#and mf i do not want to see the trailer for the LAST SEASON

[m4rs-ex3]

ok but the timing of the audio here was not lost on me

[basiltonpitch]

I neeedddddd to know your predictions based off the trailer (of Benvi in particular, I really do care about other things in the show but I love them the most)

ooooh okay so.....not all of these predictions are actually serious some of them i just think would be FUN but i dont think they'll actually implement lmao. also....as usual i dont know when to shut the fuck up and stop typing SO. predictions under the cut!!

my prediction for benvi is: devi ghosts ben post-boinkening (basically confirmed; the trailer insinuates that they havent spoken since); ben goes after margot because she likes him (and we all saw how well it went the last time ben started dating someone else bc devi wasn't an option), it implodes, devi retaliates by dating ethan because he's hot or whatever the fuck (and honestly good for her im sure he's a tool but like.....rebound arm candy isnt necessarily a bad thing.....except in this case it is bc that is Also going to implode.) i think it would be HILARIOUS if margot and ethan ended up going out lmfao but. i doubt it. after both their rebounds fail (ben's i want to say around episode 2 bc i dont think they'll drag it out super long, and devi's probably episode 5?) they're still.....skirting around each other, in a will they/won't they kind of situation. i can see fab & eleanor trying to talk some sense into devi but devi just not listening bc she's stubborn as hell and of course she knows there's something there with ben but they've done this back-and-forth dance for so long that she's still nervous about taking that full leap.

and well. then she ends up getting like...accosted in new york (which im guessing the trailer may have been a bit misleading about that exact scenario because, ya know, it's a trailer) and ben tries to play knight in shining armor and well. we all saw what happened lmfao. cue devi icing ben's face n devi being like "why did you do that?" and ben just says "for you" or smthn cheesy as hell. this is probs around like? episode 7 i'd like to think? and they probably at least partially get their shit together but like. lbr it's ben and devi. so it can't be 100% smooth sailing. like you said im excpecing a tatbilb sort of thing - they agree to date & then break up before going to college. (we all know devi gets denied for early decision from princeton - this could play into her actually going to a school in new york - something prestigious, ofc, she graduates as valedictorian).

based on the trailer....im honestly torn on whether ben goes to prom or not! i know you said smthn about him perhaps going home and changing, but part of me also thinks - what if he didnt go at all? what if he stays home, because he knows this is gonna be one of his last good memories with devi and he just cant do it? i know we havent seen a lot of bts for season 4, but we have seen bts of maitreyi + lee + ramona in their prom dresses, and i dont recall jaren being there at all or wearing a suit (the only suit bts ive seen is of him in 2x10). so......maybe he doesnt go, but he comes to her after. idk exactly how that will play out but thats what im hoping for!!!

and of course, they end up going to the same school - thats been something ive been sure of since, well, forever lmao. i'm 100000% convinced that the last shot of the show is going to be devi coming up to ben in the library of their college or vice versa and if im wrong i will eat my mf words

as for other predictions....

i'm with you on thinking it might not be kamala's wedding anymore, but i'm still not sure who's wedding it would be - perhaps another family member? a family friend? who knows.

i think treleanor is going to break up, which is TRAGIC because they r everything to me <3 but i feel like they're the kind of couple to come back to each other after years apart so im holding out hope for them 🤞 in treleanor we trust u know !!!!

paxton's.....there. idk. he's there. devi probably like. goes after him or whatever in the midst of the ben/margot/ethan bullshit bc she doesnt want to be alone and shes like oh i finally like myself maybe i can have this since i can't have what i really want but ya know power dynamics due to him being sherman oaks staff or whatever so. im HOPING as the party with the upper hand in that scenario he turns her down or whatever. maybe she even waits until after this to go after ethan - make both ben and paxton jealous, kill two birds with one stone

i have no idea what else im hoping for and this is straight up a Wall of text aksjdss;d im SO SORRY u know how i get !!!!!

[smallfrost]

The Source of Spree Compulsion Work

HELLO! Oh my goddess. So much information in the first episode alone. And in the clips and trailers. Where even to begin!

I think the thing that stuck out the most for me during our RI rewatch was Tally’s lucid dream at the end and what it provides for a) the military history of this timeline and b) the source of the Spree’s compulsion magic. Disclaimer; I am certain these thoughts have been chatted about here on Tumblr, Twitter, and Discord. I apologize if I do not properly credit people but with so many convos going around, things have been swept up in the storm. But I wanted to highlight some thoughts to share with the world. So these are my interpretations but shoutout to those who have made these associations before me, I always encourage people to write their thoughts and share them with all of us. (And feel free to @ me or send any my way so I know of them please!).

Specifically, though not yet mentioned in the show, Eliot reveals in interviews that the flashback is from a “dirty colonial war” about 25 years prior to when the show takes place. So… this would then be during the Proxy wars (ongoing) but before the rise of the Spree. So are colonial wars “Proxy wars”? Is it a resistance to previously sovereign people to being conscripts if America colonizes, forced into service? Keep notepads out, ears and eyes ready.

Next, and perhaps the most important: The contained compulsion sound work of the Spree was/is Military canon.

In the flashback we see Alder, biddies, and Co. getting attacked by giant insects, controlled by the colonials. 

apologies for the horrible quality. iTunes gimme my HD when? (still won’t let me buy my season pass).  They’re helpless against them until a soldier smashes a bottle which releases work that causes the colonials to stop controlling the insects and start attacking themselves. It’s the exact same effect the Spree attacks had on civilians.

Now, military canon had to come from somewhere. It is entirely possible that the Spree learned this work from the same source the Military learned it from, or, a different source. BUT this flashback makes it seem as though Eliot is hinting that this work more likely came from a Military deserter as witches (in America at least) only learn military canon work AFTER they take the oath. Military canon is kept under lock and key otherwise.

I think of this scene and flashback as a: Alder is Dumbledore looking through his memories in the pensive for clues about horcruxes sort of deal. She’s searching her memories for the leak. The source of the Spree to try and route it out from the inside. 25 years ago… that may be too early to be Willa (though we don’t know her exact age). Is it someone else? Are they still in the military?

Petra as head of intelligence may just, well, have access to intelligence collected by spies, but it definitely seemed like a perfect coincidence that she found out about the Belgium attack by the Camarilla EXACTLY at the same time Willa reveals this to Scylla. 

Now... this was BEFORE Anacostia cast the Fetch to creep on Scylla and Willa... A favorite theory floating around since last season? Since Petra was Willa’s CO on her last drop... did she help Willa defect? Did Petra help Willa fake her death so she could become a Spree operative behind Alder’s back? Perhaps Petra was behind the leak of the Military canon magic to the Spree and Alder is searching through her memories to make the connection? What do you guys think?

Remember, the @mfs-research-institute Discord Server is always open! Please feel free to DM me or the official account for an invite.

[tsukidrama]

hello!!

omg i listened to hange’s eng dub and… youre right it doesnt match 😭. it sounds like a disney channel voice, which isn't bad in itself but not in this context. i wouldn’t roast you for liking/not liking dub voices don’t worry, as i said there are some i can’t stand in my own language. it’s pretty hard to do better than romi park too, though the french va does a pretty good job (i found an extract here if you’re interested! you can hear a few others too, mikasa and erwin are pretty bad imo) and sometimes her voice sounds pretty hot, at least to me ahjdkfhdf. but i also watch in sub except when i’m watching it with someone and the japanese cast is really great in general.

im telling you, i couldn't get through 30 seconds... romi park EATS every role she has and she alone is enough to keep me on team sub tbh. i tend to default to subs when watching anime anyway.

kaj,nbsd,jfnsdk her voice is definitely a little sexy, catch me letting the whole video clip play just so i could listen to her talk 😭 also idk what it is but the way she looks without her glasses + the eye bandage just. .oohoo hohoh ohhphho (i groaned out loud when mikasa started talking, i hate it??? - jean's VA is killin it though).

and that’s including yelena WHO WAS SO GREAT IN THE LAST EP, i’m so glad you converted me to her cause between the two parts of the season because UGH akejzhfkjgfjhfezqkjfhzlf what a woman. bat shit crazy and hot woman. mappa did her SO GOOD. and that was a really good distraction to everything happening around because next week’s episode is going to be ROUGH for everyone. (spoiler alert if non manga readers are reading this, don’t continue) but porco’s death should be next week right? same for colt. i think it’s impossible to not be moved by what’s going to happen even if you don’t like the characters. isayama and mappa are great at making us sad about every character.

YESSSSSS I'D BEEN WAITING FOR THE AIRSHIP BOW SINCE THE PART 1 TRAILER DROPPED and in my heart i knew we would have to wait like a year but it was worth it. so much shit is about to hit the fan but it's a .001% reprieve every time her crazy ass limbers into view. i'm so excited for some of her cuter passive moments after the fighting.

[anime spoilers below]

yep :// almost definitely. last week's episode ended on the same cliffhanger as chapter 118, and 119 is where everything goes tits up. crispy colt, porco's literal fucking skull, falco's traumatizing rubber chicken titan, and then the 119 cliffhanger is the gunshot decapitation. im gonna lose my shit. typically mappa tends to put more like 1 1/2 or 2 chapters per episode, but A LOT is about to happen next week. personally i hope they show paths even it's just for a moment and makes me wanna rip my hair out when we see the to be continued...

as the oldest of all my siblings, colt's death hits me as one of the worst in the entire series. i can't, it literally guts me. i don't even care about him. and i don't even want to talk about porco (A TOTAL LIE) he's just such a sad character, i get so upset over him. he's such an asshole but it still hurts so bad... and then i ended up getting more attached to him when s4 was animated him as the sexiest mf man i've ever seen 😩 and now he is my husband so this next week will suck. and then i can quickly

i promise i wont send you tiktoks all the time but i saw this one and it reminded me too much of the latest trnt chapters to not send it to you.

have a lovely rest of your week! i hope you’re doing well.

-j

i like the tiktoks! jda;slkjlkn very true and canon. best part of emotionally healing lesbian relationships.

i'm hanging in there! i hope you have a good week too, good luck this sunday lmaooo

[divorcedzouis]

tagged by @berlinini thank u ❣️not tagging anyone bc i’m too shy but feel free to do this and then tag me so i can see your answers if you want

Five Songs I’ve Been Playing on Repeat:

lady hear me tonight - modjo

it’s like that - run dmc, jason nevins

little l - jamiroquai

rap snitch knishes (ft mr. fantastik) - mf doom

and i’ve been listening to vibez because it relaxes me

Currently watching:

rewatching oitnb i’ll stop after season 5… I can’t even watch that whole season i’ll have to skip around a fair amount-just… upsetting. after i watched that season it stressed me out so much that i literally had to take a break for 2 years before i finished the show and the helplessness of the last 2 seasons… eh not fun. then i’ll rewatch the the get down and trailer park boys. i literally can’t remember the last time i watched a new show and not one i’ve seen 5+ times lmao

Currently Reading:

i don’t really have any books that aren’t depressing non fictions like guantanamo’s child so i don’t do much reading

Last Movie Watched:

elvira mistress of the dark

[bucksbisexual]

YALL. AFTER 10 DAYS I FINISHED IT AND LET ME TELL YOU ALL THIS: HOLY FUCKING SHIT THAT WAS ONE OF THE BEST THINGS I HAVE EVER WATCHED IN MY LIFE. like oh my god so many things happened (and pom still doesn’t have his wallet back HSFKJFSH jkjk) i can’t even make a typical lengthed post about it because it would be leaving out like 3/4ths of the episode,,,, alright let’s begin this because i have So Many Things to say and i have to go to sleep soon SJFJSKFH (also i have to watch the trailer for the gifted graduation AAAAAA)

i’m gonna try the dots list thingy in this one because i know it’s gonna be long and a mess so.. lessgetit !

let’s start with the directors board meeting or whatever that was called,, pang was such a fucking badass holy fuck i admire his bravery but i HATE every single person in that room like..

someone just told you that the director of the school has been treating the students like SHIT and using them as guinea pigs for the gifted kids who are ALSO being used as guinea pigs and you just.. clap? and turn your back against him? holy SHIT did that infuriate me,,,

now thinking about it.. maybe the director mind controlled them to do so since yeah guess fucking WHAT. SURPRISE. THE THEORY WAS TRUE. HE CAN ALSO MIND CONTROL PEOPLE. AND HE’S REALLY FUCKING GOOD AT THAT.

[takes a deep breath] i will Not talk about him because it literally makes me want to commit a crime on a fictional character.

also, the scene before pang goes in the conference room with namtaan literally broke my heart yall...... like,, my heart? nowhere to be seen because its pieces are so small they’re almost invisible.

namtaan crying because she thinks that pang doesn’t trust her or ohm? namtaan saying that pang was lying when he said he cared about those around him? pang having to mind control namtaan to make her stay there and not follow him? yeah that shit really fucking hurted yall.

so in this scene we find out that when pom says the director is always a step in front of you, it’s true! that motherfucker staged it all and made pang’s story look like it was staged or whatever just so he could get more money and continue his reign in that school.............. i literally hate him so much

and he then fucking PUT HIM IN FRONT OF ALL OF THE GIFTED KIDS AND MADE HIM CRY. CRY. MY BABY. HE MADE HIM CRY!!!!!!!!! HE MADE HIM THINK HE WOULD NEVER WIN. EVER. HE ALSO MADE HIM LOOK LIKE A FOOL AND A TRAITOR. I FUCKING HATE HIM AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.

