Chris: And a nice menacing push in there.

John: I know!

Chris: I love a good push in.

[Arvin Laughs]

John: I also love the- love the read Christain found here on like, “You know I have to do this, right?”

Chris: Yeah!

John: “You're aware I have to punch you.”

Chris: And there's our joke.

John: There's the joke. The bit with the knife was fun.

Chris: And we got all the exposition out.

[Arvin Laughs]

John: Yeah. No this- and again, the sort of recurring shot, the reset, this is what kept me sane when writing this, was always knowing I was gonna get to the reset scene.

Chris: Right.

John: And see- and this was also a ton of fun. I actually shot this. This was crazy, I got up there-

Arvin: And I was very grateful that you did.

John: I got up there and I had not had any sleep cause I'd been working on the finale and I swung by the set to say hello.

Chris: Right.

John: And they were like, “That's great, you can shoot the second unit!” “I don’t- tired!” And Christain, I will give him full credit, Christain really powered us through this.

Chris: It's a long speech here.

John: That's a long speech and it was- we covered the hell out of it. And he nailed it every single time, and we could've been here all night.

Chris: Yeah.

John: I mean really. But that's the advantage when you're in season 3. You know- this is the longest speech Eliot’s ever said.

Chris: Right. I'd say so, and you know what's nice about it, too, is it gives you a sense- which helps you in the finale, of what his life was like before Leverage.

John: Yeah.

Chris: There's definitely- you wrote the characters in a different way than they are on the show now.

Arvin: Here’s an example of that fade out that you were talking about.

John: Yeah so you get the- him in reflection next to Christain in the shot.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: It's really a nice piece of work.

Arvin: Incidentally, you know, one quick thing that I should say, which was such a joy, you know, that I didn't do the second season. Of course I did the first season and then came back for this. And the growth in the actors, in the regulars, is really remarkable.

John: No, they own these people now. I mean, to a great degree a lot of our fun in the writing room is knowing if we toss the ball into the pit, how they are gonna play with it. And so it's just coming up with stranger and stranger balls that we can throw.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: And just alright,’’ how about this one’? You know. Yes and- also, this is where we start to put in the dueling flashback attitude.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: This was an awful lot of fun. And- [laughing] oh and the corncob pipe killed me every time!

Arvin: That's great.

Chris: Oh, the corncob pipe!

John: Kills me every time.

Chris: And the nice comedy wipe right there.

John: Yeah.

Chris: Rhhh!

John: Classic comedy wipe. No the- that's also something we don't get to do, and this is another reason it was one of my favorite episodes not because I wrote it, but because we got to do something we never got to do because we were such a plot heavy show. Show what they're like when they're actually not on a job.

Chris: Right.

John: You know, this is what they're like when they're hanging out in the bar.

Arvin: Yeah, that’s interesting.

John: And Sophie's- something we never get to address that much is Sophie's truculence.

Chris: Yeah.

John: And just the sort of- she's very hard done by, you know she's very- she's a princess in her head. You know.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: And an actual duchess we find out later in the season.

Chris: Oh, this was so funny.

John: Oh I forget- this, I believe this comes from a friend of mine’s comments about the British spelling of elevator and color. It’s like, isn’t it stupid? The ‘u’ just makes us feel bad!?

Chris: Sea roaches? Oh that's so great.

John: And yes, Eliot’s a thug, but he's not a bad guy here. I mean he's not gonna let somebody let some dude die on the floor.

Arvin: Right.

John: No, this was an enormous amount of fun. And this when you start- honestly, it's not that complicated a story once you figure out who everyone is. Great job here. And now, when you shot this, if I remember correctly, you literally parked the cameras, had them come through, do one version-

Arvin: Yeah!

John: Had them come through to do the other version.

Arvin: That's why I was so grateful that you were outside shooting the night shot. Because it was like organizing the Prussian army, I mean it was-

Chris: Oh boy.

Arvin: And also figuring out which exact lines and moments could be done that way and which couldn't because of either a change in look or a change, you know-

Chris: Or some inconsistency in blocking.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: But that’s-

Arvin: It almost is exactly the same blocking, but not really. Just enough changes.

John: That's where- I will admit, even when we were working on this. That's where the idea that everyone's version is slightly different, I knew was gonna save us.

Arvin: Yeah.

Chris: That’s right.

John: Because otherwise we'd be trying to mirror and we'd have guns in our mouths.

Chris: Right, well of course, because people accept- I mean the whole premise of this episode is recollection is flawed.

