#Sean charming I guess

[martianbugsbunny]

OUAT Thoughts Pt.5--Episode 12

I have watched through S1E13; spoilers DNI. Also, spoiler warning for those further behind than I am.

So, @abovethemists, I hope this review satisfies your curiosity, I do my best! Your slightly ominous reply had me really anticipating this episode, and I must say I was not disappointed.

—First of all, how many times can I say “sexy” in one post?

—Rumplestiltskin’s saunter is just heavenly. I know I’ve already devoted entirely too much time to agonizing over the beauty of his body language, but that is absolutely the walk of a man who knows he owns whatever room he’s in. Also, that saunter just looks so gosh-darn good on him.

—Bit weird of Rump to always be spinning his web of deals when he could probably just smite everybody. Maybe he just thinks this is more fun? (It is, btw.)

—I love his clothes. Other characters’ costumes, particularly in the fairytale world, are generally mid-tier, with an occasional foray into either excellence or disgusting, but Rump’s clothes are always gorgeous. The leather pants, not everyone could pull off (but he does, trust me). The vests, whether they’re leather, crocodiley, and/or embroidered, have outstanding collars and cuts. Actually, the vests are the highlight of Rump’s wardrobe. And those satiny-type blouses are exactly the kind of blouse I dream of wearing.

—Mr. Gold looks great wearing sunglasses. I love the Rump content; that and coffee power my life at this point, but Mr. Gold has got it going too. So I guess my motivation in life at the moment is about 67% Rumplestiltskin, 12% coffee, and 21% Mr. Gold.

—Mr. Gold’s house is gorgeous. I would love to live there. The stained glass, the green-and-salmon paint on the outside…it’s just exquisite.

—Okay, so we got to see more of Mr. Gold’s mean streak in this episode, which to be honest is the main draw for me. Rump gets to be cutthroat all the time, but this is the first time Mr. Gold has really been ruthless.

—Actually, he’s a bit frightening. I think “menacing” describes him best; he’s surely more subtle than Rump—most of the time—but he’s still scary. I would not double-cross that man.

—Mr. Gold using his cane as a weapon was pretty cool.

—Rump’s house in the fairytale world is even more gorgeous than his “real” world house. I mean, it’s on a snowy mountain, and it’s huge, and very elegantly-decorated. The rugs are beautiful, and I love the sheer size of the rooms. And his furniture, what we’ve seen of it, is highly tasteful. Oh, and the curtains are stunning.

—I have no choice but to stan Belle, as I, too, would fall in love with Rump.

—I appreciate that we’re getting to see a little bit more of Rump and the Evil Queen’s deal in the fairytale world showing through. Although, if all he has to do is say “please” and she does whatever he likes, he could get so much more than he’s currently using that for.

—I’m sorry, but I just can’t take the Evil Queen seriously when Rump is in the same room or vicinity. He’s so much more powerful, and frankly more clever.

—While Mr. Gold became a bit more vicious, Rump got some new feelings. I love a good anguish-of-love storyline (even if I’m not entirely convinced yet that I like the romance angle for Rump). Him being the Beast in Belle’s story is pretty fine, though. I didn’t see that one coming.

—Speaking of pretty fine….

—Just kidding! To hear me talk, you’d think nothing but Rump happened in episode 12 (though he was the most important part) but I’m very happy for Ashley and her guy. They deserve to get married and have their happily-ever-after.

—I have nearly given up on remembering which spelling of Shawn/Sean/Shaun, or if that’s even his name in the “real” world.

—Almost forgot—what the heck is up with the Evil Queen locking Belle in the hospital basement?!! That’s insanely creepy!

—At least now I know for sure that both Mr. Gold and the Evil Queen are aware of who they really are.

—Rump covering all of the mirrors in his house so the Evil Queen can’t spy on him is top-tier brain usage. Although, one might wonder why he keeps mirrors in his house at all.

—Referring to my earlier side note, I have rather complicated feelings on romance being part of Rump’s motivation. On one hand, romance is a wildly cliche motivator for villains. Now, of course I have to acknowledge at this point that I have put Rump on a pretty high pedestal, but he deserves to be there. He’s much better-written, charismatic, and convincing than most villains I’ve seen. However, I’m pleased that romance is not what started him on his villainous path; in fact, having it be a secondary motivator is a somewhat fresh take on the cliche. I also have to add that it adds another dimension to his character, and that having his anger renewed at a point I’m assuming is years after his original turn to villainy is a clever idea. The problem is that when a love story enters the chat, it usually takes over, for any variety of character. If Rump escapes without being depicted as little more than a lovesick weakling, I predict that I will be, in the end, most pleased with the turn his backstory has taken.

[bimrsadler]

High honor Arthur or Dutch finding out its F!reader's birthday and she hid it from them bc she'd shy, but word gets out from one of the girls or something. hilarity ensues?

Dancing and Daisies

Pairing: Arthur Morgan x female reader

Word count: 863

Warnings: high honor Arthur, use of alcohol, fluff, implied mutual pining (no obvious romance, just Arthur being sweet)

Notes: hilarity isn’t something I feel is my strong suit tbh but I tried to make a fun gang dynamic with some teasing and fluff - both Dutch and Arthur involved

You knew you shouldn’t have divulged your upcoming birthday to the girls, especially since they picked up on the tendency of your eyes to wander toward Arthur Morgan.

“You knooow, a little birdie told me it was someone’s birthday…” Mary-Beth giggled to the gang sat around the campfire.

You gave her a pleading stare while sipping your drink. As the newest member of the gang and someone who was shy even without a group of boisterous outlaws around — you didn’t want focus on you just yet.

But the drinks were flowing and that ship had sailed.

“And whose might that be my dear?” Dutch inquired with mischievousness in his voice.

Mary-Beth just snickered with glances in your direction. Feeling your body flush with nerves, Sean took notice. “If I had to guess it’d be the lovely lass avoidin’ eye contact over there.”

You rolled your eyes with a sheepish smile.

Dutch placed his foot on the log you were seated on, hip popped out with his hand resting on it. “Well now, that calls for celebration doesn’t it?”

“It — it’s nothin really, please,” you stammered awkwardly, unbearably aware of Dutch’s eyes on you.

“Nonsense my dear — Javier?! Play us somethin’ fun would you sir?”

The pleasant twang of Javier’s skilled guitar playing filled the air, quickly followed by Uncle joining in on banjo. The gang began clapping along, some getting up to dance.

“Oh no, that’s my cue. Can I slip away without them noticing?” Your mind raced as your eyes darted to find an opening to head to your tent. “They can just celebrate without me…”

“Down the hatch girl!” Karen suddenly appeared with a beer in your face, a smirking Sean attached to her hip. All eyes were on you now, the gang clapping slowly, jeering and chanting.

“Screw it,” you sighed with a nervous smile. While you hated the attention, the camaraderie made you feel welcome. And a little party couldn’t hurt, right?

The group cheered as you indulged them. Licking your lips you locked eyes with Arthur leaning against a tree in the back, arms crossed and shaking his head with a lopsided grin.

Dutch’s outstretched hand broke your line of sight, “how about a dance, Miss?”

You froze, unsure how to respond. You didn’t mind the idea of dancing with the charismatic man — but in front of everyone?

Before you could say anything, Tilly teased, “I dunno Dutch, somethin’ tells me she’d rather get a dance from Arthur.”

“Tilly!” You hissed, mortified.

“Is that so?” Dutch chuckled as he grabbed your hand and pulled you toward him, “I don’t see Arthur over here.”

You leaned into the dancing, highly embarrassed but admittedly charmed.

Arthur rubbed the back of his neck, “ahh I ain’t much of a dancer, you know that.”

“Still isn’t very polite to keep a lady waiting Arthur,” Dutch chided as he dipped you.

Arthur huffed and waved his hand dismissively. You weren’t sure if you were thankful or disappointed; both petrified of and yearning for his attention.

Hosea taunted, “c’mon Arthur, ya gonna let him show ya up like that?”

Arthur stood suddenly, polishing off the last of his whiskey with a grunt. “Alright alright, quit scarin’ her.” Sauntering over, he motioned for Dutch to allow him to cut in — Dutch obliging with a deep chuckle.

Arthur wrapped his arm around your waist and took your hand delicately, far gentler and less possessive than Dutch. “Don’t think she wants two old men botherin’ her all night…”

“Careful Arthur or I’ll grab your Fenton hat!” You heard Hosea call out while the two of you swayed.

You had to stifle a laugh as Arthur grimaced, showing the same pleading stare you had earlier. Though you weren’t clear on the whole story you had heard bits and pieces of Hosea’s animated retelling of the events of that day.

The gang went about their own festivities as you and Arthur finished your dance. It was slower than you expected and even though he was quiet, he flashed a few soft smiles at you asking, “this okay darlin’?”

As the song ended, Arthur’s warm hand lingered on the small of your back before he parted with a playful bow.

“Not much of a dancer huh?” You asked coyly.

Arthur shrugged, “easier when yer partner knows what they’re doin’.” Leaving with a tip of his hat, you watched him head toward the poker table.

Your meter for social interactions was exhausted but it had truthfully been a nice night; feeling a little more at home with the gang. Head swimming pleasantly, you collapsed on your cot.

Glancing over you noticed something on the nightstand that hadn’t been there before; a small bouquet of wildflowers tied together with twine.

Beside them was a ripped piece of paper with a scribble, “Happy Birthday - Arthur”

Picking them up, you recalled mentioning to the girls that you missed the fields near Strawberry and the flowers that grew there — not thinking anything of it that Arthur had been chopping wood near you.

Smelling them wistfully you drifted off and decided that it was a good birthday after all.

[photo1030]

Leather and Lace - Chapter 12:  Drunken Silliness

Summary:  After an evening of drinking, you and Arthur both acknowledge your feelings...just not to each other.

Warnings:  Swearing; usual fluffy & slight angst; Approx reading time is 30 min +/-

Previous Chapter / Next Chapter

*This wonderful image is not mine. This comes from u/Reasonable_Emu2449. Found on reddit! 

You can hear Sean and Karen arguing from where you are sitting under the tree reading your favorite book. You try not to overhear them, but its hard to ignore. Something about one being "immature" and the other being "demanding". You discreetly look up from your pages and watch as they both wave their arms about wildly, hurling insults at each other, more than a few of which cause you to wince in their severity. It doesn't take long before Karen storms off in a huff and muttering to herself, effectively putting an end to the argument, and leaving Sean to stand by there by himself speechless (a rare sight in itself).

As she stalks off, Karen notices you and immediately changes her trajectory to make a bee-line in your direction. "Y/N! I need a drink. You wanna come?" she hollers, jerking her head towards the hitching posts.

"Umm..." you stammer, being put on the spot. 

"Sure you do, come on!" She waves at you to get up before you can even answer her with a 'yes or no'.

"Oh, uh, OK..", you reply quickly and unfold your legs to scamper to your feet and follow her to the horses.

When you get to the posts, you quickly tuck your book that you still have in your hand into your saddlebag and proceed to get Blue ready to leave. Karen angrily yanks on the leather strapping of Old Belle's tack, causing the mare to nicker and sway slightly before she slings herself into the saddle. "You ready?" she asks you impatiently, already turning her horse to the path that leads out of camp, desperate to get out as quickly as possible. "Right behind you," you confirm as you mount up, and Blue is quick to canter on to catch up to Old Belle.

The ride in to town is relatively quick. Fortunately, Karen is sulking too much to rant on the way there and keeps quiet. And smartly, you just let her be. You're about to drown your sorrows in alcohol, so you figure it best to let her pout in peace and not get her stirred up any more than she already is. Thankfully by the time you get into town and over to the saloon, Karen has calmed down for the most part. The two of you hop down from your respective mounts and get them hitched. "Pray for me, Handsome," you whisper to Blue with a grin as you lovingly pat his neck. The silver-colored horse nuzzles you affectionately with a quiet nicker then watches you bounce up the steps behind Karen and through the saloon's swinging doors.