[takes a deep breath] god okay i need to calm down this man gets me on my fucking nerves.

anyways. this guy does his thing and makes pang feel like he truly lost then mind controls pom (i wanted to yell at pom so badly at that moment but i know it’s not his fault that he’s being brainwashed ugh) and pang who is literally trying to save his own life tells him THE EXACT WORDS CHANON TOLD HIM. AND POM CRIES. MY FUCKING HEART YALL. NOWHERE TO BE FOUND. IT HAS BEEN BROKEN WAY TOO MUCH IT’S BASICALLY NONEXISTENT. I WAS SOBBING.

so from that we go to the start of the second semester (which i had to guess by the 2 because there were no subs for that and i don’t understand thai lol) and pang is still the same exact kid who is best friends with nac, is a whole troublemaker and is in class 4-8 (which makes me wonder how tf they made everyone forget he was a gifted kid....... hmmmmm)

now when they first showed that i thought they were replaying ep1 KJSHFKSF but when the eating scene came on and there were people sitting on the gifted section i was like wait a minute............. hold on....................

then HE CLASHES WITH WAVE.

OH MY GOD.

AND HE ASKS HIM THE SAME EXACT QUESTION HE DID IN EP1.

OH MY FUCKING GOD.

((his expression when he sees him excuse me i will literally cry to sleep look at that he’s-my-friend-but-he-doesn’t-remember-me-so-i-can’t-call-him-by-his-name-or-else-he’ll-be-weirded-out-but-also-i-fucking-miss(ed)-out-asshole face he makes ;;))

AND MY JAW WAS ALREADY DROPPED BUT IT FELL TO THE GROUND WHEN NAMTAAN AND OHM APPEARED BEHIND HIM AND WERE LIKE “C’MON LET’S GO EAT”

AND PANG BEING LIKE huh why do i feel like i don’t remember something AFTER HE LOOKS AT EVERYONE SEATED WITH MR POM. HUH I FUCKING WONDER WHY BRO.

and then. AND THEN. a gifted pin that fell to the ground is taken by pang and as he walked to give it back to wave, nac stops him and thankfully pang keeps it because guess mf WHAT BABY.

THERE’S A MESSAGE ON THE BACK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! AND UNTIL NIGHT TIME WHEN PANG CAN’T SLEEP HE DOESN’T SEE IT

which makes me think,, for how long did the gifted class wait oh my god sjkfhksfjhsdlghl

AND PANG. FUCKING GENIUS PANG. THE VIDEO HE WAS FILMING ALL THIS TIME???????? YEAH IT WAS FOR HIMSELF. INCASE HE LOST. HOW FUCKING CLEVER IS THIS KID OH MY GOD

I LOVE PANG SO MUCH AS YOU ALL MAY HAVE NOTICED BY NOW.

also the fact that wave once caught him filming himself and just.. kept tabs on it since he seems to know pang just wouldn’t do one plan (you can see how shocked he is by ladda giving him the fake serum which i haven’t talked about but I LOVE LADDA AGAIN EVERYTHING’S GOOD WITH HER I LOVE U QUEEN <3<3<3) and when he, i guess, disappeared from the gifted program and didn’t talk with any of them wave just hacked pang’s computer and watched the video he had made incase it was important or whatever and i’m so glad for wave’s invasion of privacy because oh my god u saved my kiddo who saved his future self by being a smart bitch on the past. an icon.

AND THE LAST SCENE!!!!!!!!!!!! THE DIFFERENCE FROM WHEN PANG ENTERED THE ROOM FOR THE FIRST TIME!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERYONE BEING LIKE “YOU’RE HERE”!!!!!!!!!!! THEY PROBABLY LOST ALL HOPE BUT PANG MADE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HE FOUND OUT ABOUT HIMSELF AND ABOUT THEM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I FELT SO PROUD OF MY SON WATCHING THIS

AND WAVE!!!!!!! “TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH” BITCH SHUT THE FUCK HE JUST REMEMBERED UR EXISTENCE LIKE 2 MINUTES AGO I’LL KICK UR ASS (but with love because i love this dumbass too)

AND PANG’S SMIRK AAAAAAA YES BABY LET’S CHANGE THE FUCKING WORLD TOGETHER LET’S GET RID OF ROYAL FAMILIES AND CORRUPT GOVERNMENTS AND INSTITUTIONS LET’S FUCKING GOOOOOOOOOOO

okay okay now comes the sad part that we were all waiting for..

mr pom still doesn’t have his wallet after 11 episodes </3

JKHFJSLFS i am Unable to be serious for one second i will explode if i try to

now that season 1 is done i will proceed to yell into the void that is my room until season 2 starts airing (i will watch the trailer of the gifted graduation after this i promise)

this drama was soooooo good idk if i’ll watch the movie because this drama is so well made and the acting and everything is so good idk how they’d be able to tell half of the story in less than 2 hours,,,, maybe it’s a water boyy situation but backwards idk

either way this drama gets a 10000000000000/10 and a plus for making me forget that i wanted to pee oh my gOD I NEED TO GO TO THE BATHROOM GOODBYE

[bylerly]

alright everyone. after my rush of emotions after that season, i’ve had time to decompress, and make an actually cohesive list of my thoughts about the season. as you could probably guess - MAJOR SPOILERS UNDER THE CUT!

first, let’s get the (much) shorter list out of the way. here’s what I enjoyed:

the acting. i want to mention how good millie was, because she was fantastic, but i almost feel like i shouldn’t, bc el took SO MUCH screen and plot time, that millie was given every opportunity to be good. she doesn’t really need any more special mention. otherwise - noah (with the little he was given) and sadie were particularly great. so were winona & david, but that goes without saying.

the elmax friendship. these two deserved it. and max bringing el out of her shell, showing her how to become her own person.... incredible. 10/10 i love them both

alexei. feels weird saying this, but he was probably the new addition I enjoyed watching the most. it would have been kind of cool to see him live past season 3.

an lgbt+ confirmed character. this one is a little.... tricky for me. as happy as I am that there is a queer woman written into the show... I feel like it’s a cop out to not have to confirm will’s sexuality. robin confirms her sexuality in less than a season, but after three with will, we still only get ~subtext~? still, this is a positive portion, so.... I guess that was something I was happy with

el moving in with the byers at the end. finally. this is one of the only things that is keeping me excited for s4. i guess i can only hope for there to FINALLY be some good willel interactions next season, but if this season has taught me anything, it’s not to get my hopes too high :-)

jancy ending s3 on a good note. parts of their storyline were fantastic, some were disappointing. but i really dug their dynamic, and the realistic struggle between the two of them, with nancy not really understanding jonathan’s class struggles, and jonathan not grasping the weight of the misogyny being thrown at nancy. their final moments at the empty byers house at the end were especially lovely.

el no longer being OP, and not being undefeatable. i love el. i really, genuinely do. i love her character, i love her traits, i lover her power. but the duffers were relying too heavily on her to constantly save the day with her powers, and it was happening too often. one of the faults of s2 was the constant thought of how easily el could’ve fought off all these threats if she was just there. i think it’s incredibly interesting to not only see her get completely worn out, but totally lose her powers. like mike said, i’m sure they’ll come back, but i want so badly for el to not just be defined by her powers.

a platonic m/f friendship. yes, one of them is confirmed queer, and they would’ve probably been romantically linked if she was straight. but i’ll take what i can get when it comes to this. platonic opposite sex relationships?? r i s e

now for the meat of my thoughts ~ what I didn’t like:

mike’s characterization. the writers completely made him into a dick this season. i get it, he’s a teenager, so he’s going to be an asshole sometimes. hell, in a recent post, I defended that, saying it’s good writing. but I underestimated just how awful he’d be, completely blowing off his friends for any chance for a second alone with el. I understand that he loves his girlfriend of course, but s1-2 mike loved his friends just as much. he was so utterly unlikable this season, that it seemed like he was a different character.

lucas as comic relief. this is so lazy, and i’m so angry for both the character and caleb, both of whom deserve so much better. he really had nothing to do if it wasn’t related to max, and the writers further reduced him down to a one-dimensional, kind of dumb, mediocre boyfriend, and that is not the highly intelligent, brave, kind lucas that i know and love.

will’s sidelining. god, this made absolutely no sense. noah fucking shined last season. he stole pretty much the entire thing. every critic, even those who disliked the season, had nothing but good things to say about his performance. furthermore, will has so much potential in so many different directions in so many aspects of his character. however, once he revealed to his friends that he was feeling the upside down/MF’s presence... they may as well have written out his character. he was sidelined almost to the point of background character. they gave him very little to do emotionally after that castle byers scene, and even fewer lines.

total lack of willel scenes. phew, if this wasn’t a bummer. will spoke a single line to el, and maybe one or two throwaway lines about her. if there is one thing most of the fans can agree on, it’s that will and el have the biggest connection to the upside down, the biggest unspoken connection, the most parallels, and the most intriguing potential relationship... and they really just said “fuck it” and didn’t have them interact at all. (that’s poor writing folks!) they better make up for this now that they’re living together.

amount of eleven scenes. i love her so dearly. i really do. and i’m so happy she grew into her own, not through mike or hopper. but the amount of el plot and screen time this season was actually difficult to watch. every other scene centered around her. so many characters and so much of the story went undeveloped, while she got way, way more than was necessary. additionally, take any kid’s plot (other than dustin), and guaranteed, it revolved around el. people were starting to catch on that the show was favoring her character more than even most shows’ mains.... and this season took it to a level i actual didn’t think it would.

the comedy. it was so awkwardly written. so much of it threw off the pace of the show. it seemed forced, and just... not very stranger things-esque, where the comedy was typically well-written and blended into dialogue.

the baddies. this was a huge letdown, too. i understand that the monster was large, but it was far less menacing to me than, say, the MF’s physical form. it had gore points, sure. it felt incredibly boring and predictable. in the same vein, i thought the ‘zombie’ style storyline of heather & co. would be deeper than that, but that was literally all it was. again... not interesting to me. billy was a rehash as well. the russians definitely had potential, but even that plot wound up being incredibly one-dimensional.

billy’s screentime. this was one of the things i was absolutely furious about. he got more screentime than the party (minus el) combined. they wanted for us so badly to empathize with him, to humanize him... i’m sorry, but you wrote a character that almost killed a boy for being black, that abuses his sister, and is a misogynistic asshole. abuse doesn’t excuse that, and it’s insulting to abuse survivors to say that billy inevitably became this way because of his dad, and that he deserves our uwus for it... and actually got el’s. he took screen time away from characters who desperately needed it, and that’s something i will never look at the duffers the same way for.

the scoops troop. I wanted to love erica... but i feel so indifferent to her. she was way too much this season. and robin. again, i love that she’s confirmed queer. and i dug her character more. but even then... i don’t know. i would have rather never had her introduced, and allowed established characters to have been better developed. and as a whole, the whole storyline of the troop was just what I feared: underwhelming and awkwardly placed.

high steve & robin. won’t elaborate on this too much, bc there’s not much to elaborate on. it just felt so wildly out of place and unnecessary.

that dustin/suzie number. what the hell was that? what could have been a 20 second joke was stretched out WAY too long and was bizarrely placed. just because you have an actor from broadway, doesn’t mean he needs to sing. and even if he does sing... you couldn’t have found a better time or situation? i literally was just staring at my screen in disbelief as that whole thing happened. entirely unneeded.

the amount of flashbacks. i understand most casual viewers wouldn’t remember certain things because of how long it’s been. but they literally put a recap at the beginning of the season. that’s what it’s for. and there were also plenty from like.... the episode before??? the amount they included took away so much time, that it almost just seemed like they didn’t have enough footage, and they had to fill their time stamp somehow. at some point, it just becomes insulting to the audience’s intelligence.

the overall tone. this season did not feel like stranger things in the slightest. off the top of my head, the castle byers scene and the byeler scene in mike’s garage were the exceptions. the first few episodes did have some moments. but overall... it kind of felt like some weird, high budget commercial or something. the charm, distinct aesthetic, and nuance of seasons 1 and 2 was non-existent.

the post-credit scene. there was some last-minute hype up in the reviews for this. was that supposed to be shocking in some way? i suppose this is more the fault of the reviewers who hyped it, but... really? a demodog? we’ve seen that before... i guess more the point was to show that the russians officially have some kind of technology for this. but still, an underwhelming reveal. more intriguing to me, was if hopper was the american in the cell he mentioned at the start of it. or maybe brenner?

the neutral:

that ending. on one hand, it was incredibly predictable. they literally placed an obvious shot of it in the trailer (easy to deduce that the byers had moved out, and that it was fall, so it was an epilogue scene). i was convinced that there would be a twist element they weren’t showing us, but nope. on the other hand, i thought some things were done beautifully (which wasn’t exactly a trend this season). as i mentioned, i loved the jancy moments. i really did like the hopper voiceover, although it was a little trope-y and heavy-handed... i still got a little emo, ngl. those goodbye hugs were somethin’. and, as i said before... el! moving in! with the byers! gimme

so uh... that’s it, i guess. no one really asked, but i needed to get my thoughts out. what did you guys think of the season?