John: Yeah. So if everyones standing a little off or a little different places, it’s, you know. There's fine- and then figuring out what you had to shoot- what you had to shoot new and what you would just keep reshooting-

Arvin: Exactly.

John: Sequence of. Cause that was originally our 1st ADs thing, which was, ‘Oh my god, there's a thousand shots in this.’

Arvin: Yeah.

John: It's like no, that’s- that shot.

Chris: Oh.

John: That by the way, a comedy- a locked off comedy frame.

[Laughter]

John: There's nothing better than a locked off comedy frame.

[Laughter]

Arvin: That was-

John: A medium with, like, bullshit happening in the back, there's nothing funnier than that. I wouldn't have staged it that way in a million years, that was inspired, Arvin.

[Arvin Laughs]

John: That was great. No, love that.

Chris: And now here we see walking down with the flowers and not the gun.

John: Not the gun. Yeah. And then it goes back to a gun for Parker and you see what- yeah.

[Chris Laughs]

John: See how everyone builds it. In retrospect I might have written that the jackets were different colors.

Arvin: The jackets?

John: Like, cause that's a little close to Riley- the doctor's outfit. That’s the only thing I can think of looking back on-

Chris: Yeah, but it doesn't throw you. I mean I would say-

John: Yeah it doesn’t throw you. That was the only thing that bothered me.

Arvin: I wouldn't have thought about it, that's interesting.

Chris: Yeah.

John: I was watching it. And still never hit- oh and that is of course a- and that's the reveal of the previous shot. That is, of course, a shout out to the great British comic book writer Warren Ellis on the address label.

Chris: Oh, is that his address?

John: No that is- it’s Warren Road, Ellis County.

Chris: Oh that's great.

John: Just a little something. and this was great cause I told them it's Raiders of the Lost Ark. You just- you know, you're going through the-

[Laughter]

John: We also had an intern, because we had to do multiple takes, hiding behind him to catch the vase. And, you know, Christain’s just whipping that piece back there.

[All Laugh]

John: Just like- he's like ahh!

Chris: That's true, I imagine we wouldn't have nine vases.

John: No, we do not have nine vases.

Chris: Do they have nine vases on NCIS, Arvin? I bet they do.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: On the network show?

Arvin: Certainly NCIS LA.

[Chris Laughs]

John: On a cable show they had- we had one vase. Take good care of it.

Arvin: That's right, [laughing] it's a rubber vase.

John: No, I love the choice that Gina's making here which is Sophie’s getting more and more drunk as the night is going on.

[Chris Laughs]

Arvin: Yeah.

John: She's getting angrily drunk. Yeah, and the World's Greatest Grandpa mug.

Chris: World's Greatest Grandpa.

John: That was insane. That was the point in the writers room where I just had my head on the table because it was- what is each person trying to accomplish, what do they wind up with, and how does that object wind up in their hands because of the other humans?

Chris: Oh boy.

John: It was not- it was not a fun day.

Chris: Don't try this at home, kids.

[John & Arvin Laugh]

John: This is the one you do after forty of them.

Chris: Don't try this at home.

Arvin: It was very interesting working with Timothy on this episode, because he had to find his inner progression in the piece.

John: Yeah, when he's- cause he’s-

Arvin: Of what he's trying to accomplish.

John: He's playing chess, and the rest of them don't know it. Yeah, Tim-

Arvin: But nevertheless there are also certain things he needs to find out to bring him to the very final point of the script.

John: He's actually interrogating them. Subtly. Which is very clever.

Arvin: That's right, that's right.

John: And then you move to the dartboard, which is nice. It's really important. This was a ton of fun. And calling Apollo and going, “How do we do this?”

[John & Arvin Laugh]

John: And I originally had it with rocks glasses and just- because rocks glasses aren't that transparent but I love the teacups.

Chris: Wait, so this was all practical?

John: This is practical. The way you do it- although Beth has amazing hands, it takes a lot of practice to learn how to do that properly. There is a ball bearing inside the crumpled up bill and there is a magnet on the inside of the teacup.

Chris: Oh, this is great! This is why we do this!

John: Yeah.

Chris: I did not know that, folks!

Arvin: That was so much fun.

Chris: I work on the show!

Arvin: That was so much fun.

John: It was a ton of fun. You never know with Beth, cause she's learned how to do a lot of it, so you never know.

Arvin: And that's also the sort of thing my years at O’Neil [¯\_(ツ)_/¯] didn't really prepare me for.