Karen finds you two stools next to each other at the bar and immediately waves the barkeep over. "Two beers and keep 'em comin'!" she tells the man as she sets herself upon one of the smooth wooden seats. You settle in next to her and gratefully accept the cool bottle from the bartender. You both sit in silence for a few minutes, each taking alternating swigs of beer before you start to broach the subject of Mr. Sean McGuire.

"So..." you start tentatively. "Things not going so well with Sean, I take it?" And with that, the floodgates open as Karen proceeds to unload the burden of her frustrations off her chest.

"I love his boyish charm, but I can’t stand his childishness!" Karen finally concludes in a huff after a fifteen minute tirade. "Does that make any sense?" she asks, then sits for a moment in deep thought. "I don't know...He's fun and all. I guess I could do a lot worse," shrugs Karen. "Do you think I settled?" she turns to you, the exasperation pulled back just a bit from her voice now.

"No, I think you gave in," you snicker, giving her an impish grin. "Sean will wear a girl down eventually. I'm just glad he's fixated on you and not me!"

"Oh, there's a reason for that," she says smugly, taking another sip of her beer as she raises a knowing eyebrow at you.

"What do you mean?" you ask her, puzzled.

"I think any man in that camp is going to think twice about approaching you seriously as long as Arthur is around."

You just shrug, oblivious to her meaning. "He is protective," you nod in agreement. "But that's what he does. He looks out for all of the girls in camp." As you say this, Karen halts in her movements, her beer bottle half-raised to her pouty lips, and looks at you like you're crazy. 'Dear God, is she messin' with me, or does she really have no idea?' thinks Karen.

"Well, what about you and Arthur, then?" Karen narrows her eyes at you suspiciously. "Come on, you can tell me. What's goin' on there?", she asks with a curious grin as she bumps your shoulder with her own to try to egg you on in the conversation. You give her a confused look, shaking your head as if you have no idea what she's talking about, as you quickly take a gulp from your own beer bottle to try to avoid answering the question. But Karen is not going to give up on this juicy topic so easily now that it has presented itself. For this is a subject that the girls have been whispering about for awhile now, and Karen just can't resist prying at the open door.

“Ohhhh, no," scolds Karen. "If I have to talk about my dysfunctional relationship with Sean McGuire, then you have to dish about your undefined one with Arthur Morgan," she challenges.

“We’re just friends, that’s all," you say dismissively, rolling your eyes with another shrug.

Karen leans in closer to your face to catch you in the eye. "Do you want it to be more than that, (Y/N)?" You sit there for a moment looking into her beautiful, sweet face, not sure how to answer. You don't want things to get complicated with Arthur, but yet, you can't bring yourself to lie about your continually growing affections for a certain cowboy, either. When you don’t answer, Karen's eyes light up excitedly. “I knew it!” she exclaims, slapping her hand on the bar.

You slowly close your eyes and sigh sadly. "That’s not something he wants, though."

"You two talked about it, then?" she asks you, surprised by your answer.

"No, not directly," you reply sheepishly, looking down at the bottle in your hands. 

Karen clicks her tongue in disappointment. "Honey, I love Arthur and all, but when it comes to romance, he’s a box of rocks." She pauses to take a quick swig of beer before continuing on. "I mean, personally, I don’t get it. He’s kind of awkward and odd-looking if you ask me."

"Oh, I don’t think so," you answer quickly as you look back up at her. "I think he’s handsome and strong. And he’s not awkward, he’s…quiet, observant even. He’s a lot smarter than people give him credit for, too," you gush. You feel like a teenage girl with a dreamy smile upon your lips as you talk about your crush. You didn't realize just how much you wanted to talk about Arthur like this with someone else until now. It feels good to finally vocalize what you've been internalizing for awhile.

"Ooo, you sound like a woman who’s got it bad!" Karen cackles excitedly as she swats your arm.  

But just as quickly as your giddiness began, it drops in disappointment. "Doesn’t matter, though," you say with a slight shake of your head. "Men like Arthur aren’t interested in a woman like me."

Karen's face scrunches up and she looks at you as if you've just uttered the stupidest thing ever. "You mean a man with a penis?", she asks you sarcastically, causing you to choke on your sip of beer, and leading you to quickly cover your mouth to catch the dribble of amber liquid that falls down your chin. "What are you talkin' about?" Karen blurts out. "What the hell is that even supposed to mean, (Y/N)?"

Despite this feeling that has stewed within you for years, way before this moment, you have to sit for a second and try to articulate your thought process on this subject. "Arthur is strong, independent, and rugged. Men like that never show any interest in me. I’m always 'a friend'. I think I’m too outspoken, too inappropriate for most men." You pause for a moment, looking at yourself in the mirror that hangs behind the bar as if confirming it to yourself. "I don’t know my place. Well, I suppose my place is to take care of them, as that seems to be all that I'm ever needed for."

Karen sits quietly and lets you finish speaking, just smirking at you. When you are done, she purses her lips as if deciding just how to answer you. "OK, first of all, I don’t think you know what in the hell you’re talking about. Second, I’ve seen the way that man looks at you, the way he’s always fussing over you. And I’ve never seen him get on with anyone the way he does with you, (Y/N)."

“That’s just it, Karen. I think we are good friends because we both know nothing is going to come of it. There’s no pressure there. We can just...be,” you finish with a slight flourish of your hand to indicate how simple you think the answer is. "And besides, if we ever seem to come close to that point, he always puts a stop to it. That's why I don't think he wants to head down that path with me." You cast your gaze back down to the bottle in your hands again, a sinking feeling in your gut from finally admitting the truth. "But you know what? That's fine," you add after a brief moment. "I'd rather know him and be friends, than try to be together and have it end with him hating or resenting me. Because I just couldn't bear that," as you shake your head at the very thought of it.

Karen is pensive for a brief moment, processing what you've just told her. Her demeanor changes to a much softer tone, now, her anger towards Sean long forgotten. She is full of empathy for your obvious confliction and self-doubt. "Listen," she says as she rests her hand upon your arm. "For what its worth, I don’t think Arthur likes you in spite of those things, (Y/N). I think he likes you because of them. He already had the perfect woman, and look how that turned out. Let me tell you, not so perfect." She leans into you in earnest, trying to get the idea through that stubborn head of yours. You nod in contemplation, mulling over her observation. Could she be right?

And so, you and Karen proceed to drink your worries away. It feels good to confide your inner-most thoughts to someone who isn't Arthur for a change. Especially when some of those thoughts are about him in particular. The two of you laugh and tell stories, the wall of 'prim and proper' coming crashing down as the two of you relax and enjoy the atmosphere. The saloon is getting busier now as the afternoon sun begins its decent for the day. The amber glow of the candles in the wall scones, coupled with the music of the piano-player in the corner, is putting everyone at ease. There seems to be little-to-no tensions with the other patrons, so a bar-fight, thankfully, seems avoidable today. Some of the people have even started to dance with the music, creating a most-jovial setting indeed. And you finally let your guard down and allow a calm to settle over you.

As the comforts of alcohol take hold, the two of you eventually start to talk about men and swap your stories. "I had a guy once, all he would do is twist 'em," Karen points casually at her own breasts, "like he was trying to crack a safe open!" She rolls her beautiful doll-eyes and shakes her head. You laughed at the reference, nodding in understanding. "I know! What is with the obsession?!" you exclaim. "And they're always complaining that they need a 'big chest' on a woman! Really, all they need is at least a handful, a definite mouthful. Anything after that, they don’t even know what they're doing with it," and you take another swig of your beer to accent your point. Karen cracks up, slapping her hand on her knee, as she knows exactly what you're talking about, as she is pretty well endowed in that area herself.

But eventually, Karen's antics calm down a bit as if she is distracted by a new thought in her beautiful blonde head. "OK, so you’re not attached to Arthur, then, right?" asks Karen with a sly grin.

"Correct," you nod to her in confirmation, taking yet another sip of beer.

"Good! 'cause there is a fine looking gentleman at the other end of the bar who’s been looking you over for some time now.” She casts her gaze over your shoulder with a slight nod to indicate someone behind you. You turn your head to follow her gaze to see a handsome young man leaning on the bar, smiling back at you. Shocked, you immediately turn back around, nervously tucking your hair behind your ear. Within a few moments, you watch out of the corner of your eye as the man downs the shot-glass in his hand, and pushes himself up from the bar. He discreetly tugs on the bottom of his vest to straighten himself out and runs a quick hand over his dark hair in an effort to make himself presentable. Then, he begins to walk towards you and Karen.

"Good Evening, Ladies," the stranger says with a kind tone to his voice, which makes Karen giggle with excitement, nibbling her lip in anticipation. "Evenin'", she replies, her eyes dipping demurely.

"My name is Sam. Sam Edwards. What’s yours?" he inquires politely. You can feel the blush starting to dust across your cheeks as his handsome smile dances from you, to Karen, and then back to you.

"My name is Karen, and this here is (Y/N)," offers Karen, when you are self-consciously hushed into silence. Typically, you have no issue speaking your mind freely, even in the presence of men. But on the off-chance that you catch a man's eye, it always leaves you awkward and shy. Sam is fairly tall, with dark, thick wavy hair that is combed back nicely. He's clean-shaven and wearing nicer clothing, nothing dirty or ripped. His boots are clean of mud and dust, indicating that he must not be 'of the elements' like the company that you currently keep. But he seems kind, his dark eyes shining as he smiles at you. In other circumstances, you'd be most excited at being approached by such a man as this.

"Can I offer you ladies a drink?" he asks.

"Um, no thank you, we have drinks," you reply politely, rolling your wrist and fingers towards the bottles on the bar in front of you.

"Hmm, yes, of course," he nods in acknowledgement, but not willing to give up just yet. "Would you mind a dance, then?" he smiles at you, holding out his hand. You blink back the astonishment in your mind as you stare down at his hand, then back to his face, not sure how to answer. When you sit there immobile, your mouth slightly open to find an answer, yet paralyzed with conflict, Karen gently nudges your shoulder with her slender fingers as a go-head, pushing you towards Sam and encouraging you to accept his offer. She knows damn well that you are hesitant because of Arthur. But if he's going to be stupid enough to drag his feet in moving forward with you, then Karen is not going to let this opportunity of a potential suitor slip away from you.

Your cheeks flush red as you lay your hand into Sam's, causing the handsome grin on his face to pull into a full-fledged smile of excitement. You hop down from the barstool and follow him as he leads you to the open area where a few others have already gathered to dance. Being respectful, Sam places his hand high on your back as he gently clasps your hand in his other one. However, he can't help but to pull you a little closer than usual to him.

"So, are you from here in town?" Sam asks you, awkwardly trying to make small-talk.  

"Not exactly," you chuckle as you both start to sway with the music.

"You and your friend having a good time tonight?" he continues, trying to crack that exterior of yours.

"Sure." You don't mean to be rude with your short answers, but you are not sure if you are comfortable with this. Sam proceeds with a string of compliments, commenting on your dress, your hair, etc. Its been a long time since someone flirted with you in genuine interest. Sure, there's always Sean's teasing, Micah's harassment, and the occasional mixed-signal instances with Arthur. But no one has been pursuant and shown you attention like this in a long time. And honestly, it feels pretty damn good to you. You eventually loosen up a bit and relax, as the two of you continue to dance as one song stops and the next one continues. You begin to let your guard down and allow yourself to laugh and smile; to be courted properly as a good woman should be.

"What’s your situation, if you don’t mind my asking?" Sam eventually asks, his eyes locking with yours with genuine interest.

"I don’t really have 'a situation'," you admit sheepishly.

Sam cocks his head at you in disbelief. "Now, how’s that possible with a pretty girl like you?" he counters skeptically.

You roll your eyes at his latest compliment with a slightly embarrassed grin. "It’s complicated," you finally admit, shaking your head at the nonsense of it all.

When the music stops again, it leads you to begin to take notice of what is happening between you and Sam, and you feel as if this is starting to take a turn that you are not so sure that you want it to. You suddenly pull away from Sam's grasp, blinking the blissful fog from your mind. "I should go," you mutter softly. For whatever reason, you have a sudden wave of guilt wash over you. You're not sure if its because of Arthur, the gang, everyone...no one?