[hnyaas]

Post st3 thoughts 🤔

⚠️⚠️SPOILERS⚠️⚠️

Will deserved better and I hope he has a big storyline in st4 or I’m gonna piss. “Giving him a break” doesn’t mean writing him out of the season lmao

“It’s not my fault you don’t like girls!” Hits hard, because I’m like 99% mike said it to poke at Will having no interest in dating, but you could see the fear in his eyes he was like oh shit

From the trailers I wasn’t sure how I felt about robin but I LOVE her. Queen of my life. Her telling Steve she likes girls was such a funny and emotionally well written scene it was perfect

Steve/robin dynamic was amazing. I was almost certain that they were just gonna use robin as a girlfriend character for Steve and I was so pleasantly surprised, their friendship is so nice and good

Steve/robin/Dustin/Erica scoop troop dynamic was amazing and carried the whole season. Change my mind

Joyce was fucking cool, love the “who are you going to call? The police?” Made me snort

Alexei! I’m so heartbroken he was so excited that he won the woody woodpecker and he had a corndog and that mf just SHOT HIM. Heartbreaking. Rip the real og, in our hearts forever

El was amazing and I love her whole fashion style and everything she has going on.

El/max friendship was something I wanted and it was really well incorporated, 10/10

Lucas giving bad advice and being like yeah I’ve been dumped 5 times nbd :/ big mood. Love him even though he didn’t get much screentime

Mike was kind of ooc I feel like, just kind of an asshole and threw away (and this is less mike and more just the writing on the show) his whole friendship with Will that’s been building since s1, so that sucked

Mike/el relationship was :/ for me it’s always felt forced and this season really pushed it over too much, it just doesn’t make sense at all? Like I don’t really care if they stay together and are an endgame couple, but like it’s just super forced and rushed. Also they fucking suck at kissing what was that

Steve was great in this season, peak dumbass energy and in the sailor outfit the whole goddamn time. Iconic

I’m on the fence with billy rn. I’m still struggling to accept the fact that he abused max and was like. A racist piece of garbage in s2 and then in this season max was treating him like he never did anything wrong? It just didn’t make much sense because at the end of last season it was established that max still disliked billy but intimidated him, and now all of the sudden they’re super close siblings??? Huh

Also like yeah I was sad when he died and I’m not..glad it happened? I’m sure he could’ve become a better person if he tried but it was just idk. I guess I just couldn’t feel bad for him because of how much a hated him in s2

H*rringrove shippers DO NOT deserve rights. Stop making callout posts

Jonathan/Nancy was cute and it was nice to see their relationship develop from high school into adulthood

I love how Murray has now predicted the romantic tension with two different Byers’s in their respective relationships (Nancy/Jonathan, Jim/Joyce).. maybe Will next? Lol

Murray and Alexeis friendship was hilarious and tragic. Rip alexei 5ever in our hearts

I’m really excited to see what happens next with Will and el moving away, and I love that Joyce took her in no hesitation

And finally rip Hopper. I’m kind of clowning out on theory’s that he’s alive, but I sobbed like a fucking baby during his voiceover scene. He was one of my favorite characters and I’m just Sad

Anyways I really hope they elaborate on Will being gay and robin being gay, show them having hardships of being gay in the 80s and maybe a love interest? Idk I just want a gay storyline is it too much to ask

Also they need to make or break mileven, because it’s getting kind of annoying lmfao

Also max/lucas is good and I support it, I hope st4 shows Lucas maturing and being a better boyfriend and getting dumped less

Also Erica playing d&d! Something I didn’t know I needed in my life, I love her sm

Okay that’s all I have like 2 followers so this isn’t going to get any traction anyways and I’m super tired

[sclfmastery]

//Watched the trailer. Dunno why these things always make me both happy and sad. 

In a rush because of house guests but:

--TUXEDO DOCTOR. I’m gay and so is my muse. --That red faced female alien thing looks a lot like the spider thingiemajig Ten had to drown in Donna’s debut ep.... 

--Still my favorite Doctor. “The name’s Doctor, THE Doctor.”  “I’m not where I wanted to be, but I can work with this.” How adorkable, resourceful and optimistic. I love how hard she tries for others. First Doctor to truly consciously do that in a way that prioritizes other people’s needs.

--Of course loving the Fam.  Looks like Yaz continues to take a front seat in character development, which I admit I love. I’d p much die  for Yaz.   Why is she on a plane and screaming? :( 

--Stephen Fry!!!!! <3 

--Pervasive themes of “you trust me, don’t you?” in last and current season suggest that the Doctor is still struggling with all the companions lost recently and in the distant past, from Grace to Bill to Missy (and the Master even though canonically she no longer cares about any Master but Missy lol) to people all the way back in Classic Who.

--Really dreading the Cybermen episodes because I just know there’s gonna be a throwaway line about how awful Missy/the Master are for helping invent (at least the Mondasian variety) and often utilizing them.  But that goes along nicely with Thirteen’s consciously worked-on themes of culpability/accountability and regret. And that part I really like. REALLY like. 

--A little dismayed that there are more alien world and futuristic episodes this season than earth’s past episodes, as I vastly prefer the latter (I’m a historian, sorry LOL) but they still look interesting. A little no-wanty about the giant scorpion but that’s the way the cookie crumbles. 

--Thasmin is a totally legit pairing and I know it’s very important for wlw rep but I can definitely see it flooding the dash when Series 12 premieres and that’s going to hurt like an mf-er for my Thoschei shipper heart. 

[argylemikewheeler]

i watched the st3 trailer again and wrote all my (incoherent) thoughts:

starting off boldly with a motley crue song??? i want to know which one of them has that tape. is it dustin? because i now explicitly need to know every single one of the Party’s tape collection details. duffers, fess up. who loves metal.

also from Theatre of Pain? Smokin in the Boys Room. Which is a song I need to know the Party listens to.. especially our Bitchin’ El.

SICK ghostbusters certificate (?) Dustin. You are the true MVGB (most valuable ghost buster)

Is that mf farrah fawcett spray???? literally gonna knock ‘em dead i guess

Max, honey, you look great. Lucas, dear, amazing, Will, lovey, get a haircut but also keep it up you look healthy. Mike, please go out in the sun. El, Jane, my honey dearest, I love YOU. I love her having fun with her powers.

Mike and El are holding hands and that’s actually really sweet. And they’re matching?? Wait, so are Lucas and Max. Oh, wow I’m Hurting.

Baba O'Riley hurts me a lot and I have a LOT to say about it.

First thing is I hate that they matched “field” with then in a fucking field. but whatever.

Okay, I’m being Extra on purpose now and literally taking Extra Note of things that aren’t important BUT: the formation climbing the hill IS: Dustin in front leading, Lucas and Max side by side, Will, and ElandMike holding hands. Well that’s like. Very painful. Very much so.

Also idc they’re holding hands but they aren’t helping carry anything and then aren’t shown lifting their antenna. one of you has other worldly powers and just blasted a crue song to surprise someone. you can lift something, babes.

NANCY BABY YOU LOOK AMAZING. also this shot is very familiar of hospital ones from s1 i feel like? but maybe it’s just because they’re in chairs. but either way. I love how much nancy stands out. jonathan is the same color scheme of the office and she is bright ass lilac. amazing baby amazing.

hey dacre.

hopper looking all miami vice for this date? iconic. he shows UP for his woman... who ever she is--

Joyce. baby. hi you look amazing too. i hope she’s okay and someone eats with her, not just like. as an obvious jopper ploy but because she deserves company as she goes through such a hard time. i hope we see her grieve correctly.

MIKE IN FRONT OF THE BYERS HOUSE: oh this fucked me up. it’s empty and he’s standing behind to stare at its skeleton? with the words “we aren’t kids anymore”? Like, its a loss of resilience? invisible childhood is over and now they’re adults. they can be harmed. they can die as they saw last fall. and joyce has to run their family out of town while she can to protect will before his ended childhood has adult consequences.

god, mike really is going to lose his best friend (and that angle turn is really familiar too, someone help me figure it out BUT)... i’m hurt. his best friend is going to move right before high school and he gets to spend the entire summer knowing it. that’s BRUTAL.

MAX AND EL FRIENDSHIP OH YEAH BABY. This friendship screams holding hands while their wrists have complementary colored scrunchies. love it. next.

the pictures. crying in castle byers. i know the voice over probably doesn’t match up to this scene (bc trailers and suspense) and mike is probably talking to someone else, but it still hurts to even humor the breaking of their relationship like this. [i’d be eager to pair up this editing to the actual season later and see where they shuffled everything but anyway]

i can’t imagine will even overhearing it. he’s about to move and lose his three best friends, the ones who know why he is how he is and he’s absolutely gutted. sitting in the safe space he made the night his dad left except now he’s the one that’s leaving everyone behind.

I warned you. don’t put the words “teenage wasteland” over will crying! he’s not even a proper teenager-- but he feels like his teenage years are gonna be a fucking WASTE. wow if that is’t a gay experience idk what is.

sad dustin a second ago? show him with steve having a real big brother because that’s what it’s all about. unconditional love from chosen family baby.

hopper with a big speech? oh sounds like me crying in the second to last episode. also, can that scene really be to joyce pls? it’s either cut really nicely where the backgrounds match super well or they really gave us that Content.

i’m not a topography gay but wtf is this beach coming from

i have... separate thoughts about billy maybe being “evil” that must wait.

kick. ass. montage. baby. el leading the charge!

is that... erica?

are they gonna have every outfit of el’s match with mike’s? because i will allow that if there is a literal scene where she’s got him on the phone like “what color” and mike just sighs and looks down at his clothes like “yellow and blue. but not like that yellow you wore yesterday. that’s mustard. try brighter-- like a banana!” and is just. a good boyfriend to a cute girl. i’ll allow it.

that mayor gives me bad Jaws Mayor vibes... you know the one that keeps the beach open even though there is a shark literally eating people? yeah. here he is, reelected.

static tvs? no. now she ascends to other levels of existence with eggos

the WRIST ROCKET BABY!

Madonna WHO

Trumpet Steve? A new favorite?

Steve yelling out of agony? exactly how i feel about the next shot of karen wheeler doing That at the pool. Girl Don’t.

Is that... joyce? the pant length makes me think it’s joyce. it’s joyce. he’s holding hands with joyce. literally confirmed by me.

el falling in the In Between and then cut to kissing mike? nice. falling in love. that’s cute. very cute. except for she’s kissing a boy in a vest. god dress for the occasion michael.

and then the next scene of will looking fucking MAD in the RAIN? i’m laughing that’s too perfect. yeah, me too honey.

“How many children are you friends with?” Just then the whole Party comes running in screaming “STEVE!” and Steve just shrugs and goes “only the cool ones!”

and that’s what you missed... these are not intelligent thoughts, but if you’d like those hop in my ask and request some more eloquent predictions so we can Keep Score come july 4th. thanks for getting this far! hope you’re all excited! xo

[hmspogue]

Anne With An E season 2 trailer shot by shot rundown

these are screenshot’s from Netflix’s trailer for Anne With An E season 2...i own nothing.

MY CHILD IS BACK AND GREEN GABLES IS AS BEAUTIFUL AS EVER.

for some reason, Anne’s blanket confuses me? i’m not sure why she has it or needs it, like maybe she stepped into the water? but she looks so cute i just wanna hug her.

i completely agree with Ophelia ( @lydias--stiles ), i also think that the sea is going to be important this season or hold a lot of symbolism.

“I love looking out at the horizon and imagining all the possibilities...”

i’m going to try and handle this next part as calmly as possible but-

1) THIS PARALLEL? THE LIGHTING EVEN MATCHES OKAY AND 

2) THE FACT THAT THEY CUT TO GILBERT AS SOON AS ANNE SAYS THAT LAST LINE AND THEN DO NOT CONTINUE SHOWING HIM AFTER THE CUT 100% TELLS ME THAT SHES ALLUDING TO THINKING OF THE POSSIBILITIES OF WHERE GILBERT IS OKAY NEXT-

ah yes i missed both you so much (it’s also so nice to see Matthew healthy and walking around without a cane even. what a man).

the bags on the back and the fact that she’s with Diana make me think that they may be going to that poetry concert they travel to with Miss. Barry in the books. i am all for this we love a girls trip.

thank you.

building the Diana x Rubyx Anne friendship? yes please, carry on. they’re so happy, i’m not crying, you are.

aw the hideout i love this whole set up with the story club.

okay, this scene actually concerned me a little...why does Anne look so frazzled i’m not going to suggest shirbert reunions for every one of these scenes i will not do it i hope she’s okay.

as concerning as Anne’s entrance was, Ruby and Diana’s faces make me even more !!! Diana’s especially. Ruby looks almost afraid and Diana looks extremely worried. it looks to me like they’ve been waiting for Anne in regards to some sort of news? because as seen in the last frame, it looks like they were there before she was.

my prediction is that this is one of the first scenes of episode 1. i recall a post Amybeth had on instagram of her on a beach that looks EXTREMELY similar to this with the caption “Cuthbert on a stroll”. this was towards the very very beginning of filming and from what i could see it looks like they filmed in chronological order. this goes along with the theory that everything is going to start and end with the sea. 

i’m also just going to continue pretending that i didn’t start sobbing at the Cuthberts having a beach picnic. 

Matthew and Anne’s relationship is so important and I’m so excited for this scene (which seems to be the same one from the very beginning of the trailer as you’ll notice).

so obviously the two girls in the front are Anne and Diana being so cute i really cannot breathe, and the one in the back in the pink hat is Ruby...so i would say the other girl is Jane perhaps? just going off of her hair?

“We’re going to get in so much trouble”

1. i love this dynamic so much and i really will never stop stressing that...