[All Laugh]

John: Oh really? No? Yes, and this was a lot of fun, was the James Bond. Cause, you know, let's all face it, the female fans are thanking us right now.

Chris: Yeah.

John: They've been waiting to see Aldis in a tux for a while.

Chris: He looks pretty good.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: Yeah, this was a ton of fun and randomly picking a name off the list. Look at the- look what Tim plays there, right there, he plays that he's starting to figure it out.

Arvin: Yeah, that's right.

John: Just at that moment. No, this is lovely. That may be a slight anachronism with the phone, we'll assume he built his own sliding keyboard five years ago. He may have innovated that himself.

Chris: We'll take the emails.

John: I'll take the emails on that one.

[Chris Laughs]

John: God bless you, God bless you. Now this-

Chris: No, they had that five years ago.

John: Yeah, eh. This was also fun was the- was figuring out why he needed to be there, physical insertion versus remote attack, you know the different stages of hacking.

Arvin: Right.

John: This montage was great. Adorable. There's no reason this should've come out as well as it did.

[Laughter]

John: The only thing - the only thing- yeah and there he's presenting the flowers. It's great. The only thing I miss, and it was ridiculously impractical- oh, I love this shot.

Arvin: I love that. This one was- that was really.

Chris: They're all over each other.

John: Yeah, and taking the picture. And I'm willing to say that's canon. I'm willing to say that happened. Nice wipe, by the way, nice wipe to reveal Tim. Did you have that in your head at the time?

Arvin: Mhhm.

John: Yeah, to get him back in the shot.

Chris: That's great.

John: The only thing I regret is in that montage, in the script, there's a moment- there is one shot, which was just impossible to shoot, which he's playing chess with an old man.

Chris: Yes! That's right.

John: And [laughing] just the crowd is watching!

Arvin: Yeah.

John: It's like no, there's no way to do it.

Arvin: I couldn't figure out how to do it.

John: Surrounded by honeys.

Arvin: Could not figure out how to do that one.

John: Yeah. And this one was great, because what was also fun was Treber really has to sell this three different ways, also.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: You know, Portland actors. Never let us down. And the freeze frame.

Chris: And the freeze frame!

John: And that's great. This is a common-

Chris: That's when you go beyond the wipe. That's when you just stop the- stop the rolling.

[All Laugh]

Chris: The first one is the wipe, cause it’s like you're trying to wrap your head around it. Then you need to-

Arvin: I think this is almost an encyclopedia of film.

Chris: Yes it is.

John: You had to pull pretty much every trick out of the can on this one.

[Laughter]

John: There you go, and psychopath Eliot! This was a ton of fun to do. And again-

Chris: And the much larger knife.

Arvin: And of course Aldis-

Chris: Cause that's what he would remember!

John: Yes.

Chris: He would remember a much larger knife.

Arvin: This is Aldis’ great strength. He's just unbelievable.

John: Oh yeah, yeah. And by the way, Christain digging in.

Arvin: Oh yeah.

John: He really, there's not a lot- it's like, “Oh, so I'm psychopath?” ‘Yes, yes, you’re terrifying.’

[Laughter]

John: Yeah. He told me this was the most fun bit, this bit.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: Just the creepy bit with the knife.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: Peppermint. we got to use his signature line, ‘it’s a very distinctive smell’. Yeah, trying to figure out why he needed to be in there.

[Laughter]

John: Walk the halls in the dark. Oh yeah. This is- the little half smile, he's genuinely creepy here.

[Laughter]

Arvin: And that reaction. The thumbs up. Inspired.

John: Creepy crazy. And bang in, and where's Nate?

Arvin: He will be there right-

John: There you go.

Arvin: Right behind him.

John: And that's fun. I will tell you the day that a hacker friend of mine told me that he was running OSX- he was running his operating system off a thumb drive is the best thing that happened to us.

[Chris Laughs]

John: Don't have to lug a god damn laptop around everywhere.

Chris: Now, what was the option other than having Nate appearing in the flashbacks? Were you gonna do a voiceover? What were you playing around with?

John: I was thinking about a voiceover, but-

Chris: It becomes like the voice of god, I guess.

John: Well it's- he's talking to- each character would end up talking to the screen.

Chris: Right.

John: But that breaks the fourth wall so heavily.

Chris: Yeah.

John: You know, it's just not something we do and- yeah.

Arvin: Well you know what else you would have lost, is that part of what tells the audience how to respond to the tone is Nate's attitude.