“Can I see you again?” Sam asks hopefully, holding your hand in both of his, a slight desperation in trying to keep you from running from him.

You look down at his elegantly strong hands encasing your own and hesitate, torn as you are not sure how to answer him. What are you supposed to tell him? That you live with a bunch of wanted outlaws out in the woods? "I don’t think that’s a good idea," you say quietly at a volume barely above a whisper, with a slight pang of regret in your voice as you avoid eye-contact, fearing that if you look Sam in the eye, it will be your undoing.

"Why not?" he gently pushes, stepping a bit closer to you, confusion setting upon his face. He is not about to let you walk away so easily.

"Trust me, it just isn’t," you reply a bit more firmly this time, trying to convince yourself that you are doing the right thing for everyone involved. For this is also for Sam's safety as well. What if someone in the gang gets wind of this and sees Sam as a threat? And you can't help but chuckle internally at the irony of that thought:  Arthur wants to keep you at a distance from himself to keep you safe, and yet here you are doing the same for Sam.

Sam steps even closer to you now, staring down into your eyes in that oh-so dreamy and romantic way. You can almost feel the heat from his body, he's that close. He holds your gaze and you notice his chest rising and falling with his slightly-broken breathing in anticipation. Your eyes cast down to his lips, tempted to think what it would feel like to kiss him. He must sense your indecision and leans in slightly, as if to kiss you first and end your internal struggle. But suddenly you snap out of your reverie and pull back with a slight surprise. "I can't," you murmur again, so faint, Sam almost missed it.

"Please don't go," Sam begs in a hushed tone. You gently lift your hand and rest it on his chest, your fingers splay open and float across the fabric of his shirt and brocade vest, a last attempt to validate that Sam is real and standing right in front of you; to allow yourself to believe that he is willing to fight for you. Unlike someone else. But, you are not ready to deal with this sort of thing and the drama that it could bring. This just isn't fair. Why couldn't this man approach you when you are not living in hiding with a bunch of criminals? Or, why couldn't Arthur and you finally acknowledge what you know is burning there and just be together? Either way, you aren't getting what you want and it fills you with both annoyance and sadness.

"No, I...I really need to go. Thank you for the dancing. It was nice to meet you, Sam." And with that, you offer him an apologetic smile and step backwards to put space between you before turning around to look for Karen. Your chest is tight and you feel like you can hardly breathe. The room starts to spin and you suddenly feel the need to get the hell out of this saloon and now. Fortunately, Karen is still sitting at the bar where you left her, but she has since found some company. A rather cute blonde is leaning over her and openly flirting, causing her to blush and giggle. You quickly walk over to where she is sitting, and toss a few coins on the bar, grabbing the bottle that the barkeep conveniently has sitting there. "Come on, Karen, we need to leave," you inform her, and pull her off the stool by the arm, causing a quick yelp to escape her lips. You quickly drag her across the saloon floor and out the door before she can even put up any argument.

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

It is Arthur's turn for guard duty tonight. He stands quietly, smoking his cigarette, peering into the still night. He keeps his eyes open for any disturbance, but mainly, he's keeping an eye out for you and Karen. You've been gone for several hours now, but he's trying not to get too anxious about it. You are with Karen, and she can certainly handle herself. But then again, you are with Karen. So there's no telling what you'll get into when you're with her.

The evening is crisp, but not so cold. Autumn has not set in fully just yet, so there is still the rustling of the birds and squirrels in the trees as they prepare for the coming winter. He curls his thick fingers around the cigarette in his hand as he lifts it to his lips for another long drag, casting his watchful eyes from the hitching posts where the horse quietly graze to the path where he hopes to see you and Karen soon. Suddenly, his keen ears pick up on a noise off in the distance. He squints his eyes, trying to see in the dark as he tilts his head in an effort to discern where the noise is coming from. He hears it again and it is the unmistakable sound of Karen's cackle and your voice carrying through the still night air. Eventually you both come into view, riding up into camp. A wave of relief settles over Arthur to know that you two are both back safe. But that quickly turns to confusion, as well as amusement, as he can see that you are both clearly very drunk. Its not a bad thing to see you both so merry and carefree. But you are also both very loud and rowdy, singing and laughing and carrying on. So much for being discreet and hiding in the woods, he muses.

"What in God's name have you two been up to?" chuckles Arthur with a shake of his head as you and Karen get closer to the camp. The two of you have been too caught up in your own antics to notice Arthur until now, but once you set eyes upon the man, you both exchange a look between the two of you and instantly burst into a laughing fit. You had finished that bottle you brought from the saloon and have proceeded to get even more drunk on the ride back to camp. And of course, there has been much discussion about Arthur along the way.

Sighing, Arthur meets you along the path to escort you in. "Alright, then. Let's get you two in, safe and sound. Well, maybe not so much on the ‘sound’ part." He walks over and takes ahold of the reins of both of your horses to safely lead the animals over to the posts. Once she's at a complete stop, Karen is quick to bounce down from Old Belle, patting the horse's graceful neck in thanks. On the other side, Arthur is quick to walk around Blue to help you down from the saddle when he notices you almost fall, and you trip ungracefully right into his chest with an "oof!" "Woa! Easy, now," he laughs as he uses his arms to catch you and hold you up. "I got ya." "Thanks, Arthur, you’re a peach!” you drunkenly quip looking up into his face with a lop-sided grin. You quickly reach up and tap Arthur's nose with your fingertip, making a “boop” noise before taking his hat off his head to place it on your own and walk around him to link arms with Karen and saunter off towards the fire to join the others. Arthur stands frozen for a moment, watching as you and Karen drunkenly bump into each other with a ripple of laughter, astonished by your behavior before he cautiously follows suit.  

The evening carries on, and everyone is in good spirits tonight. There is laughter and singing in the air and everyone is actually getting along for once. Eventually, Bill stands to get another bottle from the supply wagon and announces to everyone that he has just grabbed the last bottle of rum.

"I'll arm-wrestle you for it, Bill!" you say cheekily, pointing at him smartly. A wave of laughter ripples throughout the group. Bill is even bigger than Arthur, and that's saying alot. You are dwarfed in comparison to the goliath, so your challenge to him is certainly a joke. Bill eyes you with a grin, before he simply waves you off like you're crazy. "You're as mad as you are drunk, woman!" he says shaking his head at you. "I'm serious!" you challenge back with a slight hiccup. "Come on!" you exclaim as you stand up and walk past him and over to the the nearest table. You sit down and prop your arm up for the ready, smacking the opposite side of the tabletop with your other hand to indicate his vacant spot, a big smile on your face. "Come on, Bill!" you holler over to him. You wave him over to you, and with a grin of his own, Bill finally complies. He settles himself down across the table from you, still eyeing you cautiously, and waiting for you to come to your senses and back out of this dare. But he eventually lifts his massive arm up onto the table, bending his elbow up. Bill lightly grasps your awaiting, and much smaller, hand in his, rolling his fingers around yours for a moment before he tightens down, readying himself. He locks eyes with you in a stare, eyebrow raised and ready.

"OK, then, when you're ready, I'll start the count," you say, a little too peppy for his liking.

"Hold on," halts Bill suddenly. "I ain’t fallin' for that again," he says, thinking back to when he dislocated his shoulder and you caught him off-guard with your counting and popped the ligament back into place before he was expecting it. "Someone else get over here and do the countin’!" he shouts as he waves over to the group. Javier is quick to his feet and strides over to the table. "Alright, friend, I got you. Think you can take her, big man?" he jokes as he gets closer. Bill just gives Javier a scowl in response before he returns his gaze back to you. You and Bill sit with your hands wrapped together, and you begin flexing your fingers to find the comfortable position again before they gracefully drape across his large and calloused knuckles. Bill blushes slightly at the feeling of your soft hand tightening around his own burly one, relishing the feeling of it, but quickly regains his composure to set himself to the task at hand.  

Javier places his hand atop of your two together. "You ready?" he asks, checking you both.

"Yep!" you reply with absolutely no reservation or concern in your voice what-so-ever. The rest of the gang looks on, curious to see what is going on in that head of yours. Bill nods to Javier and then meets your eyes again, bracing himself for your little competition.  

"OK, then," says Javier and then he begins to count. "One...two..."

And just as the syllable of "two" drops from Javier's mouth, you launch yourself across the table and kiss Bill full-on on the lips. Bill freezes, his eyes going wide, his eyebrows shooting up to his increasingly receding hairline. You can hear an audible gasp from the collective crowd, as well as Karen's unmistakable high-pitched drunken laugh of approval. When you pull back from his face, Bill looks at you in utter shock and is dumbfounded as to what just happened.

"Three!" Javier announces excitedly, lifting his arm above his head in emphasis. And before Bill can pull his mind together, you pull his giant arm down effortlessly, pinning his large hand to the table.

"Ha! I win!," you exclaim, smacking your hands on the table in triumph before you stand victorious, snatching the bottle of rum from him and taking a big swig from the bottle.

"What?! NO! Damn it!!" yells Bill, completely flabbergasted. The rest of the gang erupts in laughter and cheers as they all raise their own bottles and cups to salute you, including Arthur. After a few moments, Bill stands with a grin of his own, knowing he's been bested. (Truth be told, he's always had a soft spot for you.) He ambles over to stand next to you and puts his massive arm around your shoulders. “Laugh all you want, Jackasses," he says waving at the lot of them. "But the fact is, (Y/N) kissed me and none of you! I’d say that’s worth a bottle of booze," he says pridefully. You turn to him with a warm-hearted smile and pull his face down closer to kiss his cheek to show that there are no hard feelings, and hand him the bottle to share.

The festivities of the group continues well-on into the night, filled with laughter and fun. You all sit around the main fire, singing and sharing stories. You are still sitting next to Karen and Tilly, relaxed and carefree. Arthur sits across the fire from you and watches you with great interest. It fills him with such satisfaction to see you settled and free of the worries and stresses of your life, even if it is only for an evening. He reflects upon how much you've assimilated into this group of misfits, his family, accepting and loving everyone within it. You seem perfectly at ease and comfortable to exist within the harsh life that he himself lives. Where others have cast judgement, you have offered compassion. Arthur's chest tightens and his heart swells at the mere sight of you. And his face twists up slightly in concern, as he now realizes that he can't keep his feelings for you at bay forever.  

At one point during the evening, Hosea comes over to sit down next to you in the spot recently vacated by Tilly. “I like seeing you like this, (Y/N)” he says, a slight grunt of exertion crossing his lips as he lowers himself down onto the chair.

“What, drunk?” you questioningly laugh as you offer him a lop-sided grin.

“No, relaxed. Happy. You’ve been through a lot, my dear girl. You work hard. You do your part. Its good to see that you are 'one of us' now." The old man gives you a smile of approval and pats your hand affectionately. You warmly smile back at Hosea, appreciating his fatherly acceptance. Since you've lost your own father, you have a gap in your heart for such a role. You are truly very fond of Hosea and you wrap your arms around him in a tight embrace. "Thank you, Hosea," you whisper in his ear.

By the end of the night, the fire has died down and the chill of the evening air has indicated that it is finally time for everyone to retire to their beds. Hosea looks over at you, noticing that you are rather wobbly now, between the booze and the fatigue. He lets out a contented sigh before looking over to Arthur. "Arthur, why don’t you get (Y/N) to bed.” And the man waves his hand at Arthur to usher him over to you.

This statement causes you to sloppily giggle into your hands. “You hear that, Karen? Arthur has to get me into bed!” And both you and Karen erupt into yet another fit of laughter over your inside joke between the two of you, seeing as she now knows how you really feel about the man.

Arthur tries to hide the red in his cheeks with the brim of his hat as he sighs dryly at the embarrassing joke. "Are you done now?” he asks, walking over and standing over you with a bit of a scowl, not too amused. At this point, Arthur is tired and just wants to get some sleep.  