2. i think that this is where they were headed off to in the shot above? my theory is that it’s linked to the scene of them watching Mr. Philips in the play which comes later in the trailer (maybe they were not supposed to know about it). it would also make sense that Jane is tagging along since she is Prissy’s sister and heard about it from her.

“Don’t be late for school” 

oh we love a good mother.

“Understood” 

translation: Anne is most definitely going to be late to school at some point-

“And don’t burn down the house” 

translation: a huge disaster is guaranteed to take place-

and Matthew is fully aware of this fact.

“I want Green Gables still standing when i come back tomorrow”

why is she leaving? ANNE SHIRLEY-CUTHBERT YOU ARE THE SUN AND YOU DESERVE EVERYTHING.

i’m obviously curious as to what they’re laughing so hard at, but also as to why they are sitting on what appears to be the floor of the school house (also it’s important to note that i would die for both of them).

JERRY MY BOY I’M SO GLAD YOU LOOK HAPPY AND WELL AND YOU LOOK SO GROWN UP!!!

aaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

I LIVE FOR THIS SIBLING RELATIONSHIP OH MY GOD. though, Anne looks either like she is comforting Jerry or seeking comfort which is never a...reassuring thing...especially when the voice over quote is:

“I believe there’s always a bit of good in any situation”

ah yes, the man we have all been waiting for, here is Cole. i have heard a lot of people (including myself before Amybeth’s live a few months ago) very concerned about the role he will be playing in the grand scheme of things this season (such as the possibility of him being a love interest for Anne), and i think production knew that because they put in scenes like this to try and make people worried. 

however, my prediction is that this is certainly going to be a nice brotp and (as ophelia and i have mentioned numerous times) i don’t think Cole is straight (as Amybeth said he brings in a lot of discussions that Amybeth is “an advocate for”). this trailer further solidified my beliefs as you’ll see in a moment-

oh....you’re....still here....

this scene is one of the ways i see them hinting that Cole might possibly be gay. Diana’s face looks like Philips just said something characteristically horrible so i’ll just go ahead and prepare my hands for this disgusting teacher to cATCH THEM.

oh yOURE STILL HERE??????? (seemingly laughing at Cole being able to braid hair get out).

“I think it builds character”

it looks like she’s talking to someone at the kitchen table. also i love her.

LOOK AT MY GROWN AND MATURE SON OUT HAVING ADVENTURES IN SOME TROPICAL PLACE please come home soon

for those of you who don’t know, the man walking with him is named Sebastian and it’s been heavily speculated that he will fill a sort of father role for Gilbert in this coming season.

AGAIN WITH THE AFRAID AND CONCERNED LOOKS PLEASE STOP THAT.

i’m betting this has something to do with he thieves that came at the end of last season, which you’ll notice have not been mentioned at all this trailer. it’s also important to note that the voice over to this clip is Matthew saying:

“Whatever we’re facing...we’ll face it as a family”.

Ophelia pointed this out to me, but it looks like Marilla has a gash over her eye so i stg if one of the thieves hurt her you can catch me on a war path (-:

“The three of us”

...................ow.

she’s looking over to the boys side of the classroom (you can tell they’re at school because of Diana’s positioning next to her). and she is looking in the general vicinity of Gilbert’s seat so my guess is she is either smiling at Gilbert !!!!!!!!!or Cole who now sits in Gilbert’s empty seat.

THERE IS A BALL THIS IS NOT A MF DRILL THERE IS A BALL WITH BEAUTIFUL DRESSES AND LIGHTING AND DECORATION AND FLOWER CROWNS AND IF GILBERT BLYTHE IS NOT BACK IN TIME FOR IT I PROMISE, I PROMISE, NETFLIX AND MOIRA WILL BE HEARING FROM MY LAWYER.

not to read too much into things, but Cole dancing with Miss. Barry (who is gay in canon) is certianly interesting. i’m thinking a sort of conversation goes down where Miss. Barry helps him start to sort everything out that he has been confused about.

“There’s nothing wrong with being different”.

again with the supporting evidence that they’re dropping hints about Cole.

“You’re unique”.

The world does not deserve Anne Shirley. i’m assuming this is him confiding in her a little bit immediately after whatever went down in the classroom with the hair braiding and Mr. Philips and Billy.

“Unique means weird”.

MORE HINTS.

the whole class applauding Cole for something while Anne and Cole laugh. even Billy and his little friend seem amused and they’re present for whatever this event is. Josie looks pressed and bitter but what else is new.

shes so happy for him!!! 

this seems to be a little bow of gratitude i’m ready for this brotp.

Sebastian and a love interest that i am fully ready to ship. 

i also think that Sebastian being involved in a romantic relationship opens up the opportunity for him and Gilbert to talk about romance and feelings and a certain person back home that Gilbert has feelings for. they’ll get a chance to talk about things Gilbert never really got to learn about from his father go ahead and just leave me here to die.

this shot was quite jarring in the context of the whole mood of the trailer which is interesting.

Matthew appears to be kneeling over somebody on the ground? i’m assuming he was part of the group going out on horses. so perhaps they were searching for this person to begin with?

“There are more important things than beauty...” 

i can’t wait to see what this conversation relates to.

can we all just take a moment and acknowledge how they’re already transitioning Amybeth’s hair to more of an auburn color? 

“-we must try and remember what’s real and good”.

Anne continuing to learn about the real and good things that love and family brings as she become more and more a part of the Cuthbert family, rt if you cried.

my son looking so grown and mature and having fun. 

(im just going choose and ignore the fact that they immediately cut to Gilbert after that last quote and the fact that coincidentally two of the biggest reasons he’s so drawn to Anne is because she’s so real and so good.)

PLEASE TAKE CARE OF MY SON WHILE HE IS AWAY THANK YOU GOOD SIR.

could the scenery directors be more brilliant? like this is so beautiful.

i’m-

yeS CINEMATOGRAPHY YES. 

these last few shots of Anne with the ocean are feeding into the theory that the sea is going to be a big symbol this season. i think that this whole sequence is going to be the very last scene of the finale (i remember Amybeth posting a thing about the final adr she was doing where Anne breathes out and laughs but i could be reaching).

i think that the Cuthberts on the beach will be the first scene in episode 1 and this will be the last.....the ocean tying everything together, including Gilbert’s story line.

this...

...it is what he deserves.

peep my earlier theory of the girls sneaking into the show to watch Mr. Philips make a fool of himself. Diana doesn’t look too amused however. 

this whole expert Anne is reading (which ophelia has confirmed for me is from Jane Eyre) is not only beautiful-

- but i think it’s meant to be Anne subconsciously relating it to Gilbert and what he is doing (who is apparently on a boat!!!!)

“Now I remembered that the real world is wide, and that a varied field of hopes and fears, of sensations and excitements, awaited those who had the courage to go forth into its expanse, to seek real knowledge of life amidst its perils”

this is literally exactly what Gilbert’s whole arc is this season. he went out into the world amidst the peril of losing his last family member to seek out all these things, including himself. this, paired with the fact that it’s the voice over they are using for shots of Gilbert traveling, tells me its connected to the reason Anne is reading the excerpt to begin with.

if this cinematography don’t stOP.

i already stan this scene and i’ve seen .0000384792 seconds of it. 

also there is a dark haired boy present as well that could either be Jerry or Gilbert and i’m good with either because i would chop off my right arm for either to have further relational development with Diana.

i wrOTE A SLEEPOVER INTO MY LAST FIC DEAR GOD LET THE REST OF THE SCENE PLAY OUT LIKE I WROTE. i think this has to be the girls unloading after the poetry reading or whatever they were going on that trip for.

yes just be happy it is literally all i will ever ask of you.

yeah  so i stan Sebastian already, oops.

the way i read Anne’s face in this is almost like she WAS crying but then Diana made her laugh. OR she looks like she’s just been embarrassed by something. either way...?????

i would die for this friendship.

i’m not going to make outrageous assumptions about what Gilbert could be staring at with such awe and wonder. i will not do it.

this is the same scene as the opening one. and i’m guessing Anne is running towards Diana all smiley and adorable.

well at least knowing the exact date of my death is somewhat comforting.

guys this season looks so amazing and happy. i cannot wait to see what they do with it. 

[69annebowlin69]

14/3/19 - 14/7/19 Watching True Detective Episode Six and Seven

7.06

It’s likely that this version of my body - flabby in the centre, bulky around the edges - will be the one i die with, allowing i maintain it properly, and for the first time today i realised it might be ok, that i was so scared of turning doughy and shapeless again that i missed that my body right now might be ok to have for thirty more years or whatever.

7.14

‘Wondering why it took two days to find that backpack’

‘Took god six days to make the world!’

***

17.19

Okay so a few things. First, i only remember the pink room and Vulture is pay-walled now so i can’t  crib from their recaps, which are usually basic but written smartly. Two, i started watching Ep Seven on one of the small screens where the backs of peoples heads should be, halfway through an eight-hour flight. The person reclined ten-mins in. Thirdly i’ve not taken adderall today, in fact i finished the valium we had before boarding. Fourth, I no longer feel comfortable admitting that my body will stay the same til i die (see 7.06, written months ago).

Okee, in the words of Hays, “lets True Detective!!” - that famous and good catchphrase we all love

17.36

Two people have text me that The Beguiled is on Netflix. Looking forward to watching it through Emmy’s account later! Stephen Dorff is in a lesser Sofia Coppola, i think. Where he’s an exiled actor holed up at the Chateau Marmont and his daughter gets dumped on him? I’m looking to watch that one, i love that early 2010s earnest low-concept, major release, arthouse director stuff. Tree of Life core. Basically any trailer where bed sheets are unfurled, curtains billow and there’s a pool, i’m pre-booking.

17.49

Not to dig up old ground…this title sequence is such a downer. Really cools one off after the Previously On.. sequence.

17.53

This man Mahershala really going to be the next Blade. Folks, he’s already been up against Deacon Frost. Folks? I said he’s… oh we did that already.

17.56

First earnest post of the blog: the shot ascending the rusted stairwell towards, first Tom Purcell’s prone legs and then his bloodied body, with Roland crouched over, is a nice touch.

17.57

Emmy has thrush, it’s called Thrush, not a yeast infection, which i keep saying instead, and to which she squirms. It’s not gross, i remember the phrase ‘cottage cheese-like discharge’ from school, which is also not gross. Just, i can’t not imagine a container of cottage cheese, one of the 300g tubs that i used to eat, even though I can’t imagine it’s so much that’s released. We had sex last night and everything was, uh, extremely good. Sex

18.04

This season’s palette is immoveable. That slate grey, wide open spaces of the midwest containing nothing, not terrifying, not hopeful. Just drab. In the first season, there were nuances between locations and eras. When they drove out to the meth lab, Woody wore the Keith Haring t-shirt etc, the bayou was saturated and chemical-bright. Season two a kind of bright shimmering L.A. was counterpoised by seedy neon bars in which Farrell drank.

18.19

Tonally, the voices of Mr and Mrs Hays are at odds. Sonic discord between his steady montone and her fluttering, often close to cracking, timbre.

18.25

Rust and Marty! In the papers! On the laptop! Feels kind of sad. Pizzolato revelling in former glory.

18.28

They should redo s2, with all the same actors, but give someone else the job of fleshing out the story. They should redo s2 every five or ten years. I suppose HBO always do a similar version anyway. Scratch that. Keep up the good-to-middling work, my friends at HBO!

18.31

My man is looking at FLIGHT RECORDS!!! Fuck yes, sound the Epstein alarm. IS Pizz on those flight logs? How does he know so much about this racket? Same question for Stan Kubrick. I read Kubrick made Kidman and Cruise keep things from one another on the set of Eyes Wide Shut, or like set it up so that Cruise was unsure where he stood with Kidman and over time developed insecurities and doubts and misgivings, which transpired on screen, but also in their personal life. Damn. WIld.

The latest on Epstein, there was a comprehensive Daily Beast piece about his ties to Clinton and how their relationship stretched earlier than ’02, which is what Clinton claimed. Epstein actually attended balls or galas in the white house as early as ’92 and donated money to whatever that charity is that aims to protect the white house as a historic landmark.

Anyway, back to these mf flight records.

18.39

This is eerily similar to the Clinton Kill List. All these people, all these suicides, what a tragedy! Such morbid bad luck!!

18.47

Ok the pace of this is course-correcting - less of the meandering stuff and how much of a bummer it is to get old, lose your family and memory etc, and more long and birds-eye shots of cars snaking after one another on eerily empty nighttime b-roads.

An empty, rotting barn lit only by headlamp, gloves, cuts and bruises. The music hitting.

18.56

If i’d paid more attention i might have seen the signs, but i’m not sure that there were clear signs of the rift between Hays and Roland developing over a dead body that they atmospherically had to bury in the backwoods. Always burying stuff in the backwoods at dusk.

18.59

“say it. Say it then, motherfucker.”

“no… i just want you to know that i’m thinking it.”

White HBO crime writers really think they have a pass on saying, writing or alluding to the n-word.

19.00

The complex form doesn’t fit the simplicity of the relatively straightforward story of a child sex ring. We saw the same conspiracy uncovered in s1, with a more interesting narrative structure where Hart and Cole were dishonest to the investigators and we got to see their words diverge from the events of the case as they kept more aside. Their own memories and fragments of what only each one knew, never revealed to the other.