John: You know, it really- I played with it for like a day and then tossed it. Nate had to be not just asking questions, but in the scene. Which at the point I was like, “Oh god, Arvin, I'm sorry.”

[John & Arvin Laugh]

John: In my head, cause I knew you were directing this one by that point. Which also to a great degree, I’ll tell you, is why I wrote this one in this order. Cause I knew you could, with your theater training, you'd be able to handle it.

Chris: I think that in the House he appears in- if I remember right, that Emmy-winning House, he appears in the flashbacks like that. And it was pretty- it's a bold move to do that.

John: Yeah.

Chris: You know, I mean it's-

Arvin: But I think it's vital, I think that's-

Chris: Yeah, no, it's now that you look at it again, I can't imagine doing it any other way.

Arvin: Almost the single most important element in the entire show.

John: No, you can't. Yeah, I did one version where they talked to the screen and I did one version where it was just clean, and then no, you need some sort of pipe.

Chris: Right.

John: You need exposition cause we still do four really complicated heists in this. You need to explain what the hell they're up to. Yes, and the blocking on that, the whole design of this hallway. Who’s standing where, and what are their sight lines, and how can they see?

Arvin: Oh boy that was- we spent a lot of time on that.

John: Oh my god. But the-

Chris: I mean, and the doors and stuff, this is where you get the great far sell.

John: Yes.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: Yeah, that was intentional.

Chris: Once you got people shoved into doors, and throwing people.

John: Noises Off, exactly. I’ll tell you what was interesting, I had originally envisioned the supply closet closer to the downstairs over on the other side, out of sight line of the antiquities room. Now by the way, Aldis just slapping Eddie Murphy on there, hard.

[Laughter]

Arvin: Yeah.

John: However, putting in the other place gave you the locked off comedy frame to play stuff back and forth across that door.

Arvin: That was the big-

John: Yeah, which really was- I never imagined that.

Arvin: That was the thinking of behind-

John: This, by the way, is the fun of television. You write it, and you actually make it.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: And it winds up being better than you thought.

Arvin: Right, and oddly enough, because you make it at such speed, a lot of ideas kinda crystallize that might not be there, you know, if you were thinking it out over a longer period of time.

John: And each one of them lying, each one of them not- this was- and this was fun. Actually, I'll tell you that was the hardest one to write. Was the hacker’s.

Chris: Oh.

John: Eliot’s was fairly straightforward, cause he needs to get into- because it's true that the most vulnerable place when you're transporting valuable objects is in the transition from storage to transport.

Chris: Right.

John: Figuring out why he needed to be there and what his scam was? Was the hardest one. She was easy.

Chris: Mhhhm.

John: Cause this is almost beat for beat exactly a heist she does in almost every episode. This is her thing, you know?

Chris: Right, right.

John: She's a thief. Once you're in the fourth act, you're in the home stretch, you know.

Chris: Right. And play around with- because for those of you that aren’t aware, the acts have different lengths-

John: Yes.

Chris: We knew that we were gonna end with Nate because Nate’s the one who's gonna give you the true version. But in the other order, did you always think that Parker was gonna go on our fourth act?

John: Yes.

Chris: Cause that's the shortest act?

John: Cause that's the short act. And we actually talked about it being no dialogue.

Chris: Oh.

John: We actually debated- “What, I'm a thief?” And then no explanation, that's what she is.

Chris: Right.

John: And she nailed that. We actually- remember we talked about for a while- this was before, well before we wrote it, Arvin, the idea that we would shoot this in like a really weird black and white expressionistic idea of like-

Chris: Right, right, right, right.

Arvin: Oh really? wow.

John: Yeah.

Chris: It's like the way dogs see the world.

[Arvin Laughs]

John: She just sees like- everyone would be wearing the same clothes, and just like it's just- only the objects that have reality.

Chris: Yeah.

John: And then we realized that was just from a production standpoint, impossible.

Chris: Yeah

John: Just impossible to do. And as a result, just gives us a lot more fun to play with.

Arvin: I love this little brief moment with Aldis here, cause again with the interconnect.

John: Yeah.

Arvin: And he's stuffing himself with-

John: Yeah, with freebies. This was actually- in Montreal when I was going to McGill University, the strip joints had free buffets.

[Laughter]

John: So and the- I don't know what it does now, but the meal plan at McGill University in the dorms, they are not covered on the weekends. So you would put plastic bags in your pockets and you'd go to the strip joints and fill your pockets from the buffets.