You instantly try to stifle your laughter, not wanting to irritate him any further, but a few huffs of snickering escape your lips before you can finally contain yourself again. “Fine, I’ll be good”, you say as you put your hands up in surrender. Arthur sighs in impatience again and gently takes your arm to help you to your feet. "C'mon, let's go. I think you've had enough fun for one night," his deep voice trying to sound authoritative in case you try any other antics that may embarrass him in front of everyone else.

Hosea and the others watch in amusement as Arthur gingerly wraps his arm around your waist for support as you lean heavily into his ribs, and he leads you away from the fire and towards the tents. Your images disappear into the darkness as the firelight leaves your forms, but everyone can still hear you as you continue to trip over your own feet like a newborn baby horse learning to walk, continuing to crack yourself up, and almost pulling Arthur down with you with each drunken step. Hosea shakes his head with a grin as all they can hear carrying through the still night is your laughter and Arthur shouting “Damn it!” in annoyance every two seconds. "That girl is going to be his undoing, yet," he whispers with approval in his voice to Ms. Grimshaw, who only nods in agreement.  

As you reach your tent, Arthur pulls back the flap opening with one hand as he has his other arm still securely around your waist to make sure that you don't fall over. He gets you inside the canvas and sets you down on your newly-acquired cot, looking you over briefly to assess the situation, before he kneels down at your feet to help you get your boots off. You sit quietly and obediently as you watch him slowly pry apart the laces of your boots with his large fingers. He is so careful and gentle as he handles you. You try your best to reel in your drunken behavior and smile down at him.

"Thank you, Arthur," you say softly.

"No need for thanks," he offers gruffly, keeping his eyes on his fingers and the work at hand.

"No, I mean...thank you, Arthur. For everything. Not just for taking care of me tonight, but for looking out for me all this time." He lifts his eyes and briefly looks at you before awkwardly turning his eyes back down, unable to hold your intense gaze upon him. "Weren't nothin'" he mumbles, still fussing with your laces.

"You saved my life, Arthur," you gently push the subject, "and have been looking after me ever since. I just want you to know how much I appreciate that." Arthur says nothing in return, but simply hums in acknowledgement with an ever-so-slight nod at the compliment. Now that you are in the quiet of your tent, away from the commotion of the crowd from earlier, you think back to the saloon and to Sam and your interaction together from this afternoon. You briefly wonder whether you've made the right decision to walk away from the proper gentleman who would have loved your company. But as you continue to watch Arthur kneeling in front of you at your feet, gently slipping off your boots, you know for sure. You smile to yourself and in a sudden burst of bravery, you lean over to kiss Arthur's cheek. Your delicate lips linger on his stubbled face for just a split second longer than needed, a clear indication of the tenderness that is intended. You hesitate for a brief moment after you deliver the precious gift, your face hovering next to his, before you slowly sit back up again. This causes Arthur to immediately halt in his task, as he begins to blush and get flustered. His eyes dart everywhere but to your face as he rapidly blinks in surprise.

“You’re sweet, Arthur”, you say to him, your voice a soft melody floating in his ears.

Arthur finally looks up at you again, rubbing his hand along his jawline nervously. “I’ve been called alot of things in my life, but 'sweet' ain't one of 'em,” he admits to you, a boyish grin pulling along his lips.

"Maybe you’re not hanging around the right people, then," you smile at him.

He chuckles a bit. "Huh...maybe you’re right." You continue to look down at him, still kneeling at your feet, and the two of you lock eyes together for a moment. You jut your head down towards him slightly, inviting and waiting for him to kiss you. 'This is it!' you think to yourself excitedly. 'Its finally going to happen!' Arthur slowly reaches up and moves a lock of hair behind your ear so that he can see your face clearly. But trying to be a gentleman when it comes to a woman, Arthur suddenly clears his throat and pulls back. He has fantasized about this moment so, so many times. However, he doesn't want your first kiss together to be when you're drunk, not wanting to take advantage of you in your current state. It would be one thing if you were both drunk. In fact, to be honest, that may be the only way he would finally get the nerve to act upon what he has dreamed of for so long. So rather than reciprocating your affection, he awkwardly pats you on the leg instead.

He clears his throat again, trying to dislodge the tight knot there and find his voice to answer the expectant expression that sits upon your face. "Get some sleep, would ya? I’ll see you in the mornin'," he replies quietly with a brief and awkward smile. And with that, Arthur stands up, gives you a slight nod, and quickly ducks out of your tent, leaving you sitting there alone, wide-eyed and mouth slightly gaped in disappointment.

In the stillness of the night, all you can hear is the far-off sounds of the critters still out and about nocturnally. You sit on your cot, motionless and in shock for a moment over what just happened. And honestly, you are more than a little dejected. "What the hell do I have to do to get this man to make a move?", you whisper exasperatedly to yourself as you raise your hand towards the tent opening where Arthur was just standing and let it drop into your lap haphazardly in frustration. Every damn time that you think something will happen between you and Arthur, he will always pull away from you. The beautiful flirtations that cause warmth to spread in your heart always end in disappointment. You treasure the sweet interactions between the two of you, but you don't know how much more you can take without it moving any further. It can't be coincidence, can it? He has to feel something for you as well, right? You continue to sit there in disbelief, even in your drunken state. You lift your eyes to the ceiling of your tent, as tears of frustration start to well up in them before a single tear makes it over the brim and cascades its way down over your cheek.

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

The next morning, Arthur peels open his blue eyes at the sound of the birds in the trees. The morning sun creeps its way in through the slight gaps of the tent flaps and dances along the walls of the canvas as the morning breeze shakes the fabric. Its quiet in the camp this morning after last night's festivities, so he allows himself to take his time and slowly rise for the day. He sits up on the edge of his cot, running his hand through his messy hair with a yawn as he slowly comes to full consciousness. A smile slowly spreads itself across his bearded face as he remembers the events of the preceding night. He is feeling pretty good about that kiss you planted on his cheek last night and how you had called him 'sweet'. He replays the conversation over in his mind and thinks on how you looked at him. Over the time you have been here, you have become the camp sweetheart and yet, you were smiling sweetly at him last night. Him! Arthur has been mulling over his doubts over whether your flirtations are just that, or if there there could truly be something more behind it. But last night may have been that definitive proof that he needs. Or at least, maybe enough for him to finally act on it to find out?

With his hands on his thighs, Arthur pushes himself up with a slight groan to a standing position and stretches his long arms towards the ceiling of the tent before digging around in his trunk to find some clean clothes to put on. He checks himself in the small mirror hanging off of the side of his wagon, running his fingers through his tousled hair again before he pulls back the sides of his tent. He heads over to the wash barrel to toss some fresh water on his face, a bit of a bounce in his step as he walks. As he stands at the barrel, Arthur hears voices and realizes that he can overhear you and the other girls talking from where you all sit on the other side of one of the supply wagons. He can't make out what you are all saying at first, but curiosity gets the better of him. Cautiously, he sneaks a little closer to the wagon so that he can hear you all better.

"Well, well, (Y/N)! I'm surprised you're up already! How you feelin'?" asks Abigail as she watches you slowly lumber towards her and the other girls with a cup of steaming coffee in your hands.

"Not as bad as I thought I would," you admit as you carefully lower yourself to the ground to sit and rub your hand over your face. "I made sure I drank some water before I turned in for the night. Of course, getting up in the middle of the night to get sick helped, too." Your face turns sour at the memory of it.

"Well, that's what happen's when you go out drinking all day," laughs Mary-Beth. "You and Karen got a head-start on the rest of us. Serves you right!"

"Oh, I think it was well worth the trouble," smirks Karen in that smug, knowing tone as she gives you a look before sipping her own cup of coffee. This comment makes Arthur pause as he secretly listens from the other side of the wagon. What's this now? Could you have told them about what happened between the two of you in your tent? He leans in to side of the wagon a bit more intently to see if he can hear better.

"Oh, you should have seen the man that was making eyes at (Y/N) in the saloon yesterday!" exclaims Karen excitedly, eager to tell the juicy story.

“Ugh, Karen!” You roll your eyes in embarrassment as you shift your weight on the ground. The other girls gasp in shock, as you are not known to openly flirt with anyone. Anyone, except Arthur, that is. And the girls begin to giggle and eagerly ask their questions. "You're kidding!" says Mary-Beth.

"Oh, he was handsome and very interested," Karen gushes. "What was his name, (Y/N)? Steven?"

"Sam", you reply quietly, bringing your coffee cup up to your face in an effort to hide behind it.

"They danced and laughed…" giggles Karen. "That man didn't want to let her go, I tell you!"

From where he's standing, Arthur cringes and he shifts his weight uncomfortably from hip to hip as he overhears this conversation. This bit of information makes Arthur a bit jealous and self conscious. 'Of course...that’s why she was acting all sweet last night,' he thinks to himself, staring down at the ground. 'She was all hot and bothered over that other fella.' His chest begins to tighten and his head starts to pound. Arthur quickly turns and walks away from the wagon, not able to stomach anymore. All of the excitement and hope he had when he awoke this morning has evaporated within moments. 'Damn fool. You waited too long,' he admonishes himself internally. "Just as well, she probably wouldn't want you anyway, you ugly bastard," he mutters out loud to himself as he heads back across the yard and over to the tables.  

But unfortunately, Arthur has walked away too soon. If he would have had the strength to hold out, he would have caught the most important and amazing words he could have heard in a very long time. Arthur walks away before he can overhear you and the other girls talk about your crush on him.

"Are you gonna see him again, (Y/N)?" asks Mary-Beth hopefully, leaning forward in anticipation.

“No”, you say quietly, but definitively, with a shake your head.

"Why not?" she asks, confused as to why you'd turn your back on a handsome gentleman caller.  

"Yeah, (Y/N), why not?" jokes Karen nudging your arm with that same glimmer in her eyes. You just shake your head again, not wanting to talk about it in front of everyone else.

"(Y/N) doesn’t want that man because she wants Arthur!" Karen announces to the other girls.

You groan slightly as you roll your eyes closed and hide your face in your hands in embarrassment. The girls are wound-up with excitement and start hooting and laughing. "Oh, don't go on all embarrassed, now, (Y/N)" teases Abigail swatting at your arm. "This ain't nothin' that we haven't already guessed at."

"You need to tell him!" says Tilly, eyes all alight and wide. "You simply must talk to Arthur right away! You know he ain’t gonna make a move, so you’re gonna need to. Why wait?!" Tilly is not usually the love-sick fool that Mary-Beth is, but she sees Arthur as an older brother. She was brought into the gang at a young age like he was, and she has grown up with him. And Arthur has always had a soft spot for Tilly and watched over her. So to have her "brother" possibly find love again after all this time has Tilly giddy with excitement.

Back over at the tables, Arthur can hear the lot of you laughing from across the yard. He can't hear the specific details of what you are all saying, but it’s OK. He already knows what your’re all talking about, knows that you are all gushing about some handsome new prospect; someone who is no doubt better than him, and someone who could very well be the one to eventually call you his. Arthur's face contorts in annoyance as he slams the coffee pot down on the table. He sips the steaming liquid out of the cup, ignoring how it scalds his tongue, and shakes his head as his eyes squint up in a slow-burning anger at himself.

Hosea is now up and about as well, and approaches the table where Arthur is to get himself some hot water for his morning tea. As he fusses with his cup, pouring the water over the herbs, he notices Arthur's foul mood out of the corner of his eye. 'Jesus, its too early for this shit,' Hosea thinks to himself. He stands there and studies Arthur for a moment, his all-knowing eyes narrowing a bit in observation. He knows the younger man better than anyone and, more importantly, Hosea isn't afraid to call Arthur out on his bullshit, either. "What's the matter with you?" asks Hosea.

"Nothin'" replies Arthur curtly, avoiding eye contact. His gaze is aimed in your direction.

The older man sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose for a brief moment in exasperation. "Are you seriously mad about last night?," asks Hosea, meaning how you had carried on drunk and joking at Arthur's expense.  

"No. I don’t care about any of that," Arthur waves dismissively with a pout.

"Then what’s your problem?" pushes the old man.