This narration is reaching for something grander, more poignant but it’s hurt by the poor storytelling of the missing children. I don’t care about the missing children, i have a passing morbid curiosity of the details of the child sex ring and dirty underground parlours and pink rooms where the kidnapped children were taken, there’s interest in seeing why this was never uncovered. However, even though they’ve built the character Hays very well, the three different iterations of him that circle round one another, drop in on one another - that’s controlled structure done in a way that suggests chaos, but if there’s nothing interesting to structure, what purpose does it serve?

[mf-despair-queen]

I’m Void, Baby - Dylan O’Brien

Author: @mf-despair-queen​

Characters: Dylan O’Brien/Reader

Word Count: 12,592

Warnings: NSFW, 18+, Masturbation, Oral (male receiving), dirty talk, spanking, bits of drinking, sexy Void Dylan

Notes: I’m not allowed to say “Can you imagine” especially to @minhosmeanhoe​ because then we just talk about sexy things like this. You guys can thank her for giving me this idea and cranking through bits of the story for it.

Dylan paced the length of his trailer, running a hand through his hair. This seemed to be his normal ritual, especially lately. He came to work, was constantly anxious about the day, unsure what shenanigans were about to be in play. Sure, he had been doing this for a while now, deep in the middle of season three, but things just seemed to get harder by the day.

He sat on his tiny couch, taking a sip of the coffee he grabbed on his way in, sighing to himself. “Today’s just like any other day. I can do this. Nothing will be different,” he told himself, massaging his face to try and relieve himself of his self-imposed stress. “Fuck, who am I kidding. The same thing is going to happen like always.”

He picked up his script, reading over the scenes they were planning to shoot. He was officially possessed by the Nogitsune after the events of Eichen House. Reading through the scenes, he would be toying with the pack in Derek’s loft and even filming bits for the scene in the McCall house after he released the flies to possess the werewolves in Beacon Hills. It would be an interesting day, that’s for sure.

A knock was heard on his trailer door, Dylan setting his coffee and script down and shuffling over to the door. Glancing at the time, it read 9:21 AM, so he figured it was just Tyler Posey stopping by to wish him good morning, asking when they would run lines for their scenes, possibly bringing him some form of breakfast, or wanting to use the toilet because he was too lazy to walk over to his trailer, like he did every morning.

What he didn’t expect when he opened the door was to see you standing in front of him, sunglasses still perched on your nose, a wide smile on your plump lips, sparkling in the sunlight from your lip-gloss. His breath hitched when he saw you standing on the pavement. His mouth instantly became dry, despite the coffee he had just been drinking.

“H-hey Y/N. What are you doing here?” he asked, instantly sweaty and trying to control his stutters.

“Well, I brought you your favorite breakfast and I thought I would run by the outfits for today’s scenes before you head to wardrobe and makeup later. You get a nasty little cut on your tummy later, good sir,” you joked, reaching up to poke his stomach. Dylan bit his lip, stifling the noises he wanted to release from your simple touch, afraid of what could happen. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first time he slipped up and panicked of what could happen.

You see, Dylan had been pining over you from the day he met you. He knew it was wrong, but he couldn’t help himself. He loved everything about you. You had become so integral in his life, he couldn’t see doing anything without you there.

He struggled with his affection for one simple thing. You happened to be Teen Wolf’s creator’s younger sister. You were close to Jeff, always hanging around on set when they first began. Hell, the first-time Dylan ever met you was at the food table where he found you with your mouth stuffed with a donut before he ran off without a word, flustered beyond belief. Did he regret that? Yes, of course. But it didn’t keep you away.

You always seemed to have your grubby little hands on something, and Jeff never had a qualm with it. Dylan could remember the first time you walked into wardrobe, a blank expression on your face. You were so displeased with their choices, you forced them out of the room and chose your own outfit for Stiles. Sure, it was a simple shirt with a flannel top over it, but Dylan knew this was what Stiles would wear. Jeff approved of the choice, and from then on, it seemed like you were always the one in charge of choosing the outfits he wore.

You also seemed to like helping him get ready for scenes. Whether that was helping prep scenes or get settled into scenes, you were by his side to help. Dylan struggled to keep his ever-growing feelings at bay, not wanting to compromise the friendship you developed over the years. He struggled whenever you were near to keep calm and to keep you from finding out his feelings. Though, that always seemed to be hard when he was highly aroused by you.

There were two moments within the last few weeks that haunted his memories, and you walking in this morning brought them back to the surface even after he fought to suppress them deep in the recesses of his mind.

The first was season 3, episode 11. Dylan could not explain how nervous he was when for one particular scene, but his nerves got worse the second you walked onto set that day.

Dylan sat on the ground in the locker room, reading through his script. It was his lunch break, everyone having decided to head out to a local restaurant before the afternoon shoot. Dylan would normally be the first to jump on the food bandwagon, but he was feeling anxious about the scenes. Stiles was supposed to be having a panic attack after Jennifer Blake kidnaps Chris Argent, and Lydia kisses him to get him to calm down.

Sure, he had done kissing scenes before. He had a full make out session during the First Time. He became unnerved when you walked in that morning, though. How was he supposed to kiss Holland when his crush was ten feet away? He was afraid he would mess something up, embarrassing himself in front of this perfect girl he cared so much about.

Dylan sighed, dropping the script to the ground and running his fingers through his hair. “Fuck,” he mumbled to himself, leaning back fully against the lockers. “I can’t fucking do this. Nope, no way, no how.”

“Can’t do what?” Dylan heard behind him. He jumped half a mile out of his skin, turning to see you laughing at him, peeking around the lockers. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

Dylan flushed, his face turning a bright red. “I-I… it’s fine. I promise.” He picked himself up off the ground, having fallen over in his fright, leaning back against the lockers. He pat the spot next to him, gesturing for you to sit down. You flopped down next to him, placing a plastic bag in front of you. “So, what brings you to this neck of the locker room? I figured you would be at lunch with everyone,” he joked.

“Well, I was going to,” You started, kicking your feet around playfully. “But, I ran into Posey on my way to my car and he mentioned that you were staying behind to run lines. He said you were acting weird today and was worried.” Dylan frowned, leaning his head against the locker. “Are you nervous or something about this scene? Which scene is it?”

You picked up the script, glancing down the paper as he spoke up. “The kissing scene with Lydia. When Stiles is having the panic attack.”

“Oh, that scene! I helped write that scene because I ship Stiles and Lydia so much,” you told him, handing him the script. Those words made Dylan’s heart sink further into his stomach. He now had to worry about kissing Holland in front of you and screwing up a scene you apparently helped write? “Why are you so worried about it? When I proposed it, I could just picture you doing it perfectly. I saw the way you kissed Britt in The First Time and, even if it’s Lydia kissing Stiles to calm him down, I think you will do great! Do you have onion breath or something?”

Dylan laughed, shaking his head at your joke. “No, no onion breath. I actually haven’t even eaten today. This scene has me worried. I just don’t want to mess it up because you-“ he stopped mid-sentence, glancing at you. “B-because you know how awkward I am. Especially around girls. Kissing scenes are still foreign to me.”

“Pssh, please, Dyl. You’re gorgeous as all fuck, remember? You shouldn’t ever be awkward. Especially around us.”

I’m only awkward because of you, he thought to himself. Dylan sighed, glancing over at you. “You make it sound so easy,” he joked, wrapping an arm around your shoulders. “But I appreciate the compliment. So, what’s in the bag?”

You picked up the bag, pulling out two things of Chipotle. “Tyler mentioned you hadn’t eaten, so I ran out to get us some lunch! I figured I could help you run lines too, like I sometimes do. Help you get over your little hurdle.”

Dylan blushed, smiling down at his chicken burrito. “Thanks. I appreciate that.”

It was a simple lunch. Just rehearsing lines for the scene in between munching on your burritos. Dylan sat in front of you, practicing having a panic attack, having put his food down for a second. “Just try to think about something else, anything else,” you read from the script, listening to Dylan’s increased breathing.

“Like what?” he managed to choke out.

“Uh, happy things. Good things. Uh, friends, family.” Dylan cast you a scared look, causing you to bite you lip. You had to admit he looked adorable when he was like this, but everything seemed so real with him too. “Oh, I mean, not family. Oh, god. Okay, uh, just try and slow your breathing.”

Dylan’s eyes clenching shut, partially for the scene and partially when he felt your hand grasp his. His gasping continued, looking down at the ground. “I can’t. I can’t.”

You placed the script on the ground, moving forward on your knees and holding his cheeks in your hands. Dylan wanted to sigh, the soft feeling of your skin against his overwhelming in sense. You tilted him to look up at you, showing him a gentle smile. “Shh, shh. Stiles, look at me. Shh, look at me. Shh, Stiles.”

Dylan locked eyes his yours, his bright hazel orbs getting lost in your own. He figured you would stop there, considering the next part was when Lydia kisses Stiles to calm his breathing. But how wrong he was when you leaned forward after a second, locking lips with his. His eyes widened briefly, unsure what to do.

After two years of knowing you, of crushing on you, here you were. Lips pressed to his in a sweet kiss.

His eyes slowly fluttered shut, hesitantly returning the kiss. His breathing calmed almost as if he was truly overcoming the panic attack, but his heart was beating wildly against his chest. It seemed as if your lips were two jigsaw pieces, meant to be combined to form a perfect picture. Your lips were soft and molded against his exactly.

You pulled away slowly, your eyes having shut as well. His eyes cracked open first, seeing your eyes fluttering open. Your eyes locked together like before, but you swore you saw a range of emotion racing through Dylan’s enlarged pupils. It was hard to discern what they were or why they were there, but you knew they existed.

You but at your lip, Dylan slightly licking his to wet them, knowing they would be dry the second he started talking. “H-how’d you do that?” he asked, continuing the scene, attempting to keep calm.

“I, uh,” You started, reaching blindly for the script, reluctant to break your stare down with him. You blinked a few times, finally feeling the paper between your fingers. You glanced down at the words, reading them over. “I read once that… holding your breath could stop a panic attack. So, when I kissed you, you held your breath.”

You turned back to Dylan, your breath caught in your throat the second you locked eyes for the umpteenth time. Dylan nodded slowly, wetting his lips again. His voice was quiet, but he managed to get the straggled line out. “I did?”

You nodded in response, a quiet response reaching his ears. “Yeah. You did.”

You smiled at him softly, Dylan pursing his lips slightly. “Thanks. Really smart.”

You couldn’t help but chuckle at his response, looking away shyly. You tucked a piece of hair behind your ear, falling to the side so you weren’t sitting on your legs anymore. “That was great, Dyl. You’re gonna kill it.”

“Y/N,” he said quietly. His hands found your cheeks again, making you look at him. Your noses brushed against each other, his fingers carefully running along your cheeks. “Can we um… can we run by that part again? Just to perfect it,” he said, finding any excuse he could to kiss you again. When he received no response, he dared a glance at you, finding your eyes closed and making no effort to back away.

Dylan knew he wanted to kiss you again. Hell, he was ready to push you back on the floor and kiss you into oblivion. But he never got that chance. The sound of the studio doors being pushed open was heard, both of you backing away in a rush. Tyler and the cast walked around the corner, chatting happily.

Jeff saw you both on the floor, rushing over. “There you are, Y/N! I was worried when you didn’t show up at lunch.”

You stood up, dusting off your jeans. “Yeah, sorry. Tpose mentioned that Dyl was staying behind to practice so I grabbed us lunch and was reading lines with him. Right, Dylan?”

Jeff cast a look at Dylan, said boy swallowed thickly under the scrutinizing gaze of his boss. “Y-yeah. Reading lines. She um… she brought me Chipotle.”

Jeff silently nodded, turning back to you. “Well, you realize what time it is, right? You have a dentist appointment at two. You should get going and I will see you at home tonight.”

Dylan instantly stood up, his mouth agape. “You’re not staying to watch the scene?”

You turned to Dylan, tugging him away from Jeff. “Well, yeah. I thought you knew that, Dyl.” His face fell, suddenly depressed you wouldn’t be there. You smiled up at him, holding his face in your hands. “Come on, Dyl. Don’t be sad. Just do it like we just did and you will be amazing. Now, I have to go, so I will see you tomorrow.” Kissing his cheek, you ran off, kissing Jeff’s cheek before you left. Dylan just sighed, ruffling his hair.

But I won’t be able to do it like we just did. Because I’m not doing it with you again.

The second was not even a week later. The kiss played repeatedly in his mind, and being near you seemed to amplify his emotions ever since. It was one of those days when you insisted on helping on set, helping set up the scenes. And Dylan’s hormones seemed to be flying more than normal on this day.

Stiles strut onto set, feet practically frozen from the cold floor. He had left his shoes with his stuff near his chair, walking around the bedroom set barefoot. He was clad in just an orange-red shirt and pair of blue flannel pajama pants with some kind of leopard print on it.

Something you chose, he was sure.

He collapsed on the bed, repeating his lines in his head. He must have been so focused on it as he didn’t hear you come in, sneaking over to his side. You leaned over the bed, smiling evilly.

Taking in a deep breath, you hollered for the entire building to hear. “DYLAN!”

He almost rolled off the bed, jumping up at your voice. You burst out laughing, Dylan groaning at you. He placed a hand on his chest, feigning like he was holding his heart. “Y/N, way to give me a heart attack.”

“I’ve done my job, sir O’Brien,” you said smugly, backing away to dance happily. “No one can stop this evil mastermind!”