[Chris & Arvin Laugh]

Chris: Wow, pretty impressive.

John: And that's- I love that. I love her frustration. ‘I hate you all.’ She just nailed it.

Chris: There's a great little sequence too, Arvin. Cause the camera was always moving or people were moving. I mean it’s, you know, considering it's a party where somebodys stuffing hors d'oeuvres in their pockets, it had a real dynamism to it.

John: Oh this thing flies. Well Parker’s always moving.

Chris: Yes.

John: That's the key, is if you're following Parker and she's always moving you're just- yeah, you're aces up.

Arvin: And the change in attitude here, of course, was just wonderful.

John: Yes. And that was tricky because one time we talked about this being Sterling. I mean one time we talked about- it couldn't have been Nate. You know, but we talked about it being Sterling and then realized- no, we fell in love with the crush story.

Chris: Yeah.

John: Also love- this worked out. Look at the way she does that line. She knows somebody else is there.

Arvin: Oh yeah.

John: She just figured it out.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: You know, she does that great. She’s just now pissed she wants to get on the job. It's actually what motivates her to do the job.

Arvin: Right, exactly. And I love the linking of the blackout in each story.

John: That was key.

Chris: It gives you like a timing.

John: Yes.

Arvin: Yeah, and that's right.

Chris: Cause it orients you visually to- ‘Okay, I remember when that happened.’

Arvin: That's right, cause the time is complicated. I mean you go back, you go forward, you go back.

John: No, it's- the- I remember developing it’s like, we need a starting gun. And the blackout became a starting gun for when it just goes to hell.

Arvin: That's a perfect image.

John: Cause everyone’s in the party until the starting gun. And then you’re, you know, and then you're up and running. And there's the two bags cause she's got two bags. It's a ton of fun. Ton of just crazy second unit stuff here. Because there's so many- we have to look at so many plans and diagrams and maps, cause trying to make sure the audience knows where the hell and what we're doing.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: Just crazy. And she grabs the wrong bag.

Chris: Right.

Arvin: And where those bags would be in relation to each other, those are the kind of tiny details you have to figure out in this.

Chris: Oh boy.

John: I don't relish directing this one. [Laughs]

Chris: And look at that! There's a great transition, right?

John: That's the classic highlander transition.

[Arvin Laughs]

Chris: Crane up. Crane up through the floor.

John: If you actually- ordinarily that crane up is through the- it reveals a Scottish village in the 1400s.

[Laughter]

Arvin: [Laughing] That's right! Yeah, right.

John: And catching it before it broke. That was just a lift from Jackie. I love when he has fights when he doesn’t- when he tries to keep stuff from breaking while he's fighting. It just always makes me laugh. And it's not there! Yeah, there was, like, another layer of transport originally, in the original design of the script, and then it just got ridiculously complicated.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: So. And establishing that. Oh, tons of fun.

[Silence]

John: God, I can't think.

[All Laugh]

Chris: I know when you watch it- there's so many pieces in it, it’s-

John: A little sick.

Chris: It blows you away.

John: This is the fun bit, this is why you pay Beth Riesgraf whatever the hell she wants. I say this, it will come out after contract negotiations.

[Laughter]

John: I would not have come up with this! In a million years. That little sword fighty bit?

Arvin: Yup!

Chris: Child-like skipping!

Arvin: And this! And the skipping out.

John: She got the shiny thing!

Chris: Yeah.

John: Love the shiny thing. Also I love the- it’s fun, you could play her episode without dialogue, it totally works without dialogue.

Chris: It does work.

John: Absolutely works.

Arvin: Which is interesting, since there was a silent modern film that was done as a silent film called Thief.

John: Yes! Of course!

Arvin: You remember?

John: Oh yeah, the opening. No, and then we built- how did we do this shot down? Cause we did not- we did not have a ventilation shaft that went 30 feet down. How did we do this?

Arvin: It was-

John: Mirrors? Or did we do it digitally?

Chris: Ohhh! [Laughs] He just gets punched.

Arvin: It wasn't-

John: He's just having a bad day. This is digital.

Chris: That's digital? That's great.

Arvin: That- yes.

Chris: Looks fantastic.

John: That’s digital. But when she comes out of her side, I think we just built a small drop.

Arvin: That's right, that's what we did.

John: No, it was nice. And everyone still digging in on- it’s interesting, they’re each playing this realization differently. It's really lovely.

Chris: Now this was all done over the course of how many days? The-

Arvin: Seven days.

Chris: No, no, but I'm saying the framing device in the bar? How long were you in the bar?