Eventually, with a heavy sigh, Arthur relents a bit at the sound of his 'father's' voice. "It’s just…", he hesitates before continuing, the weight of his confusion over his feelings finally coming to a hilt, overwhelming him and, at last, spilling over. "Why can’t I ever get what I want?" he answers, waiving his arm in the air in frustration before letting it drop with a slap against his side.

"What the hell are you talkin' 'bout?" asks Hosea, confused.

Arthur looks at Hosea for a moment, then turns his head to look over at your tent to where you have since wandered back and have started shaking out your clothing for washing for the day, and then back to Hosea with a slight tilt of his head, an unspoken signal.

"Oh..." says Hosea, as it clicks together what Arthur is rambling about. Then the old man chuckles, happy to see Arthur finally admit to what Hosea has already known for awhile now. "Well, did you tell her how you feel about her?" presses Hosea, arching his eyebrows to accent his point.

"Oh sure…'course!" says Arthur. "Just not to her face…or out loud," Arthur says with biting sarcasm and giving Hosea a glare as if he had just asked the most ridiculous question ever.

"Sweet Jesus," says Hosea, pinching his nose again. "Do you want me to talk to her for you?" Hosea asks, fully annoyed at this point now.  

"What?! No! God, no!" exclaims Arthur quickly, his body fidgeting nervously.

"Good! 'Cause you’re a little old for me to be talking to girls for you," Hosea scolds him, sipping his now-steeped tea.  

Arthur hangs his head, avoiding Hosea's disappointed eyes. "I’ll do it…in my own time," he says quietly, looking down at his boots as he kicks absentmindedly at the grass with his toe. The thumb of his hand involuntarily hooks into his gunbelt as the fingers of his other hand adjust to hold his coffee mug tighter.

Seeing his son so dejected, Hosea softens, a look of sympathy replacing the annoyance that was just previously spread there. He steps closer to the younger man, lifting his hand to Arthur's shoulder. "You need to do something about it soon, son. Because if you don’t, there’s surely others who will," Hosea warns in earnest, yet soft-spoken and serene. "And with a girl like that," as he motions towards your tent with his tea cup in-hand, "it won’t take long to happen."

Arthur lifts his eyes to meet Hosea's, a shadow of pain held behind those blue orbs. "That's just it, Hosea. I think it already has," says Arthur in disappointment.

[glossglamour]

The Doctor is in the House: A 2011 Article on House M.D.

BY SHERI LEVINE, POSTMEDIA NEWS NOVEMBER 17, 2011

LOS ANGELES - Paging Dr. House. After eight years, Hugh Laurie is still keeping House's heart beating. And while the medical mysteries may serve as plots for the long-running medical drama, it's Laurie's alter ego, the man himself, Dr. Gregory House, who keeps people tuning in for their weekly fix.

Laurie, who made a name for himself as a comedic actor in his native England, was relatively unknown to North American audiences when House first aired. Of course, that's no longer the case. The multi-talented Laurie -- who recently released a fine album of New Orleans-inspired blues music -- has become a huge star across the pond, as well as one of the highest-paid actors on TV.

"I highly doubt that," says a modest Laurie, who actually seems embarrassed by the very notion that he would rank so high on the actors' payroll. Clearly, he doesn't take his good fortune for granted. Laurie calls himself "a lottery winner" with the great success he's achieved on House.

Dressed casually in a blue, button-down shirt, black pants and black and white sneakers, or trainers (as the Brits would say), Laurie rests his cappuccino cup and saucer on the table in front of him. The charismatic Englishman playfully takes on the group of international journalists who have invaded his turf.

In person, the affable Laurie smiles easily, laughs frequently and seems to never be at a loss for a witty response or anecdote. He is adorably charming, with piercing, blue eyes -- an intense blue not picked up on camera.

It's oddly amusing to see the man -- who plays such a cynical, depressive, perpetually grumpy person, week in and week out -- so happy. Of course, that's the mark of any good actor. But as creator and executive producer, Canadian David Shore, says: "He didn't become House, he WAS House."

Laurie's strong comedic roots may have been what resonated so strongly with Shore upon seeing Laurie's audition tape.

"I venture to guess that, actually, that's part of the reason that I'm here," says Laurie. "Unless this character had a sort of grace and a wit about him, he would be just too much of a pain in the ass, really. The elegance of the way his mind works, and the speed at which it works, is part of his charm, if he has any. Now, lots of people would say he doesn't have any. I disagree. I find him immensely charming.

"I'm not sure I would put up with him as a best friend, but I do find him endlessly entertaining. And I find . . . the references he draws on, the way he seeks out people's weaknesses in such a cruel and horrible way, I find he does at least do it with wit."

House has become an iconic character, largely due to Laurie's flawless portrayal of a brilliant doctor with a horrible bedside manner whose asinine qualities are overshadowed by his brilliance. He's not really an ass, he just acts like one . . . a lot.

The antithesis of House is his best friend, Dr. James Wilson (Robert Sean Leonard). One might even go so far as to say it's their friendship that humanizes House, and is a big part in sustaining the show's success.

"One of the things I'm proudest of in the show is that relationship," says Shore. "I think that it's something you don't see on TV very often -- the male friendship explored," he says.

Leonard weighs in: "His actions are what count. It's the only relationship on the show that's not tied to any employment. I don't work for him and he doesn't work for me, and it's not true of any other character on the show. So we're the only two characters that have actually chosen to be together."

The onscreen pals are also good friends off-screen, a likely contributing factor to the genuine House-Wilson dynamic.

"Well, now that we've stopped sleeping together, it's a lot more comfortable in every way, physically, as well," jokes Leonard. "I don't know. He's very complicated. He's a very strange guy. He's very funny. He's like most of the people I like in my life: tortured, miserable, and just a pain in the ass," Leonard says (referring to Laurie, not House, just in case you were confused).

As to whether this is the show's last season, David Shore says he's undecided.

"I'm not being coy, I'm just honestly not that well ordered," admits Shore. "I would love to and I would hate to (continue the show). It's been a wonderful opportunity for me. It's just been amazing on so many different levels, and I'm continuing to find new and interesting things to do with it. But it's been eight years. It's a long time to do a show. And so I really am not sure what's going to happen."

In the end, Shore says the show is ultimately about "trying to change, but we inevitably fail."

"But if we don't keep trying to change, we're just going to slide completely backwards. I think House would like to be the type of person who could do things differently. But he's not, and he will never (be)."

What does this mean for the fate of Dr. Gregory House?

"I'm not going to change his character for the end of the show," says Shore. "It may not be a miserable ending, but (House) is not going to ride off into the sunset with love."

--- (source) ---

this one surprisingly only took me like twenty minutes to find. my favourite part is when shore says that house is not going to ride off into the sunset with love and yet .

[syntheticmortal]

I got tagged by the lovely @crownedinmarigolds! Thank you so much mate!! I'm absolutely charmed 🥰

Now my rat bastard spouse stole most of my tagging options on their post so to not double-tag I will add:

@skaerdir, @klaciate, @tzimizce and @vamp-orwave!!

If anyone who sees this wants to be an honourary tagee, then go for it XD

For those who don't know - Hi I am Alex! (He/They) and I'm a writer and an English immigrant to the USA!

3 ships: oh mate all of these are OCxOC with @c-n-i-d-a-r-i-a-n

Victor and Gloria – A Nos and his unbound Ghoulfriend. Making your touchstone one of your mission Ghouls is dangerous af but live fast love hard, lads.

Jeff and Lamb – Another of Vic's unbound Ghouls and the Thin Blood Nos that joined the Warren. Disgustingly fucking cute injected into the den of the rejected and disgruntled.

Ventan/Taakur Rig and Rozanin Rig – My and Daz's SWTOR PCs respectively. A Chiss Cipher Agent that ends up having to go hide with his Mandalorian hireling with her Clan and Roz's unrequited love becomes hella requited and suddenly Ventan/Cipher Five-now-Taakur has step kids??

I love it so much.

first ship: Oh god this takes me back to being little. Probably a Sonic one??

Shadow and Rouge if I had to take a guess??

last song: Temptation by Sean Paul! A proper bop

But honestly massive shout out to the second Nostalgia Synthwave mix by Odysseus on youtube

This thing keeps me sane, and has all the songs marked! – that opening one, Realign by Cerulean, can usually just melt my brain into peace whenever I hear it

last film: Snatch – Like VTMB it's a problematic fave that oozes style and characterisation throughout. Watched it as prep for a Setite I'm going to play in a V5 game >:D

currently reading: Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan as part of genre research. Finished The Vampyre recently too! Really I should pick AC up today, I've been working hard on my editing and outlining of my own pieces and neglecting the reading part of the craft for a few weeks >.>;

currently craving: So I'm drinking far less booze to save money whilst I'm out of work trying to get some Proper Writing done. So when I hit a good worthy milestone I'm getting a bottle of whiskey and I am ready.

fav color: Green! Sometimes purple!

relationship status: Maaarriiied to @c-n-i-d-a-r-i-a-n

last google search: I had to double check the spelling of Taakur for the ship section, so it was 'mandoa' :')

and before that I'm pretty use I searched Scryfall last night to go look at MTG cards even though I have no one to play with right now :'D (at least it's saving me money >.>)

current obsessions: Was tempted to add my own work here but I'll tag that on the very end XD

There's a lot of fandoms I don't leave – World of Darkness and Warhammer 40k predominantly as settings I always have another angle I want to see explored in!

I do however have the Magic the Gathering bug, even though I haven't really played in years and years now – but card interaction as a generation for narrative has always kind of captivated me? Like there's a couple big mean Ogre cards that make Rats more dangerous, but due to the way the systems work they also empower the Ratfolk of Kamigawa, the Nezumi, as they count as 'Rat' cards still. So big Ogre spellcasters improving Rat people as part of a contained bit of narrative kind of fascinates me as a concept.

Plus each deck presupposes a Planeswalker character who's casting those spells – and I was always intrigued by that notion and so most of my OCs are representative of decks I played (or wanted to :P) and then in turn each Planeswalker needs a Plane to come from, probably from a still existing culture on that Plane too, and so it can kind of wonderfully reverberate inspiration.

Like how every VTM Kindred OC presupposes a Sire!

BONUS ALEX SECTION

So if you want to get to know me, let me tell you about what writing I'm working on/have made recently.

Out now!

The Mutilation of Finley Reid

A short story of masculine horror, about a young man by the name of Finley who suffers in the pursuit of having his place as a man affirmed by his peers.

The world of Torranham Nights is an anachronistic reflection of England set in the coastal city state of Torranham, drawing from contemporary culture and folklore as well as the legends and reality of the cultures that came before – without being fetishistic about it like a lot of stories will.

Handle It

A short retail horror, about working the cash register of a butcher's counter, and the customer who orders increasing amounts of ground beef...

Inspired by my own work in a same spot, anyone who's done service work should get a kick out of this – plus it's free and only takes 20 minutes to read! XD

On the way!

Defector – name subject to change

A short story of grief, shame, suicidal ideation, alcoholism, and community. On the moon.

A Special Recon mech pilot, “Crash”, from Earth has defected to the Moon rebels, and now lives in Magnolia City, rotting away in her tiny apartment. Then the Provisional Government sends one of its elite commanders, a former enemy of Crash's, to pull her out.

Elhart: Arrival

The first of a short story fantasy anthology about a city of refugees at the edge of time and space, hiding from the end of the multi-planar universe. A super soldier has washed up with a near-fatal headwound and no memory, and she must learn to live in a far more peaceful world than the one her instincts suggest she came from. But who was she? And can she earn the trust of people who fear her potential to kill?

Neon Sun

A novel! Cyberpunk Vampires! If we're mutuals you can come ask about this but I'm not ready to share things too publicly for this one yet, but the outlining has gone beautifully in my opinion, and the worldbuilding is singing.

Speartip

I'm making a TTRPG!! It's a Powered by the Apocalypse engine game, about serving as the primary field agents of a faction of people who need your support and protection. Because if you're going to be a hero, who are you doing it for if not your kin?

Setting agnostic as hell, excluding some implicit need for magic in the class moves – I'm prepping to playtest this in sci-fi and fantasy settings to see how well my mechanics hold up in both swords and firearms based stories. Plus I'm going to explore a variety of perspectives of what the faction can be – from ethnic groups, to gangs, to guilds, to neighbourhoods.