Dylan bit his lip, watching your hips sway from side to side, cheering about how you had successfully startled him. His eyes trailed over your entire form, admiring the way you looked. Of course, this was the one time you wore a sleeveless crop top and shorts that showed how perfect your ass was. He couldn’t help but think how perfect you were to him.

He shifted on the bed, glancing down when he left a throbbing sensation run down his body. He spied the tent forming in the flannel bottoms, cursing silently. He bit his lip, thinking to himself, I just had to get a hard on now?

He quickly rolled under the covers, hoping that would shield the erection that he was sporting from watching you dance around randomly. He just settled into the bed when you turned back to him, a smile on your lips. “So, are you ready to have a nightmare, Stiles?”

I’m in one right now because you’re this close to seeing me with a hard, bulging cock, he thought bitterly, nodding at you. Neither of you got a chance to response when Jeff walked in with Linden and some of the other crew, preparing for the scene.

Jeff looked over at you, sighing. “Y/N, get off the set and sit your little ass down. Stop distracting my actors,” he joked.

You laughed at him, calling back, “Of course, Jeff. Can I tuck Dylan in for the scene though? He should be comfy before he has his nightmare.” Jeff just rolled his eyes, turning to check with the cameramen. “I will take that as a yes.”

You perched yourself on the side of the bed, running a hand through Dylan’s hair. His heart hammered against his ribs, his cock pulsing more than before at your light touch. He tried to cover up the growing tent in his pants more with the blankets. You smiled at him, starting to tuck the blankets into his sides.

“You know,” he began, sweating profusely the closer you got to his groin, “you don’t need to tuck me in. The blankets will be all over the place anyway when I start the nightmare.”

“But, you should be comfy, Dyl,” you insisted, reaching over him to start tucking in the other side of the blanket.

Dylan’s luck would have it, and his worst nightmare became a reality. When your hand accidently brushed the tent in his pants, particularly the sensitive head of his cock that was trying to break free from their confines, a small moan slipped off his lips. He was sure his cock umped in his pants, the blanket around him rustling just the slightest with the movement in his pants.

Dylan paled visibly, sweating more than he would playing baseball in the summer. He silently prayed that you didn’t hear him. That was the last conversation he wanted to have with you. He could just see it now: “Oh hey, did you just moan?” “Totally, man. Because you turn me on and I want to fuck you.”

Um, no. That ain’t happening.

You stood from the bed, hands on your hips and admiring your work. “Perfect! Stiles is nice and cozy for the scene!” You turned to face Jeff, leaning over as you yell at him, giving Dylan a spectacular view of your ass. “Jeff! Dylan is ready! And I’m stealing your chair!”

“Good! Now get off the set!” Was all you heard in return.

You turned to Dylan, leaning over him. “Good luck, Dyl. I’ll be watching from over there.” You pointed in the direction of Jeff’s chair, the white lettering reading his name. You ran your fingers through his hair again, gently pressing your lips to his forehead. “Break a leg, Dyl.”

He watched you run off, releasing the breath he didn’t know he was holding. Hopefully, he would be able to relax now that you were away. Well, more like he needed to relax for sure.

He still had a raging erection hidden under the blankets after all.

Dylan couldn’t seem to shake these moments from his mind You were constantly on his mind, driving the poor boy insane. And now, you turned up on the steps of his trailer, a bag of food in your hand, hangers on your arms, and a toothy grin on your face.

This was not how he planned to start the day.

“Dylan?” you asked, noticing him spacing off.

“Right, right. Sorry,” he mumbled, moving aside to let you in. “Come on in.”

You gleefully cheered, hopping inside and kicking off your flip flops. You placed the bag and clothes on the table, sitting on the couch Dylan previously was on. “So, I brought you your favorite breakfast burrito and I even splurged for some hash browns! You better love me,” you joked.

Oh, I do, was the only thing circulating his mind. Dylan shook the thought, sitting next to you and taking the burrito you offered him. “So, what brilliant outfits does Void Stiles get to wear this time?”

You bit into your bacon, egg and cheese sandwich, standing up from your spot. “Right. So, you just escaped Eichen House and are going to confront Noah and the pack at Derek’s loft so they can protect you from the Oni, right? So,” you picked up the hangers, pulling off the plastic surrounding them. “We have a nice plain gray shirt, the khakis I know you love, and even a gray hooded jacket!”

Dylan laughed at your enthusiasm, looking at the outfit. “Sounds very… normal?”

“Well, you’re Void right now, Dyl. Not the normal, flannel-loving Stiles I can’t get enough of,” you mentioned, hanging up the outfit. “Oh, and I found this in wardrobe for you, nice and clean.” You help up a gray, stripped zip-up hoodie. “Perfect for the After-After show tonight!”

“I was wondering where that went!” Dylan said, smiling at you. You grinned, hanging it up as well.

“Yeah, I got lucky. It’ll be perfect for the Void skit you guys have planned though.” You sat back down next to him, cross-legged on the couch, picking up the script. “Are you ready for today?”

“As ready as I can be, I guess,” he muttered, sipping his coffee. “Are you actually sticking around today? You haven’t been around the last few days.”

You glanced down at the hardwood floor of the trailer, sighing. You had partially hoped he wouldn’t notice your absence, but apparently, he did. You had avoided the set since they filmed the Eichen House episode, though no one really knew why. “Yeah, I’ll be around today. I don’t have any plans.”

“Is that why you’ve been gone? Other plans?” He asked, prying further your lack of presence at the studio. “You’ve been acting really weird since we filmed Echo House, particularly the basement scene. You’ve been really quiet and distant since that night.”

You bit at your lip, picking at your nails. You didn’t want to explain to Dylan how you were feeling and why you acted the way you did.

You sat in Jeff’s seat like always, watching Dylan and Shelley sitting on the couch in the basement of Eichen House. Boxes and papers were scattered around them. They were trying to find answers to the Nogitsune.

Dylan threw some papers away from him, letting out a large sigh. “There’s nothing here,” he mumbled. His hand came up to his mouth, looking deep in thought, your mind only thinking about how handsome he looked doing so. “Could you do me a favor? Could you just check the lines on my back? Just tell me if they’re fading.” Dylan began to pull the back of his shirt up, your breath hitching at the sight of his lean, muscular back.

His back muscles clenched as he pulled the shirt up, arms flexing from how he was holding the shirt. You could see the faintest bit of his stomach, toned from years of baseball and even from acting. He truly was a handsome man, no one could argue that.

“Yeah, they’re almost gone,” you faintly heard Shelley respond. “I’m guessing that’s bad.” Dylan let out a small noise in thought before turning back to Shelley. “Oh. Sorry. I told you I’m always cold.”

“That’s okay,” Dylan said quietly, adjusting his place on the couch. “Here.” He reached out, holding her hands in his, rubbing them like he was warming them up. “Boy, you really are,” he chuckled, Shelley following.

The more he rubbed her hands and Shelley looking at Dylan with affection, even if it’s for the part, made your gut churn with a bit of sadness. You knew it was just the scene, and the relationship Malia and Stiles were to have, but part of you didn’t like it.

Call it jealousy, you guessed.

Dylan looked at Shelley, their eyes locking for the briefest second before she leaned over, locking her lips with his. Dylan seemed to hesitate, but his mouth moved carefully against hers regardless. The feeling inside you churned more, bile rising to your throat.

“Was that your first kiss?” Dylan asked her, Shelley nodding. “Was it okay?” Again with the nodding. “You want to try it again?”

You almost wanted to scream for him to stop, for him not to kiss her. But you knew Jeff would kill you if you did. Hell, you weren’t even sure why you felt the need to stop them. You had watched Tyler kiss Crystal enough times and never felt the need to stop them. Why now?

Dylan leaned in, and your heart dropped into your stomach at the sight of Dylan’s head tilting to the side, his lips enveloping Shelley’s completely. Watching the way he kissed her made your heart break, tears forming in the corners of your eyes.

You were sure you were unfairly jealous, call it crazy all you want. This was just Dylan performing a scene for the show, much like the scene you helped him practice a couple weeks prior. Why were you feeling this way? Was it because you didn’t watch him kiss Holland that afternoon? Was it because you shipped Stiles with Lydia and now Malia? Were you jealous of Malia and Stiles’ current relationship? Or maybe just of Shelley and Dylan?

Did you want to be in her place right now? Part of you said you did. You wanted to be in Shelley’s place. You wanted to be Malia right now. You wanted to be the one kissing Dylan like that. You wanted to feel his lips on yours.

You head picked back up at the sound of Shelley’s voice. “I want to try something else.”

“Something else?” came Dylan’s brief response.

All feeling left your body, watching Shelley tug the loose top over her head and dropping it to the floor. They looked at each other longingly for a second before leaning back in, kissing once more. You slid from the chair, but remained in your place, watching the scene unfold. Dylan laid her back on the couch. Her head tilted for him to kiss down her neck. Their hands clasp together, fingers entwined together as they made out.

You turned on your heel quickly, grabbed your bag from the table. You didn’t register when Jeff yelled cut, Dylan sitting up and turning in your direction. All he saw was your back across the room. “Y/N?” he mumbled to himself, jumping up from the couch. “Hey, Y/N! Wait!” You didn’t turn back, pushing yourself out the doors, everyone hearing the loud thunk as they closed behind you. Dylan turned to Jeff, confusion on his face. “Is she alright?”

“I don’t know. I’ve never seen her like this,” Jeff told him. Dylan stared off in the direction you disappeared.

Why did you leave? Was it something I did? Or, did you not like me kissing Shelley? He asked himself, a million other thoughts consuming his thoughts. Jeff placed a hand on his shoulder, motioning towards the set so they could continue. Dylan just sighed and resumed is place, hoping to see you back soon.

You licked your lips, sighing. “I promise I’m fine, Dylan. I just… I felt sick that night. Must have been something I ate.”

Dylan set his food down, turning more to you. “Why are you lying?”

Your breathing stopped, fear consuming your being. “I-I,” you tried to say, fiddling with your fingers. Your turned to look at him, not realizing how close he was. Your noses brushed, his breath hitting your face. You were sure you could feel his lips move if he talked. “W-who said I was lying?”

His hands slowly moved up to cup your faces, thumbs stroking your cheeks softly. “I’ve known you long enough to know when you’re lying. You can tell me anything, Y/N.”

You thought about leaning forward, just to feel his soft lips on yours, Dylan thinking similar things. You were so close, it seemed as if nothing could stop you now.

Until a knock on the trailer door was heard, breaking you apart from each other. Posey waltzed in after you backed away from each other, Dylan calling out that the door was open. “Morning, Dyl! Oh, and Y/N! Fancy seeing you here. Getting Dyl ready for the day?”

“Y-yeah. I was just leaving though,” you said quickly, grabbing your things. “I’ll see you guys later.”

You took off before Dylan could stop you, the dark-haired male sighing at your exit. Tyler looked at him, patting his back. “One day, Dyldo. One day.”

Dylan stumbled into his trailer after a long day, fetching a beer for himself from his mini fridge. The sun had just set, and they were going to be preparing for the After After Show. Tonight, he would be playing a Void version of himself, having been “tainted” from playing Void Stiles. He was looking forward to the skits, finding them quite hilarious.

He heard Posey calling for him from outside, a sigh befalling his lips. He had barely made it back and it was time to go again. He placed the beer on the counter, grabbing the striped hoodie you brought earlier from his closet. Slipping it onto his shoulders and zipping it up completely, he made his way back outside, finding Posey standing with a few cameramen and, most importantly, you.

“Hey, Dyl!” You greeted him, giving him a quick hug. “Good job today. You were amazing, as always.”

Dylan laughed, hugging you close. “It’s only because you were here to give me encouragement. I needed my tiny girl here to support me!” He joked, squeezing you tight.

Tyler jumped into your hug, all three of you laughing. “I love you guys so much!” He hollered, kissing you and Dylan on the cheek. “But, we have a skit to perform. So, get to your places everyone!”

Dylan looked at Tyler in confusion as he walked away, getting ready for his part. He looked back down at you, cocking his head to the side. “What are you doing here anyway, Y/N? Normally you head home with Jeff after we are done for the day.”

You put your hands on your hips proudly, smiling widely at him. “You’re looking at the girl who is going to do this skit with you! The one that knocks on your trailer door. Jessie is sick, so I offered to fill in!”

Dylan blushed, looking away to keep you from seeing. “That’s great. This will be so much fun. Let’s um… let’s get into place.”

You grabbed his hand before he could run off, Dylan glancing back at you. “Dyl, you gotta relax. Remember, you are Void Dylan now. You can’t be the awkward turtle we know you are. It’s time to be the cocky, sexy man we know you want to be.”

“Cocky, sexy man?” he said, casting you a small smirk. You flushed a bright red, blowing a raspberry at the male. “I’ll have to remember that. Let me go put my cocky cap on, now.” Dylan gave you a simple wink, your legs going weak at the action. It seemed as if a switched was flipped inside him, turning Dylan into the cocky Void right away.

You sat down on the steps of someone’s trailer, watching them beginning to film the After After show segment. Tyler stood in front of the camera, a sullen look on his face as he talked about how “changed” Dylan since he had become Void. Dylan was off to the side, staring at Tyler, a smile engraved on his face until he had to do his own part. Tyler cleared his throat before beginning in his lines.

“Yeah, Dylan and I used to be, like, really good friends. And, ever since he’s become Void, he’s just been like… he’s just not the same.” His hand reached to his neck, scratching at it. “It’s almost like I don’t even know him anymore, ya know?”