Arvin: In the actual shooting, you mean?

Chris: Yeah.

Arvin: Uh, one day.

John: One day?

Chris: This was all done in one day? All the framing scenes in the bar?

Arvin: Yeah. All the framing scenes were done in one day.

Chris: Wow, that was a lot of pages.

Arvin: That's why I had worked out the movement pattern so clearly in my mind beforehand, so that it would be very clear what brought each person to the next area.

Chris: Right.

John: And you didn't double set ups.

Arvin: Yeah, right.

John: See that’s why it’s- interesting thing, for those of you listening for film school, you don't measure television shows when you're shooting in pages, you measure them in set ups.

Arvin: That’s correct.

John: Cause each time you set up the camera it takes about 20 minutes.

Arvin: That's right.

John: So that's your shot count. That's your shot list. That clock is- and it's amazing, no matter how complicated or not complicated the shot is, it's always 20 goddamn minutes.

Arvin: Oh yeah.

John: You know, at least.

Arvin: Well, never less!

John: Never less.

Arvin: Certainly a lot of times, more.

John: But if you can light a set- you know, like the bar where you don't have to light it like a freakin’ miracle. Then you just know- you just know what your coverage is, you know your coverage, you know how long you'll be there.

Arvin: Now an interesting thing here is the difference in Timothy's attitude when he's actually now in the story.

John: Yeah.

Arvin: Compared to what it's been throughout up to now. Cause now he's coming in with a chip on his shoulder because he's already suspicious of-

John: Also, this is our way to remind the audience he was a prick back then!

[Laughter]

Arvin: Exactly! And that was a big factor too.

John: Tim Hutton's character is not a nice- you know, Nathan Ford, not a nice guy back then. You know?

Arvin: Yeah.

John: This is- he was a lot more like Sterling than he cares to admit. So, yeah. This was- this meet cute, I love this meet cute. So, you know, that was kinda fun. It allowed him to- we kinda missed that guy.

Chris: Yeah.

John: The flashbacks, you don't really flashback to those days anymore and since we're kinda moved on past that in the character, because he's playing the thief not the ex-insurance guy.

Chris: Yeah.

John: It's always fun to watch Tim play Nate from five years ago.

Chris: Yeah.

John: You know. And he's got- John's so amazing in this.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: And just- what were the character beats? I mean the dialogue had changed, but you know, what- I mean was- I see the glasses, and his hair is done differently. And just any sort of difference, you know-

Arvin: It's a really different attitude.

John: Yeah.

Arvin: It’s what he's able to do internally that makes the-

John: I love the giving- and she's giving him the big knife in this one, kinda like Excalibur. It's just a subtle difference in each version of the story.

Chris: Yeah, and what's nice about Nate being the prick also is that, you know, usually the final version is the true version- the reason it has credibility in the audience, is because he didn't make himself out to be a great guy.

John: Yeah.

Chris: In other words, like, if he had made himself out to be the hero, you're suspicious, but the fact that he makes himself out to be kind of a hard ass jerk, and the character reveal is that Cosgrove is the sympathetic person.

John: Yeah, absolutely.

Chris: It really - I mean that really is what tells you not just that it’s the fifth act.

Arvin: And I think of all of the aspects of John's performance that are so tremendous, the fact that he achieved a real vulnerability.

Chris: Yes.

Arvin: Not a play- not just a kind of casper milktoast quality.

Chris: Right.

Arvin: But a real caring about Gina.

John: Also, we had stripped him of one of an actor's most valuable tools, which is different dialogue.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: This- it’s gotta play- he's gotta say the same words.

Arvin: Same thing, that's right.

John: Or as close to the same thing as he can and still get it. You know, there's a great Hal Hartley movie that's gone completely out of my head. I think called Flirt. I have seen that my wife is a giant Hal Hartley fan and I will say that is- and this is totally Noises Off, by the way. This bit right here with the door.

Chris: Mhhm.

Arvin: And one of the rare moments we were able to use actually the same footage.

John: Yeah.

[Laughter]

John: That is three twenty minute movies, each one using exactly the same dialogue. Not necessarily spoken by the same characters. But exactly the same dialogue. In each of the twenty minutes.

Arvin: Oh, wow.

Chris: But did with different inflections that gave it a completely different meaning.

John: With different characters, different settings, different places.

Chris: Oh, that's great.

John: And it's fantastic. And that really is one of the birthplaces of this episode. Is the idea that each person can remember even the words differently.