I'm VERY excited about all this!!

[ursafootprints]

*eagerly holds up microphone ;D

1, 3, 12, 13, 17, 22, 24, 26, 27, 29, 30

Sldkfjsdf 💖💖💖 THANK YOU FRIEND you're the sean evans to my weeping-while-answering-questions interviewee

1, 12, 24 have all been answered!

3. What’s something you learned about yourself as a writer? Oh, gosh. That I can finish something longer than five chapters? That banking all my oneshot ideas is a great way to focus on a main project but means I will be extremely scattered from having too many WIPs in the aftermath? I feel like I'm much less thoughtful/self-aware about this kind of stuff than a lot of other authors, lmao.

13. What fic was the easiest to write? Cheating because it was by far the shortest, but it happens here every day (and its soon-to-be-posted Part 2, as they were actually originally written as a one-shot, haha.) I finished each scene in one sitting of CLAMP-fuelled brainworms.

For the ones that are on more equal ground wordcount-wise, Pyrite was the easiest! I had a pretty solid idea of what I wanted out of it and didn't struggle overly much with any of the individual elements.

17. What were your go-to writing snacks? Salt & vinegar chips are my favorite snack, but I don't snack while I write! I don't wanna get chipfingers on my keyboard.

22. Share an excerpt from your favorite scene I can't actually pick a favorite from the last two chapters of YNYD (Peter's talks with May? Tony and Peter's final date night before Peter moves for MIT?? the final scene?!), so instead, from Pyrite:

"I accepted that I had no fucking clue what Dad would let you get away with all the way back when you were three and I didn't revert to being an only child after you drew all over his Shelby Cobra with a screwdriver," he said, rolling his eyes at the memory. It's not like he'd at all wanted his baby brother to get slapped into next Tuesday, but— "For all I know you could blow Norman Osborn right in front of him and he'd just compliment your technique." "Tony!" Peter squawked with a peal of horrified laughter, twisting up out of Tony's lap to shove at his shoulder in protest. "'Hmm, excellent work, son,'" Tony intoned in a well-practiced imitation of their father, catching Peter's wrists. "'See how he's working the shaft, Anthony? Now this is how a worthy Stark successor sucks cock.'" "Oh my god," Peter wailed as he struggled against Tony's grip to try and shut him up, beet red and laughing.

Despite being wholly inappropriate, Tony was actually just being a big brother rather than trying to flirt with Peter here, and so this part actually struck me as being weirdly charming as a look into what their sibling relationship could've been like if not for… everything.

26. If you had to choose one, what was THE most satisfying writing moment of your year? Oh finishing YNYD for sure. I've never written anything near that long or complex before (my next-longest work is only 37k vs YNYD's 166k,) much less finished it, and it felt like a massive accomplishment.

If we're talking something more specific to the writing process, coming up with the idea of using Hanahaki as the premise for the wicked love sequel was also super satisfying! I was pretty content with the idea of just letting the first part stand alone as a full-on tragedy, but I did keep rolling the idea of "but what would their relationship look like after that" around in my mind just out of sheer fascination with it.

I didn't think my answer at the time ("they'd get therapy but Tony wouldn't really ever open up to talk about it and things would never really be the same I guess???") would be that interesting to write or read, but landing on "Tony would be forced to talk about it because his son got Hanahaki" was immediately exciting!

27. Did you do anything special to celebrate finishing a fic? I live in a constant state of buying myself a little treat, so I probably did that, but otherwise not really actually!

29. If this were an awards show, who would you thank? Lolll oh god. You and @shivanessa for sure for all the lovely gifts and for being such thoughtful and supportive readers and friends, my sibling for listening to me ramble about my fics, Rome for letting me bounce ideas off of them and being a wonderful friend and cheerleader, allllllll of my regular commenters…!! You guys are what makes being in fandom so fun 💖💖💖

30. What’s something that you want to write in 2024? Lmaoooooooooo

People were sharing their WIPs lists in the Super Starkers server a while back so I threw one together and, well…

…We'll see what happens!!

[izmooi]

izi's Random Movie Reviews

Orion and the Dark, dir. Sean Charmatz

This post contains spoilers.

"The film was aware in itself that it wouldn't solve any problems kids have with being scared of the dark, but it does provide an excellent opportunity for conversations to be had..."

Dreamworks once again makes a fantastic approach to a children's book to develop the story into a complex configuration of environments and characters. The art style and direction were all around charming through and through. Tackling visual elements of light and dark seems easy in concept to depict the differences between them. Still, even within darkness and light, there are variations within each of them, and I think the visuals captured that well. The other entities were also quite charming, but I wish we had some more examples of them working together through the night. They claim to be friends but I didn't pass the impression of their relationship as just coworkers.

Throughout the film, the characters explain this as a "complex story" and that for sure is what it is. The film was aware in itself that it wouldn't solve any problems kids have with being scared of the dark, but it does provide an excellent opportunity for conversations to be had and questions to be made between parent and child. The film was kind of all over the place, but with the (pleasantly surprising) reveal of it being a story between three generations of family, it made more sense as a story coming together.

My biggest gripe with this film which I've been noticing with a lot of children's media lately, is that it is expected of the kid to have all of the answers. Hypatia in this film is a very self-aware child, and while being able to question things around oneself can be seen as a positive, it not always is. I think adults need to take better opportunities to listen to our younger generations but that doesn't mean we have to expect the world of them.

(That being said, I guess if Hypatia in the film was looking for some sort of answer rather than hearing a nice story from her dad, her father would provide it in some form of light, instead of letting her decide the continuation of the story)

I hope that this film encourages more conversations between adults and children about figuring the world out together. No one has all the answers, and sometimes we are scared of things, but that can be a great thing.

6/10

Read and rate this review on Letterboxd!

[obviouslypancakes]

I feel like doing occasional animation updates again like I did ages ago when I was making the Getting Over It animation. I'm doing another long one, an entire unofficial music video (dunno how Hugo would feel about that but ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I guess we'll see). Anyways.. I'm now about 60 seconds in with the storyboard, and I have about 120 seconds left to go! I also had about 40 seconds animated already later on in the video but I'm probably going to re-make a large part of it because I came up with some new ideas during the process.. I came up with a message I want to depict, something that has been an important theme in my own life lately. so we'll see how that turns out!

Progress:

Storyboard: ~33%

Rough animation: 0%

Lines body: 0%

Lines hair: 0%

Lines face: 0%

Lines mouth: 0%

Flat colors: 0%

Shading: 0%

Backgrounds: 0%

Misc: 0%

The hard thing about making madeon animations vs for example JSE animations (or any other gaming cc) is that for Sean, I have seen hours and hours worth of content showing his expressions, little quirks, his body language, the way he walks and carries himself. All I have from Hugo is what he puts on tiktok and some interviews, I have to guess about him a lot. To add to that, keeping things mysterious is also kinda part of his brand.. which is exciting as a fan, because you'll never know what his next move is going to be! But for an animator, trying to make a cartoon character behave like the real deal, it's REALLY FUCKING ANNOYING! I can't exactly send Hugo a message asking "sup, hey, nice hat *finger guns* but uhh, can you show me what it looks like when you burst out laughing? Send me a video of you getting jump scared? Thanks bruh", so I think any animation I make with Hugo in it will be more of a reflection of myself and how I would act being in this made up scenario than him. Which has its own charm, I think.. part of me is just worried about how Hugo feels about all of this. All of this fanart is born out of a feeling of comfort his music brings me, but the last thing I want to do is make him (or anyone for that matter) uncomfortable for the sake of my own.

[nellie-elizabeth]

What We Do in the Shadows: Pride Parade (5x03)

What an episode, holy shit.

Cons:

I can't think of anything I'd change about this one! I guess I'll repeat my comment that the Guide doesn't have a ton to do. The joke seems to be that she's superfluous and ignored, but she does feel superfluous to me, so it's just not that funny.

Pros:

Where to start? The Nadja plot thread was hilarious. All of the physical comedy of the doll inside vampire-Nadja's body was a delight, I was laughing out loud at so much of this. And then the grotesqueness of Colin and Doll-Nadja both inhabiting vampire-Nadja's body? The duet they sang at the pride event? I don't even have anything coherent to say about any of this, it was just hilarious all the way through. The ending gag of Lazlo deflowering doll-Nadja who is possessing vampire-Nadja, along with Colin, with vampire-Nadja inside doll-Nadja egging them all on... I mean, what other show can you think of that would ever do something as batshit insane as this? It's incredible.

The main plot is about Sean running for comptroller, and planning a Staten Island Pride Parade to try and help get more support from the LGBTQ community. He comes to the gang because he knows they're all part of that community and he wants their advice and to get them involved. Lazlo takes things to the next level and volunteers to make the float and help to host, clearly jazzed about the idea. I love that we've gone from implied queerness early on to just full-throated, "yes, everyone in this house is super gay". We even have Nadja saying that "we all fuck each other" which seemingly canonizes the implication that has been made at several earlier points in the show. There's even that ending moment where Nandor and Guillermo walk in on the rest of them having sex, and Guillermo turns to leave, and Nandor says "are you sure?" as he seemingly prepares to join in as well. My goodness.

I've always said Guillermo is my favorite character on this show, and he remains that, but Lazlo really does take a close second. I loved his enthusiasm for the parade, his silly costume, and most of all I love the experimenting with Guillermo. Now that he knows his big secret about being bitten by a vampire, he's determined to find out all he can about his condition. They run all sorts of tests together, which prove that Guillermo is certainly a vampire of some sort, but seems to have a lot of limitations in that regard. He's not compelled to count all the spilled rice the way Nandor and Lazlo both are, he is able to go out in the sun, but he does successfully levitate something, and he can grow bat ears and small wings, even if they are useless. And his sweat is vampire sunscreen, meaning Lazlo is able to enjoy the daylight for a while!

It's... charming, the way Lazlo seems to be invested in Guillermo, wanting to discover this mystery and also potentially protect him (and Nandor) from the pain that would come if the truth came out. He could just tell Guillermo's secret and let Nandor deal with it however he likes, but he legitimately seems to care.

Which, of course, drives Nandor crazy. The fact that Nandor is openly jealous when Guillermo seems to be spending so much time with Lazlo is hilarious to me. We've come so far from season one, when Nandor admitting that Guillermo meant anything to him would have been absurd. He plans to fly into space to prove that he can, and when Guillermo asks if he's doing it to impress him, we see Nandor being interviewed, seeming to scoff at the suggestion, before ultimately admitting: "yes."

And of course he does succeed, before falling immediately back to Earth in a fiery crater, thus showing up naked to the Pride Parade, triumphant at last. I loved Guillermo's shock as he rushes to wrap Nandor up to cover his nudity.

And then we get the final little parade bit at the end, everybody dancing and enjoying the music. The shot of Guillermo holding up his little sign, and seeming to get into it despite himself, was the cutest fucking thing. We'd heard earlier that he'd never been to Pride before, so seeing him be able to celebrate who he is actually warmed my heart quite a bit!

I honestly have no idea where we go from here, this show is so insane that I can't predict whatever craziness they'll come up with next. I'm ready for more shenanigans between Nandor, Guillermo, and Lazlo, and I'm eager to see how things will go when Nandor learns the truth!