Dylan’s smile dropped, instantly sending Tyler an annoyed and disappointed look. His arms crossed over his chest, his muscles flexing even through the baggy hoodie he was wearing. You bit at your lip, memorizing the look on his face since it was a look he never had. Something gnawed on the back of your mind, telling you that he looked incredibly sexy like this.

The camera panned to him, Tyler instantly becoming flustered. “I was just answering a question that they asked me about you. I wasn’t… They wanted to know. No I didn’t-“

Dylan rolled his eyes, beginning to walk away. “Amateur hour! Fucking amateur hour.”

Tyler’s mouth open and closed as he tried to talk, watching Dylan disappear between some trailers. He let out a large sigh, looking at the camera. “I hate you guys.”

“Cut!”

The second they screamed cut, you burst out laughing, sliding off the steps of the trailer to the asphalt. Tyler broke into laughter with you, Dylan coming back with a smile on his face. Dylan jogged over, extending a hand to help you up, which you eagerly accepted.

His arm looped around your waist, tugging you close. He leaned in, his hot breath hitting your face. “So, was that Void enough for you yet?” He asked, his voice slightly dark and husky. His tone was arousing, your body trembling in his arms, sending waves of desire throughout your body.

Your hands rested on his biceps, giving them a light squeeze. “You’re getting there. Definitely more Void than before we started,” you replied, trying to put on the most seductive act you could. His arms tightened around you, his eyes twinging with a dark glint.

“Oh, I don’t like you being cheeky. You know that. If you start being bad now, Y/N, I might need to punish you later,” he mumbled, his lips nearly on yours. Your mind jumped back to practicing for the Stydia kiss, remembering how soft his lips were against yours. You never had intended on kissing him when you offered to help him practice, but the spur of the moment decision was the best decision of your life. It was beyond amazing, never leaving your mind afterwards, and, for a split second now, you wanted to know what they felt like again.

You backed away, reaching into the purse that was slung over your shoulder and pulling out the sunglasses that you were wearing that morning. Slipping them on his face, leaving them resting on his nose, you smiled up at him. “There. Now you’re even cockier. I mean, who in their right mind wears sunglasses at night?”

Dylan smirked, smacking your ass playfully before he walked away. “Only Void, baby!”

Tyler called Dylan over, giving him an odd look at the sunglasses on his face. “Why are you wearing sunglasses, Dyl?”

Dylan laughed, pushing them further up on the bridge of his nose. “Because I’m fucking Void. Got a problem with that?” He told Tyler, a smile on his face.

“Nope. It works, bro. It works.”

They resumed filming, but you couldn’t sit and watch. The way Dylan was acting set your body aflame. There was something about seeing him cocky and acting like a dick that was intriguing. You leaned on a trailer, watching Tyler holding a water bottle, Dylan approaching him from the side.

“Hey bro-“

Dylan smacked the water bottle from his hand, Tyler gawking at him. “What’s up bitch!” He turned back to Tyler, walking backwards a few steps. “Oh, was that your water? That sucks. Haha!” Dylan was stumbling in the background as they filmed Tyler fake crying, his arms spread wide. “Who wants my fucking autograph!”

“I hate Void Stiles so much,” Tyler cried walking away.

However, your eyes remained with Dylan. He stumbled to the ground, sunglasses still on his perfect face. You shuffled on your feet, watching the cocky male acting out, even when not on camera.

“Fuck,” you mumbled, rubbing your legs together. Sure, you always thought Dylan was handsome and funny. He honestly was one of your best friends because he was such a genuine person. Hell, you would even go as far as saying you had a tiny crush on him, trying to keep it under wraps ever since you kissed him in the locker room set for fear of ruining the relationship you had. But this side of him was something else.

It was attractive. It was sexy. It was making you horny beyond belief.

Indecent thoughts filled your head, thinking about him holding you tightly against him, your sweaty skin sticking to his. You wanted to feel his mouth against yours, his tongue fighting with against yours. You wanted his hands to roam your body, touching every intimate part you had, something very few had done, but there was that inkling that he would do it better than anyone in the past. You could vividly imagine how it would feel to have his giant cock buried inside you, moaning like you heard when you tucked him in on set.

Because yes, you heard him alright. He’s not quiet by any means. And who wouldn’t feel the erection he was sporting that day. You had feared mentioning it, not wanting to make things awkward, so you kept it in the back of your mind.

You broke from your thoughts when two arms wrapped around you from behind, the persons face burying in your neck. You jumped at their touch, turning just enough so see the tinted lens of the sunglasses covering Dylan’s darkened hazel eyes. He grinned, placing a kiss to your neck.

“What up, baby? What’s your fucking name?” he joked, continuing with his Void act. He wasn’t sure where the surge of confidence came from, but his arms burned against your skin, your baggy sweater riding up from his hug. His body pressed against yours, his cock pulsing in his pants from the close proximity. He wasn’t sure if you felt the growing bulge, but at this second, he didn’t mind or care if you found out. His confidence was at 200% because of this segment.

Your hands rested on his, nuzzling your cheek with his playfully. “I dunno. I kind of like you calling me baby.” You turned in his arms, licking your lips slowly. “I don’t think I need another name, unless you’re screaming it later,” you joked, a blush spreading on his cheeks. A laugh escaped your lips, breaking from his arms. “I’m joking, Dyl.” Or am I? “Let’s go. We have some scenes to get ready for.”

Dylan internally groaned, following close behind you. He ran a hand through his hair, entering his trailer for the next part of the segment. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he adjusted himself in his khakis and pulled his phone from his pocket, waiting to hear the knock on the door.

The knock came moments later, Dylan placing the phone to his ear as if he were talking to someone. “Hang on, hang on. It’s this fucking bitch I work with,” he said loudly, opening the trailer door to see you staring up at him. He fought to keep himself from collapsing at the sight of you, or vomiting from his overwhelming anxiety and embarrassment from calling you a bitch.

“Sorry, we’re ready for you whenever you are,” you told him, shuffling from the pool forming between your legs. Dylan stared down at you, a confident look on his face, pulling the phone from his ear.

“Oh, you’re ready for me?” You mumbled a small “yeah” at his words, Dylan giving a smug look. “Oh, that’s funny. That’s very funny. I’m not exactly ready for you so, um, take it easy.” The phone came back to his ear, turning away from you. His eyes drifted to you still as he talked, but he was glad they were shielded by the sunglasses you put on him. “Yeah, I’m sorry, just one sec.”

The sunglasses were ripped from his face, sending you a dark look that caused your heart to jump inside you, the erratic beating heard in your ears. “Yeah, you see these? I could fucking kill you. Now, get out of my sight.”

“Okay, I’m sorry,” you mumbled, trying to keep your composure.

“You see these? Get out of my sight. Get out of my sight!”

You turned away, running a hand through your hair. Though it seemed like it was for the scene, it was more to break the gaze with Dylan you had, afraid you would launch yourself at him on the spot. “You held the radio wire to your mouth, mumbling into it. “It’s um. It’s gonna be another five to ten.”

Dylan cast you a look, you instantly telling him it’s alright. He placed the glasses on his face again, turning away to close the door. “Yeah, sorry about that. All right, what’s the offer? Well, if they don’t have a fucking offer, I don’t want it.”

The second the door clicked shut, you sighed in relief, attempting to relax. Your mind was reeling uncontrollably, your emotions and thoughts getting worse the longer you were near.

Dylan felt the same. He collapsed on his couch, taking a sip of the beer he left on his counter earlier. “Fuck, I can’t keep going on like this,” he mumbled to himself, ruffling his hair. “I either need to tell her and ruin what we have, fuck her and ruin what we have, or risk my dick exploding because all she does in turn me on. In all cases, I don’t win, because there is no way she will like me.”

If only he knew.

He walked out of his trailer, seeing you talking to the camera in the distance. On a whim, he decided to improvise. He walked closer, hearing you say, “He’s, um. He’s been a little on edge.”

“The hell you saying? The fuck you just say?”

Hearing his voice, you turned in the other direction, running off with a small curse. Dylan followed after you, out of the view of the camera. “Hey! Who’s on edge?”

“Nobody, nobody, nobody’s on edge!”

He trapped you against the trailer for a second, his face close to yours. His hands ran up and down your body, leaving it tingling. “Fuck,” he mumbled, the camera and microphone not picking it up. “Why are you so amazing?”

“Dylan,” you whispered unconsciously, your lips nearly on his. It felt, for just a second, like it was just you two. Like this was a cheesy romance movie and he would lean forward to kiss his princess. There was even a hint of lust in the air, you both ready to rip your clothes off and ride the night away in each other’s arms.

But it wasn’t as it seemed.

Dylan pulled away, scurrying around the trailer and fixing the sunglasses like always. “I’m not on fucking edge. I’m a fucking badass.”

You were at your final straw. You couldn’t keep going on like this. You sat on the ground against the trailer, sighing and asking yourself. “What do I do?”

You remained still for a while, finally deciding to find the others before they came to find you. You found them some ways away, Dylan stumbling to stand up, clutching Tyler by the shirt and… smelling him? He backed away, struggling to hold himself up on the railing of some stairs.

He began walking away, three simple words hitting your ears and solidifying every feeling you had that night. Three simple words told you that you needed to o something about this boy because he had officially driven you off the deep end. You needed him, and soon, even if it meant you couldn’t face him for a while.

“I FUCKING RULE!”

Dylan fell between some stairs, faking like he was throwing up and saying he was needing help. Tyler rushed to his side, a smile on your face as you knew what to do. You ran around the other trailers to see them.

“Oh my god. Okay, I found him. Come on, Dylan, we have to go.” You helped Tyler lift Dylan, the dead weight of the male more than you thought it would be. Must be all of that muscle you never see on him but know it’s there. You tried to convince him to “come to set to film this scene” but he wouldn’t listen.

Finally, you walked away, listening to the last bit of Tyler and Dylan’s skit.

“You changed man,” Tyler said, walking away. Is it wrong I like this side of him though? Was all you thought at Tyler’s words.

Dylan laid on the steps, breathing heavily. “I have to change wardrobe?” It went silent for a second, before you heard him continue, “The fuck you looking at? What the fuck you looking at?” A loud clang followed, ad you assumed he fell against the metal steps again before standing up.

“And, cut!”

The second you heard those words, you were off. You needed to get away, and out of sight before you tackled him in plain sight. So, you did the next best thing – slunk off to his trailer to wait for him to return. You mulled over the silent decision you made to approach him on this, unsure how you were actually going to talk to him.

What was the right action? Talk to him and confess the way you’ve been feeling for weeks? Tell him that you liked him since you kissed him out of thin air. Tell him you want more than friendship, even though you were his boss’ younger sister whom he was very protective of? Or, choose to say nothing. The second he walks through the door, attack him with your whole being. Show him a good time, and have him return it tenfold, assuming he was willing. Then, either act as if nothing happened tomorrow and move on or become awkward around each other.

You paced the length of his trailer, contemplating what to do, stopping only once to pilfer a beer from his fridge, popping the top off quickly. Taking a long swig of the bitter liquid, you ran a hand through your hair, letting out a frustrated groan. “Where is he? He should be here by now,” you grumbled, finally collapsing on the couch. “What do I even do when he gets here?”

The universe seemed to hear your cries, your ears picking up on the faint laughs of Dylan and Tyler as they walked back to Dylan’s trailer. “I’ll see you in a bit, Tpose!” Dylan called out, the handle of his trailer twisting under the weight of his hand, the door being pushed open slowly. He didn’t seem to notice you when he first entered, kicking off his black Nike shoes he was wearing that day. The sunglasses were still on his face, causing you to bite you lip slightly at the sexy look.

Dylan turned around after a second, spotting you settled into his couch, stopping in his tracks. He slowly took off the sunglasses on his face, his honey colored eyes wide. “U-um, Y/N? Hi. What are you doing here? You disappeared when we were done. I thought you left.”

You bit your lip, taking a sip of the beer and placing it on his table, standing slowly to strut over to him. Dylan took a step back for every step forward you took, his back finally finding a small dresser. The contents were knocked off the top as his hands attempted to find a way to keep him up, even his Mets hat falling to the ground. Your hands rested on his chest, your body acting on its own, wanting to embrace the Void Dylan you watched for the past two hours outside.

You guessed it decided on its own on the latter choice: act now, talk later.

Your finger traced small circles on his chest through his hoodie, looking up at him slowly, fluttering your lashes. “Well, Void, I have a problem,” you started slowly, Dylan licking his lips.

“Is it something I can help with?” He asked, trying to keep calm.

“Well, you see, I haven’t been the most pure person today. You see, I’ve been rather naughty to you, Dyl. I bothered you while you were on the phone because you had to come to set.”

Dylan shuffled against the dresser, sweating profusely in his hoodie. His khakis grew tighter from his growing cock, a low groan rolling off his tongue. “Well, what do you want me to do about it?”

You grinned, leaning up at him. “Don’t you remember, Dyl? You said if I was cheeky, you would have to punish me.” Your lips brushed against him softly, whispering against them. “So, I want you to punish me. Show me how Void you can be.”

Dylan’s eyes darkened with immediate arousal, pushing his lips against yours without a moment’s notice. Not that you minded, of course. His soft, sweet lips molded against yours perfectly, a spark running throughout your body multiple times. His arms wrapped around your waist, holding you taut against him, fast, hot kisses shared between you. The sound of your kisses filled the trailer, your bodies hot against each other.