Chris: I'm guessing Martin Donovan was in it.

John: Martin Donovan may have been in it. You cannot-

[Chris Laughs]

Chris: Isn’t Martin Donovan in every Hal Hartley movie?

John: I'm sure at this point you can IMDb on your Google TV right off to the right hand side while you're listening to this, but yeah. Oh and he's so sweet here!

[Laughter]

Arvin: I know!

John: Everyone's such a bastard to him, I feel really- I feel so bad for him.

Arvin: Although you have to say, not cut out for security work.

[Laughter]

John: No, but you know what-

Chris: He's a little lovesick. Right?

John: But, you know, Gina's worth falling in love with! I mean that character- you know. That- you're not not gonna fall in love with her. And then the reveal the person who ran by was Eliot. A ton of fun. Yeah, we should have slicked back his hair, I missed that.

Chris: Yeah, but you know-

John: Yeah.

Chris: That’s okay. Still works.

John: And the reveal of the roses.

Arvin: There was a discussion- that was strictly a time issue, as I remember.

John: Yeah cause he would have remembered to do it.

Arvin: No, we had discussed it.

John: Oh, yeah a time production issue. The ability to just throw that suit and tie on him and walk him through those sets was a big deal.

Arvin: Yeah. And the museum stuff of course had its own issues connected with it, in terms of the time sequence.

John: Yeah. Cause this is set. The upstairs, the gallery is at the museum where we shot.

Arvin: Is actually at the museum.

John: Yeah, so we had limited time there. I mean we could- you know, this was our bank vault slash mine slash, you know.

Chris: Mhhhm.

John: Becca and the production design people do an amazing job as usual. Oh he's so wrecked up here.

[Laughter]

John: That's a great performance. And Aldis kinda- like I love also the Aldis choice here of like, just, ‘Are you ok?’ Is just-

Arvin: [Laughing] right!

John: He's not a bad guy! He just, you know.

Arvin: No, right.

John: This is a little disturbing.

[Laughter]

John: Now that I'm thinking about it.

Chris: Right, what happened to him?

John: Yeah. Again, Eliot was not a nice guy.

[Arvin Laughs]

John: By this point, I mean, this was the trick, too, was designing it so you could do shorter and shorter takes.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: Because Gina’s has to be the longest and the most narrative, and each one is a sort of a collapsing set of information.

Arvin: And I used Gina’s to really teach everybody what the shape of the thing was.

John: Yeah. Oh look at those ropes! He's so nice! I should write them a nice letter! He's just great. Also that was a big part of it, was writing down everyone's equipment. Was figuring out who would need what when. You know, why and how they can- how you can wind up screwing them.

Chris: Wow.

John: Yeah. no I was pretty much just locked in our office [laughs] for that week.

Chris: Wow.

John: Like, ‘Where’s John?’ ‘He’s in there, don’t bother him.’

Arvin: Oh this is good- there's a funny thing about this.

John: Oh this was great! Tell them what happened on set. And then boom. And he’s- oh look! He finds a strange girl in the shaft and he's still concerned about her. And the drop. And- this is not digital. We literally dropped this.

Arvin: We literally dropped it. Here's the story: this was the real thing. This was really quite heavy. And we had a rubber one, an exact duplicate which we wanted to- intended to use because we were afraid that Timothy would get hurt.

Chris: Yeah.

Arvin: It's not so easy to catch, with the momentum, something like that.

Chris: Yeah.

Arvin: To take the chance of catching it, and he insisted, god love him, you know, the actor till the end.

John: Yeah.

Arvin: He was gonna work it out that he could catch the real thing. And he tried it a couple of times and it didn't work-

John: Yeah.

Arvin: And then finally, man, the catch was perfect.

Chris: Oh it’s perfect.

John: Oh, well I remember it didn't- cause I was actually on set for that day, cause we were prepping the finale. It didn't work in the rehearsals, but he got it on the first shot.

Arvin: That's right! That's it. Yeah.

John: The first time the camera’s rolling he caught it.

Arvin: Yeah, that’s absolutely right.

John: He might've been hamming it up a little during rehearsals. Just “Oh, I don't know!” Yeah.

Arvin: Yeah, yeah.

John: No this is- and Traber’s just lovely here as the guy who never really believes he's caught.

Chris: And everything ties up here. I mean there's the, I mean-

Arvin: Yeah.

John: Why is he there?