9/10

[mermaidsirennikita]

Weekly Book Recs: 10/6-10/13

Pride and Protest by Nikki Payne

Easily one of the best Pride and Prejudice retellings I've read, this takes our prickly leads and turns them into an activist versus a billionaire (who has a lot more going for him than "billionaire", believe). It's socially conscious, funny, and touching--and it captures the more melancholic aspects of P&P more than most reboots I've read. There's a real old school 90s-2000s romcom vibe to the fallout aspect of the book. Pick it up! #23for23

Jana Goes Wild by Farah Heron

I blogged a bit about this one as I was reading it--and suffice to say, I was impressed. It's a risky premise--Jana and Anil have a two week fling during which she falls head over heels, finds out he's married, and, after blocking him on every platform possible, discovers she's knocked up... Cut to five years later, and they're co-parents of a daughter while seeing each other as little as possible. Until they end up a part of the same wedding party. At a destination wedding. In Tanzania. It's a big swing of a story, and with a charming hero (Anil and his daughter... my heart) and a heroine who's so hesitant to take a risk after being burned (but so drawn to her baby daddy) it really impressed me. I know this one is polarizing in romance circles; and if you're familiar with romance circles, you can guess why. Cardinal romance rules broken! The heroine isn't perfect and she's a woman of color so the standard has to be impossibly high! Whatever, man. This shit is good. #23for23

Sinner by Sierra Simone

I read this a year ago and wasn't really feeling it, but gave it another shot when my mood shifted--and liked it a lot more this time around. I'd call this perhaps the most "approachable" Sierra Simone I've read so far--it's really a sex lessons/age gap/brother's best friend book, with the added bonus of the heroine being thisclose to becoming a nun. I won't lie--if you wanted to dip your toes into Sierra Simone's work, I think Priest is probably a more... accurate... representation of her standard fare (Sean Bell keeps going "I'm a bad man, my good brother Tyler over there on the other hand" and like. My guy. Sean. Tyler is OBSCENE.) but this one is quite good. And very, very hot. TW: Sean is a primary caretaker for his mother, who has terminal cancer. That is a big part of the book, and while I thought it was done beautifully, it is very sad.

The Professional by Kresley Cole

Kresley Cole is one of those authors whose style was kind of made for mafia romance--over the top, super hot, and alpha to the nth degree. This is the first non-IAD book I've read by her, and though I was surprised by some differences (it's first person POV, single POV at that) it's a fucking romp, the way I expect a Kresley book to be. There's stalking-is-love, our hero kidnaps our heroine after watching her masturbate to the memory of him in the bathtub, there's a lot of good bit of kink. And it's a bodyguard romance, which I personally love. It's a little softer than some of the mafia romances I've read--but I am more than confident that the next book will be... different.

A Rake's Vow by Stephanie Laurens

In theory, there isn't a lot that's super crazy about the plot of A Rake's Vow--it's basically a rake/resistant virgin book, with a light, fun mystery. But it's just so fun. The tone is perfect. Vane just wants this woman to marry him, because Fate demands it, damn it! And Patience is resistant for a reason I don't know that I've seen a lot, or at all in historicals--her father was a rake, and she doesn't want to end up like her heartbroken mother. (Also, she's raising her little brother and very Practical and doesn't want Vane to be a bad influence on him, and it's all very amusing.) This is a house party book without the party, full of a cast of quirky characters. At one point, he starts putting the moves on her in the conservatory and she's like "what are you doing" and he goes "you followed me into the CONSERVATORY". Like I said, it's so much fun. And Cynster men are conquerors--don't ever forget that.

Never Met a Duke Like You by Amalie Howard

A funny, sexy retelling of Clueless (which is a retelling of Emma, and it all works). Out 11/14, read my full review here.

[turtlebros4u]

TMNT Bayverse Mikey x Reader Playtime

SFW FLUFF

The "prequel" to my Headcannons titled Hands on Their Weapons (2/4). I was thinking I would just open with a little skit and get into the headcannon but NO at this point it's just a slice of life fic I guess. Are they Headcannons? Probably not because I just can't keep anything short enough. It's okay there are no real rules. I say this as I should be doing my day job but instead I am writing some self indulgent story about imaginary turtle men.

Fun fact: Mikey was my first fav growing up because he was always sassy and charismatic. He's got a lot of charm and I hope that shows.

Mikey

"Catch me if you can, Angelcakes!" Mikey said bolting off through the liar.

You, armed with one of Donnie's high accuracy plunger dart guns, had ten chances to hit the rambunctious orange banded turtle as he parkoured, flipped and boarded around the lair and the connecting sewer tunnels. You followed him out of his room but as you entered the main dome of the liar it was quiet.

You looked around suspiciously. Donnie in the zone coding at his work station. Raph blasting tunes and working out. You could just see Leo in the kitchen making a sandwich.

You smirk as you come up with a plan to get him to come out of the shadows. You waltz over to Donnie, completely unaware of the outside world beyong his headset presumably filled with some kind of EDM. You look over his shoulders, "I didn't know that pizza actually induces pheromone production in turtles!"

You heard Leo choke on his sandwich just before Mikey rolled by on his skateboard flexing and announcing, "that must be why I'm the most irresistible and good looking of all my brothers." Leo having almost recovered begins coughing again.

You spin around, take aim, and fire. The enhanced plunger arrow whizzes through the air by Mikey's head. "Oh so close my dearest cupid, but I am already struck by your electric LOOOOOOVE" he breaks into song as he boards down the hall towards the skatepark/parkour arena they had.

You follow behind, avoiding eye contact with Leo as you feel his eyes burn into you for instigating such a ridiculous conversation. Entering the arena and staying in the shadows you take aim once more at Mikey who has taken a moment to perch at the top of a half pipe to indulge in refreshments. You fire. He leaps out of the way, not spilling his Orange Crush can and hanging from one of the many parkour ledges effortlessly. He opens his mouth to assault you with one of his witty comments just you fire again.

Plop.

It hits the soda can. "Mr. Bond," he says in a deep srrious voice, swings himself up and begins hopping around, leaping from platform and swinging from ledges, "I don't think you are quite qualified to hold that liscence to kill."

Plop.

You stick another on the wall just in front of him. Seven left. "Why is it that people who can't take advice always insist on giving it?" You respond in a horrible attempt at a British accent.

Plop. Plop.

Two more narrowly graze his chest and shell as he backflipped down to the half pipe towards his skateboard. You huff in frustration but take a deep breath to focus.

"Who do you think my favorite James Bond actor is?" you ask moving to higher ground to lay on your belly like a sniper.

"Easy, Daniel Craig, best action." He spouts.

"Wrong." Plop.

Mikey nearly trips out of the way as you stick an arrow right in front of him, keeping him from getting to his board.

"Ah yes too modern for a classic girl like you. I suppose Sean Connery is too classic for you?"

You chuckle to yourself. If you can keep him from his board and distracted with pop culture, you've got the upper hand. "Compared to his later works, his James Bond portrayal is really child's play."

"Oh it must be Roger Moore! The man's got the face for Hollywood. You'd fall for him in the blink of an eye, I mean who wouldn't?" He tip toed closer to his board, keeping an eye on you. The moment your finger twitched he leapt at the board but this time you hadn't aimed at him. Plop! The arrow hit the board pushing it over the edge of the half pipe and sent careening aimlessly back and forth.

Mikey lay on his stomach reaching down yearningly "Mufasa noooooo!"

Three left. Plop! He rolls to the left. "Please I have a family! Three beautiful children!" He begs dramatically.

Plop! He rolled to the right. "We're friends right? Friends don't let friends get shot, you know. How about it, Angelcakes?" He makes big puppy dog eyes and your composure falters.

Mikey leaps to his feet, you do as well scrambling down towards him. He sprints to the exit but trips. He stands again and is knocked prone with an oof.

You can't see what happened but you hear Mikey exclaim, "Dad no!"

Splinter comes out of the shadows with a smug glimmer in his eyes. "Do not underestimate who your enemies allies may be. While some may succumb to your charming tactics, my son, others are not so forgiving." And with that Splinter spins Mikey on his shell.

As the youngest brother came to a stop, dizzy and defeated, Splinter looks to you and puts a hand on your shoulder. "Go ahead, take the shot." You aim at Mikey's crotch at first, he finches to shield his manhood, and you pull the trigger landing the last little plunger square between his eyes.

Splinter howls with laughter. "Oh, y/n, you bring new joy to my life. You must tell me about this Bond James sometime. He sounds veeeeery exciting." And with that, he disappeared into the halls.

You look back to Mikey, still on his back, looking a bit bummed. You smile softly and climb into his lap. You hold his baby cheeks in your hands and say wistfully, "These violent delights have violent ends, and in their triumph die like fire and powder." You remove the dart from his forehead and kiss the spot it left.

"Which as they kiss, consume" Mikey whispers finishing the Romeo and Juliet quote. He wraps his arms around you, smiling like an idiot, and rocks himself to his feet holding you like a princess.

He looks down at you, "I have the perfect reward for succeeding at being such a devilish opponent." Your eyebrows scrunch in confusion. "Tickles!"

Laughter erupts and fills the sewer tunnels. The rest of the boys break a little smile, they appreciate your laughter more than you know.

[ofwondersandhares]

name : Soup (Candace)

pronouns : she/her

preference of communication : Tumblr IM, I am rarely on Discord anymore

most active muse : Sean will always be the most active, he is pretty much the whole reason the blog exists lol

experience / how many years : I feel like I’ve done it all. Private message boards (way back in the time of ezboards lol), rpme, discord, aim, tumblr, twitter, even on facebook. I think I’ve been roleplaying at this point for over 15 years.

best experience : It’s hard to narrow it down, I’ve had some pretty epic stories and plots with @thornstocutyouwith , @notquiteahitman and @saidthecaterpillar I would have to say I’ve been writing with @saidthecaterpillar the longest

rp pet peeves : I could tell you many stories. i guess my most major one are writers that forget that Sean is a fictional character. I’ve had to deal with some epic - and I mean EPIC drama that carried over to OOC because the writer wasn’t happy that the muse fell out of love with theirs. I’ve had friendships tarnished, and I have been called a bad writer simply because he just didn’t have the same feelings for their muse as he once had. I also had one writer who got jealous and upset for even having Sean get a hug from another muse on Tumblr.

fluff, angst, or smut : I would have to say I am partial to all three, it all depends on how the story is carried. All in all, I like to have balance in a story. Fluff can get a little boring if that is all that is always happening. Angst is needed to give the stories more depth and excitement - but if the angst carries on too long, it gets to be a bit a too much. Smut is fun, but it can’t be all that the storyline is centered around either.

plots or memes : It all depends on how well I know the other writer. I think memes are the best icebreakers or a way to fill in time between the more involved plots and storylines

long or short replies : I am usually one that does long replies, if I have a reply less than three paragraphs I kind of feel guilty lol

time to write : whenever the mood strikes honestly, I go through phases where I will really be into writing and then I will just randomly not be in the mood for it for awhile.

are you like your muses : A lot of myself and my own personality goes into (almost) every muse that I write. Sean would have to be the closest, he was created, really, as someone I thought was my ideal boyfriend. He has shown tremendous growth as a muse over the years and is definitely one of the most complex and interesting muses I have ever written

tagged by: @defectivexfragmented (thank you)

tagging: @notquiteahitman @saidthecaterpillar @notyouraveragesecretary @thornstocutyouwith @charmed-redemption @chaoticrebels

[jaynaneeya]

Hey Jane: do I remember correctly that MK mentioned recently (maybe in the Headless thank you stream) that Cryptmas Carol was a particularly difficult shoot? Maybe something like it having been the only recent Shipwrecked shoot that was difficult start-to-finish rather than magical?

Sorry to treat you as fandom librarian if that’s not a job you feel like having at the moment. But if you know, I’d be interested if you remember hearing that.

Thanks!

Yes, that's correct, I think it's come up a few times over the years that that was a difficult shoot. MK's BTS video gives kind of a vague overview of some of the difficulties, particularly in the section from 13:53-16:56. I don't remember all the other details anymore, but basically what ended up happening is they had to add an extra shoot day (which was kind of a big deal since they had initially planned on shooting it all in one day), due to a combination of the YouTube space being difficult (as usual), issues with the crew (I think they said one of the crew members just fell asleep on set? And then asked them for more money? But don't quote me on that), and just biting off more than they could chew, like they always do, but that time it wasn't charmed. Oh and also I think Sarah was really sick that first day. But it all worked out and they were able to raise enough money to cover the second day, and obviously the final product is stunning. Honestly I feel like it's some of Sean, Sinéad, and MK's best acting work, and if they hadn't said anything about it I would never have guessed that they were all stressed out of their minds most of the time. We stan a talented group of True Professionals™.