Chris: Every thread, why is he there, what his plan is, that wraps everyone else's story up-

John: Oh my god! That was the insane thing. The insane thing is we had broken all of these great crimes to keep everyone from stealing the dagger, and then realized we still needed the crime story in the news to say it had been stolen.

Chris: Right! Right.

John: That was a bad day.

[Laughter]

John: That was- that was a bad day to realize when we pretty much finished breaking this that-

Arvin: Oh, but the logic of it came through perfectly. I mean, when you created that scene, I mean it's totally believable.

John: Yeah, that was kinda the- that was- and I'll fully admit, by the way, that's just one of those ones where you can't logic yourself out of it. That was a good four glasses of Irish whiskey.

[Laughter]

John: In the writers room.

Chris: And the-

John: And just like, ‘You know what? Here's what he did.’

Chris: And the Gutman thing ties up, too.

John: Yes.

Chris: And was that- was that after the fact when you realized-

John: No, ironically he was the easy one.

Chris: So the fact that he was responsible for the Gutman thing-

John: Yeah, it was originally all gonna be Gutman.

Chris: Okay.

John: And then it was like, wait, Gutman never owned it, so why would it matter if it was stolen or not, how would that lead to the news thing?

Chris: Okay, right.

John: Nice blocking there, by the way, moving John over to next to him. It's the- in my head, although he is unlucky in love, he gets full credit for this.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: And so we- you know, the Leverage team never hurts the bystanders. We do what we can to avoid it.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: Unless you've taken a job with a security firm, in which case you know what you're getting into. Maybe you didn't expect to get choked out quite so often on the job.

[Laughter]

John: Stripped down to your underwear, but you know.

Arvin: Now you know what I love here, is that the end- that you manage to find in the ending, John, something a little bit underlying the whole thing, which is the idea that it’s better for them to work as a team than separately. Which I think is such a wonderful-

John: Well you have to do it or else this is masturbatory. Honestly? Otherwise it's a magic trick.

Arvin: Yeah.

John: You know, it's- oh nice bit of plotting but what was the illustrative character point? And this is the illustrative character point. You know, and we really felt this way - is they’re a family now.

Chris: Right.

John: You know, the show is a family now, that's kinda the point of it. You know?

Chris: I mean, and there’s an inherent desire, I think, in the audience wanting to believe that they ran into each other. I mean that's the star-crossed lovers-

John: Yeah.

Chris: Fantasy is that we met-

John: Destiny meant for them to be together.

Chris: We met as children, you know? And I think that's something that- that’s what drove you- why we're drawn to this story.

John: And to a great degree, he is the best British asshole on Earth.

[Laughter]

John: Man, is he good at this! And what's great is we just took the stuff the guy from BP oil actually said.

Arvin: Actually- I know! I love it!

John: And it was so dickish! There was really no way to there's no way to improve it.

Chris: He’s great, look at his face.

John: Look at his face. God, you just wanna burn parliament down.

[Laughter]

John: Ugh. And they're off! And yeah that's great there's never any doubt.

Arvin: Now I gotta tell you, one of my- here’s a favorite actor moment. Watch how Timothy gets out when he decides to join them. This is a pure little actor- this is the kinda thing Timothy comes up with-

John: Yeah.

Arvin: That is somehow so unexpected to go over the bar like that.

John: Yup. And turn out the lights. If this was the last episode of the show, I would've been perfectly happy.

Chris: Yeah, no!

John: Honestly if we had never done another episode.

Chris: It's got that vibe, doesn't it?

John: Yeah, if we had never done another episode I'd be perfectly happy. Oh my god, that was a ton of fun!

Arvin: It was a joy for me, I'll tell you.

Chris: As I said when I read it John, instant classic.

John: Thank you.

Chris: And Arvin, script- we were amazed and executed to-

John: Arvin, incredible job. Incredible.

Chris: Wow.

John: Just on an impossible- and by the way, big shout out again to Bekka Melino who- Melina, pardon me, who just killed it on production design on this.

Chris: Yes.

John: The museum, the downstairs building, the set, making it- you know.

Arvin: That closet with everything- Yeah.

John: The closet, everything, yeah.

Arvin: Absolutely.

John: Alright, stay tuned - there's more of this coming up right on the next disc. Put it in, get drunk.

#Leverage #Leverage TNT #Leverage Audio Commentary Transcripts #Audio Commentary #Transcripts #Parker #Alec Hardison #Elliot Spencer #Nate Ford #Sophie Devereaux #Season 3 #Episode 11 #Season 3 Episode 11 #The Rashomon Job

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