[starlight-phantom]

Ai the somnium files for the fandoms ask? You can include nirvana initiative if you want :3

I think I did one of these for AI about a month ago??? But my memory's terrible so I might as well just do it again 👍

3 male characters I love:

Kaname Date, I'm usually not a fan of the pervy character in things, but Date works so well because 1) He thinks all these things and makes comments but he never actually does stuff to people to make them uncomfortable, and 2) It's not his defining characteristic, he's so much more than horny. Like he's a great detective, he cares about his peers and wants to keep them safe, he's a great father figure even if he doesn't really know what he's doing, he's just such a great character. Also Greg Chun's performance is 👌👌👌

Kuruto Ryuki, *slaps roof* this boy can fit so many mental illnesses. I love this boy but goddamn he is a filthy liar whenever he says "I'm fine". But his story was so engaging and you really feel for him when it clicks into place. Like I've been giving the game a second playthrough with the knowledge of the twist and wow so many scenes hit different. Also, this is the first time I've heard Stephen Fu in a big role (The only other time I've heard him is Douma from KNY and he's only appeared a couple of times so far) and wow, I really wanna hear more of his work because his performance was incredible.

Pewter, I dunno he dresses like a fruity Pokémon villain and he's got an awkward yet charming personality. Not to mention, his story in the right path of the first game made me feel so bad for him... Like damn, just let this man be happy please, he deserves it. Also, I know I'm a broken record, but Sean Chiplock's performance, his delivery on the weirder lines are so funny (Yes I am thinking about the chairs line, how did you know?)

3 female characters I love:

Aiba, I fucking adore Aiba. She's the best. I love how she's the straight man to Date's shenanigans IRL but when they're in somniums, Date is the straight man to her shenanigans, I love her excitement whenever she sees bugs, I love how she knows Date so well she can manipulate him into being a better fighter, I love her lil jelly hamster form, I love Erika Harlacher's performance, I just really, really love Aiba.

Mizuki Date, I don't even know where to start with Mizuki... She's honestly one of the best written child characters I've seen in a game. And this poor girl has been through so much in both games but her route in the first game had me sobbing buckets. Not to mention, Corrina Boegetter's performance, they really knocked it out of the park for every single facet of Mizuki's personality. Also they genuinly managed to sound like a twelve year old, that's impressive all by itself.

Shizue Kuranushi, Listen... I am not immune to hot women voiced by Allegra Clark, okay? I'm only human. But seriously... Her design, her personality, her dedication to her co-workers, her office and the funny interactions that come from all the stuff she just doesn't throw away, and the fact that's somehow simultaneously a girlboss and a cringefail milf???? Impressive. She has the range, darling.

Also, quick shout-out to Tama, I adore her and her crazy laugh so much

3 romantic ships I love:

Kaname Date/Hitomi Sagan, god those two are so cute, really bummed they barely interacted in the sequel...

Kaname Date/Kuruto Ryuki, Date has two hands. But seriously, the admiration Ryuki has for Date and the way they watch out for each other is really sweet

Iris Sagan/Amame Doi, cute bubblegum colours but also they have each others backs and they always have fun hanging out with each other

There was another ship I wanted to add but it's spoilery and a mutual was considering potentially checking out the series so I thought it would be best to leave it out. But if you've played the first game, you can probably guess who it is.

3 platonic dynamics I love:

Kaname Date/Mizuki Date, I mean... Chances are if you've been following me for a while you know that I am just a huge sucker for family dynamics. And the dynamic of adopted father/daughter viewing each other as their real family but being too embarrassed to admit is something I adore.

Kuruto Ryuki/Tama, I love these two so much. I love how IRL Ryuki is just so done with all of Tama's dirty jokes and then in somniums Tama is so done with all of Ryuki's weird suggestions and skits. But also it's their concern for each other, you can tell they're partners. I feel like the best example of this is when Tama insists that Ryuki goes to the hospital no matter how much he protests, like... She just wants him to be safe and healthy...

Ota Matsushita/Mayumi Matsushita, god the Ota route destroyed me when I played through it but seeing them as a family getting through their issues was so sweet. I won't go into detail because it's personal but a few months ago I went offline for a while because of a family emergency and it's because of similar situation to Mayumi. So yeah, playing that hit hard.

3 favorite moments in canon:

The ending scenes of both games. If you know, you know.

Again, I wanna avoid spoilers but the Annihilation Route interrogation. Holy shit that scene was incredible.

The final scene in the final Somnium of Nirvana Initiative. Just... Goddamn that hit hard and the delivery of the "I have no regrets!" Crushed me.

3 favorite headcanons:

I honestly can't think of any headcannons off the top of my head... And I've been typing this response for way longer I intended... Sorry...

3 least favorite things about it:

Some of the somniums can have some obscure logic but like... Not in the way that you proud when you figure it out, but more angry in a "how the hell was I supposed to figure that out?" Kinda way.

I really hate how Ryuki and Tama just got kinda shoved to the side halfway through Nirvana Initiative. Like they stole the show for a lot of their scenes and then once the Mizuki Route started they barely appeared and when they did, they weren't really shown in the best light, especially Ryuki. Granted there's a plot reason for this but still... It's disappointing. If there's an AI3, I hope they get more screentime.

I feel like Tearer really didn't get enough screentime in Nirvana Initiative, especially when unmasked. Like c'mon this is the main antagonist, give us more of him! Especially considering his entire backstory, that's a lot of really interesting stuff to build off of! Also just... I wanted to hear more of Billy Kametz' villainous performance. It was rare to hear him in those roles but he was so damn good in them.

[yr-obedt-cicero]

Honest thoughts on Sean Haggerty as Hamilton? Seems like half the fandom is like "omg he's perfect! it's uncanny how much he looks like the real Hamilton!" and the other half is "omg he's so ugly! did they cast him based on Hamilton's worst paintings?!!"

I personally didn't like Hamilton even being a character in general in Turn, so I already have negative feelings towards his character. But I'll get into that another time perhaps. I haven't watched Turn in a few years, so my memory of him is rusty please bare with me here.

Appearance wise, it doesn't really match up for me. No offense to Haggerty, but I'm going to be kinda mean about his looks. His face has too much of a wide set, from many portraits I've seen of Hamilton his face was slim with a pointed chin, Haggerty's headshape is too squarish for my liking. Credit to them for giving him ginger hair, you wouldn't believe how many shows just give Hamilton brown hair for some reason, but it doesn't really look natural at all. Sure, the color is, but the curls are just weirdly uncanny or have a unnatural appeal to me and for some reason in the next season his hair was just straight. I could nitpick about his eye color and the lost opportunity for his iconic nose shape, but those are pretty small. The major thing that peeved me was his build, Hamilton was described as being short, slim, and almost sickly at times. Haggerty's build is too muscular and squarish to fit Hamilton, especially during his war days when he was young and prone to ailment. The only thing his structure gets right on the list is height I guess?

Attitude and behavior wise, pretty good. He portrays the cunning, sly, yet charming characteristics that Hamilton was renowned for. It's just my personal pet peeve that I believe Hamilton would have a bit of an accent, but barely any shows do that for Hamilton, so this isn't even really a complaint towards Haggerty specially. For the most part of his screentime and lines, which is very little, he does good at his character at least. But he really wasn't even a major person or effect in the show, so he wasn't given much room to really fail elsewhere.

But honestly, I agree. Why the hell, out of all his portraits, did they have to choose this fucking one?

Overall; I didn't like him being in the show in general, but it only made it worse when they casted a guy who barely resembles Hamilton other than his personality.

[sharp-teeth-and-archived]

* 𝐂𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐄 𝐑𝐎𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐋𝐓

NAME,   Cassie Maurice Roosevelt

NICKNAME,   give her one

GENDER, Cisfemale

ORIENTATION,   Demisexual, biromantic

PREFERRED  PET  NAMES,   No preferences

RELATIONSHIP  STATUS,   Single

FAVORITE  CANON  SHIP( S ),  Originally, when I first created her, I shipped her with Sean, but they have become more of a older brother-younger sister dynamic in my head, so none? I haven't really shipped her with anyone in the game. Usually Cassie falls into platonic or familal dynamics in general. I do want to write her in more romantic dynamics.

FAVORITE  NON-CANON  SHIP( S ),  It has to be @colecassiidy 's Cole. I haven't been able to get to our threads with Cassie for a bit, but I deeply enjoy their dynamic. They started out platonic, but as we started interacting it became increasingly obvious that Cole and Cassie liked each other more than friends. I love how we built up this whole backstory for them, how their fathers are similar but they are two different social classes, and how they are intertwined in their past, but met in the events of r.dr2, and how different they are, yet how they have remained the same. Their friendships and their feelings have basically remained the same through all of that, and idk I like the slow burn with them lmao.

OPINION  ON  TRUE  LOVE,   Cassie believes in it, even if she never experienced it herself as a default. Cassie doesn't know how true love couldn't exist entirely. Somewhere, someplace out there, true love exists for someone. With how many people are out there in the world, how isn't there her true equal that has nothing but sincere intentions? She has learned that life is hard and cutthroat, but in all that evil, there's goodness somewhere and that's what makes it all worth it to keep living.

OPINION  ON  LOVE  AT  FIRST  SIGHT,   Call her naive, but she does believe in love at first sight. She believes in the idea of soulmates. She thinks that if she has an other half, you would know immediately. There''s no denying it.

HOW  ‘ROMANTIC’  ARE  THEY,   Cassie is a hopeless romantic. She's not into PDA because of the standards and expectations she grew up in, but Cassie is very romantic. Cassie will express it, but she more of shows it through gift-giving and acts of service. Cassie wants to find someone she can pour her love into and someone who can do the same for her.

IDEAL  PHYSICAL  TRAITS,   Cassie doesn't really focus on physical traits, she's more into personality, but maybe a more of a gentle look? Youthful traits? Clean shaven? Lean? She prefers for someone to be taller than her.

IDEAL  PERSONALITY  TRAITS,   Gentle, kind, sensitive, good sense of humor, emotionally intelligent, hardworking, devoted.

UNATTRACTIVE  PHYSICAL  TRAITS,   This sounds so bad, but wrinkles, poor mouth hygiene, body odor, unkempt hair, dirty and muddy appearance

UNATTRACTIVE  PERSONALITY  TRAITS,   Cruel, self-righteous, narcissistic, manipulative, selfish, murderous, self-centered, egoistic, grumpy, hot tempered, unpredictable, possessive, jealousy.

IDEAL  DATE,   Just sitting down and talking anywhere. Preferably something more lowkey to where there won't be many distractions and more alone, quiet time. A walk by the water, sitting in a field, teaching someone about flowers and gardening, and doing an activity together that way.

DO  THEY  HAVE  A  TYPE,   Not really? I guess maybe either charming, sensitive people, or extroverted individuals. Just someone she feels safe around.

AVERAGE  RELATIONSHIP  LENGTH,   Long-term monogamous relationships. Usually she only toys with a relationship if she plans to marry the other person. Cassie hasn't had a relationship before though.

PREFERRED  NON-SEXUAL  INTIMACY,   Kissing the back of her hand or embracing her, usually just quiet intimacy.

COMMITMENT  LEVEL,   Cassie wants to settle down with someone. I think Cassie tends to draw toxic people towards her because of her empathetic and kind anture, so if she can see the best in them, if she can see their potential, it can turn ugly if she decides to get in a relaitonship with them because she's committed. Of course, she desn't stay in these relaitonships when they turn ugly, but when she loves you, Cassie loves you. But in a healthy scenario, she would commit herself to her partner with all of her heart.

OPINION  OF  PUBLIC  AFFECTION,   Cassie isn't comfortable with PDA. She prefers for affection to be exchanged alone or indoors just because of how she grew up, with how she has to be polite and reversed.

PAST  RELATIONSHIPS,   Cassie hasn't had a relationship before and maybe her idea of a romantic relationship is rose-tinted, very fairytale-esque, but I think having no prior relationship experience and coming from a manipulative father can be a bad motivator for anyone with bad intentions for Cassie in a relationship (just with her inexperience).

tagged by :  stole it

tagging : steal it if you want to