His tongue darted out, licking at your lips as if asking for entrance. You smiled into his kiss, denying him the access he desired. The man in front of you didn’t seemed to take that well, as he broke away from you, glaring down at you.

“Come on, baby. Why would you want to deny this?” He said, his tone exuding confidence. His hands slowly trailed down your back, grinning largely. “Don’t you want my tongue playing with yours? Or, maybe you just want to feel my hands all over your body instead,” he stated, his hands firmly grasping your ass through your jeans.

A squeal left your lips, though it was drowned out quickly by Dylan’s lips enveloping yours in a dominating kiss. His tongue bypassed your quickly, pressing against yours in a playful manner. Your eyes drifted closed, hands clenching his hoodie tightly, his hands relentlessly massaging at your ass cheeks. Any noise you released was lost in his throat, your pussy beginning to ache for the same attention he was showing your mouth and ass.

Your fingers fiddled with the zipper on the hoodie, tugging it down slowly. Dylan pushed off the dresser, backing you up further into the trailer, tugging off your baggy sweater you were wearing, almost ripping the loose fabric in his haste. His lips found yours again in a messier kiss, pushing the hoodie off his shoulders and letting it pool on the floor behind him.

He broke away abruptly, his hands on your waist. He guided you to the center of the trailer, giving you a strict look. “Stay right there.”

You grinned at him, gripping the bottom of his shirt before he left. “I will do whatever you want on one condition.” His eyebrow raised, questioning you silently. “Put the sunglasses back on.”

He couldn’t keep from smiling, nodding. “Who do you think I am?” He asked, placing the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose as he collapsed on the couch, pulling the ripped gray shirt he wore on set over his head. He leaned back against the couch, one arm slung over the back, the over resting on his leg. His legs were spread apart widely, an obvious bulge in the crotch of his pants. “I’m fucking Void, baby. And Void wants you to strip for him.”

You bit your lip, shifting your weight between your feet. It had been a while since you had been with a guy, but being with the man you have been crushing on for weeks, if not longer without knowing it? Stripping for said man? He already rid you of your top, leaving you just in your bra and jeans, so what was the purpose of this? Your nerves were rattling inside you, but you fought them back, attempting to keep a calm demeanor.

“Whatever you want, baby,” you finally replied confidently. Your hips shifted as you ran your hands up and down your body, closing your eyes to focus on the task at hand. Your hands carefully ran through your hair, spin around to shake your ass at him. With your back to him, you unhooked your bra, letting it fall to the floor unforgotten.

Turning back to him, your heard Dylan grunt loudly. Curious as to why, your eyes cracked open, slowly absorbing the sight in front of you. In the time you were dancing for him and taking off your bra, he had unbuttoned his khakis, them and his boxers gathered at his knees. His hand was wrapped around his erect cock, jerking it gently between his digits. You could make out the red tip peeking out from his clenched hand, tidbits of precum seeping from the slit onto his stomach.

“Why’d you stop baby? Be a good girl and keep going,” he muttered, his voice deep and husky. You moaned, your hands fumbled, in a not so sexy manner, with the button your jeans. Wiggling your hips side to side, your jeans fell to the floor, kicked into the corner with the sandals on your feet. “Fuck, that’s right, baby. Show me what you got.”

You moaned quietly, your fingers brushing over your clothed heat. “Dyl, do you know how sexy you sound when you are like this?”

His hand moved faster, stroking his cock faster, loud grunts following his action. You assumed that was his response, knowing he knew full well what he was doing to you. You grinned, playing with the edges of your panties, rubbing your thighs together to relieve the pressure between them.

The chocolate-haired male glanced at you through half-lidded eyes, his hand never slowing around his cock. “Come on, baby. Panties. Off.”

You complied, letting the ruined, cotton fabric drop to the floor, leaving them abandoned and surely not missed. Your walked over to the hoodie he left on the floor, bending over to pick it up, intentionally giving Dylan a perfect view of your ass and pussy. He groaned louder than before, watching your juices leak from your core, your round ass amazing to him.

You looked at him over your shoulder, putting on your best sexy walk over to him and dropping the hoodie on his head. Dylan sighed noisily, letting go to pull the hoodie off his head. In the time he let go, you dropped to your knees between his, your fingers replacing his missing ones around his length.

The striped fabric was dropped onto the couch, Dylan staring down at you. “And what do you think you’re doing?” He asked, a cocky smile appearing on his face. All he got was a hum in response, your hand gently stroking his shaft. Your lips tenderly kissed at the tip, tongue swiping along the slit to taste his precum. His eyes remained focused on you slouching further into the couch. “Fuck, baby. You’re so good at this. But you should suck me if you’re gonna tease me.”

You hummed again, fully wrapping your lips around his tip. You heard him groan, his fingers tangling in your hair. He felt you smile around him, your tongue rubbing the tender spot on the head of his cock. His fingers curled tighter into your hair, nails scraping at your scalp, his body racking with spasms occasionally.

You began to bob your head quickly, your hand pumping what could fit in your mouth. Dylan’s hand in your hair partially guided your movements, his moans growing louder as he watched you. You traced along the prominent, pulsing vein on the underside of his shaft, your moan vibrating his cock.

“That’s right, baby,” he moaned, bucking his hips unconsciously against you. He missed the slight gagging sound you made at his action, his mind completely focused on the intense pleasure he was feeling. “You like sucking my cock, baby? You want me to cum for you?”

You nodded quickly, bobbing your head faster, burying your nose in the dark hairs at the base of his shaft. Dylan groaned at the deeper feeling, the hollowing of your cheeks tightening the feeling around him. The tip tapped at the back of your throat repeatedly, your moans released simultaneously. Dylan mumbled incoherently, his hips bucking forward again, his cock twitching against your cheeks.

Normally, you weren’t one to enjoy the taste of cum, opting out of the guy you were with at the time shooting his load into your mouth. But Dylan was different. Call it crazy, but you wanted nothing more than to feel his hot, slick cum sliding down your throat, warming your insides. And that was exactly what you got. A few deep bobs of the head and a few bucks of the hip and his eyes squeezed shut. Loads of cum spewed from his tip, straight down your throat, your insides burning with happiness at the salty sweet liquid waterfalling into your mouth.

You pulled away slowly, dribbles of cum dripping from your lips, your tongue swooping out to gather the lost bits quickly. Dylan looked down at you, his eyes shielded by the sunglasses, a wide smile on his face. “That felt really fucking good. But I think you can agree that we need more now.”

You stared up at him, biting at your lip, your mind wandering away. “Fuck you look good in my sunglasses. All I can think about is you bending me over and fucking me while just wearing those and your hoodie,” you stated bluntly, blushing when you realized you said that out loud. “Fuck. Shit. I mean…”

Dylan grasped your arms, helping you stand with him, lacing his lips on yours. The kiss was more passionate than the ones prior, your legs growing weak. He pulled away, lips brushing with yours as he talked. “Well, let’s make that a reality then. Bend over for me, baby.”

He spun you around, taking a second to kick off his pants and boxers, and sliding the striped hoodie back onto his body. He left it unzipped, wide open, sunglasses on his face. It would have been a perfect time to selfie with him if he wasn’t about to fuck you into oblivion. With a simple shove of the hand against your back, your hands pressed to the plush couch, your ass sticking out for Dylan.

He rubbed his hand against your ass, smacking it so a loud sound resonated throughout the trailer. A moan fell from your lips, Dylan chuckling at the noise. He slapped your other ass cheek, relishing in hearing the noises you let out. Your nails clawed at his couch, small shreds getting caught under them.

“You like that, baby?” He taunted, watching you nod your head. He grasped his cock, stroking it a few times to make sure he was hard before sliding it through your folds. “Well, you’re going to like this a lot more.”

His hips jolted forward, his length smoothly sliding inside you thanks to your copious amounts of juices that had leaked out. Moans fell from you both, Dylan locking his fingers on your waist, stilling himself inside you when he bottomed out. His shaft throbbed against your walls, every tiny pulse or twitch causing your walls to clench around him.

“Dyl, why are you so big?” you asked, referring to the length and girth of his cock. He was definitely larger than anyone you had ever been with. He filled you to the brim, your bodies combining in perfect harmony.

“I’m just that good, baby,” he mumbled, beginning to pull out slowly. You trembled at the rub against your sensitive walls, Dylan shoving himself back in with one shot when he was nearly freed. He repeated this process, his fingers digging into your sides.

“Faster, Dyl. Please, harder,” You whined at him, glancing back at his smile. Though his eyes were covered, you could see the shine they held, knowing he was enjoying this. His fingers dug into your waist, that pace of his hips bucking into yours quickening. The sound of slapping skin filled the small confines of the trailer, mixing with the growing volume of your moans.

Dylan grunted loudly, thrusting himself into you as fast as he could. He pulled your hips back to meet his thrusts, allowing the tip to tap your sweet spot continuously. Every time he touched it, your body shook, each one more violent than the last. Dylan felt you tremble under his fingers, your walls convulsing around him occasionally. You were tight to begin with, but every rough thrust he gave you, you grew tighter, hugging him close.

“Fucking hell, baby. You’re so tight. Are you close?” He mumbled lowly. You couldn’t muster an answer, a light scream of his name released instead. “Holy fuck, that was amazing. Do that again.” He pulled you against his more, his foot propping itself up on the couch to give him a different angle to thrust at. Your back arched, ass perking up against his pelvis, allowing him to pound away as much as he wanted at your bruised and battered pussy.

He smacked your ass a few times as he pounded into you, the sting resonating throughout your being, amplifying the pleasure that was already present. You couldn’t think straight, your body practically shutting down under the overwhelming feeling he was giving you. Your eyesight was beginning to spot, your body uncontrollably spasming, your pussy closing around him.

You barely registered it when it happened. You faintly heard Dylan groan behind you, his pace picking up slightly when you came around him. Your fluids splattered around him, walls tightening around him repeatedly. His cock became slick from your release, easily gliding in and out of your tight walls. You moaned his name loudly.

Dylan stilled suddenly inside you, taking the chance to push the sunglasses back up on his nose, the frames having started slipping off in his wild thrusting. His cock was pulsing ferociously, almost at that point that he was going to shoot ever drop of sperm inside you. But he wasn’t ready to cum again.

He needed more.

He pulled out of you as your relaxed, dropping himself onto the couch. You straightened yourself as best as you could, your legs weak from your orgasm. Your gaze landed on the talented actor you had feelings for, the hoodie spread wide open, giving a perfect view of his toned chest, a patch of hair adorning his flawless skin, though not hiding the mole above his right nipple. The one mole reminded you of the moles you had memorized along his cheeks throughout the fears, giving him a picture-perfect appearance. He had this strip of hair down his faint ab lines, leading to the giant cock that stood proudly, wet and glistening from your own juices.

He pat his lap, tugging you by the hand a moment later so you straddled him. He probed your entrance, biting at his lip to suppress his moans. You smiled, noticing his short action. You shifted atop him, using one hand to align him with you completely, sliding down until he was completely sheathed in your pussy.

You rolled your hips against his quickly, not needing to take time to adjust to his large size this time. The male under you just groaned, hips jerking up to meet yours. His hands held your waists, guiding you on top of him, his cock sliding into you as godly speeds.

He leaned back as far as he could, glancing down between your sweaty bodies to watch him disappear inside you, emerging coated in more and more juices. His eyes slowly trailed up your body, watching your naked breasts bounce with your thrusts, your nipples perky and ripe for sucking. He stared at your face for a second, noting your eyes clenched shut, bottom lip between your teeth, light moans slipping out between your pants.

He released your waist, taking your arms and wrapping them around his neck. Your nails instantly dug into his skin, raking long red scratched down his back in pleasure. Dylan took the chance to lean forward, lips wrapping around your nipple, carefully kissing at it hardened peak as they bounced. His hand flew to the other breast, massaging it between his skilled fingers and tweaking at the bud. Your eyes rolled back in delight, his tongue lapping at the perky bud, tugging at it with his teeth and lips.

“Shit, Dyl,” you mewled, releasing his shoulders to grip his face and pulling it from your chest. The sunglasses shifted awkwardly on his nose, giving you a view of his darkened eyes. “God, your eyes are still so beautiful. I like you way more than I ever thought I would,” you mumbled without thinking, leaning forward to crash your lips to his.

Dylan never thought, in a million years, he would hear you say that. He wasn’t sure if it was because of the moment, or if it was because your truly liked him, but at this moment, he didn’t care. The only thing he cared about was being with you right now, pleasing you. Then, when all is said and done, he would confess the crush he had on you for years.

His lips enveloped yours instantly, taking control of the kiss, pushing u into you. Your bodies pressed deeply into each other, never ceasing the movements between them. Arousal coursed through your veins, ending in your groins, the feelings swapping between his pulsing cock and your tight pussy. Your tongues tangled in harmony, neither of you wanting this to end.

Dylan’s lips didn’t leave yours, his hand dipping between your bodies to rub rough circles on your clit. His skin was smooth, but his touch was coarse, rubbing faster circles on the swollen nub, tracing the letters of his name. Your noises were lost between his lips, not that either of you cared.

A shiver ran down your spine, knowing you were nearing your end for the second time that night. You pulled from his lips, your breathing increasing, Dylan smiling up at you. He ripped the glasses from his nose, dropping them on the cushion beside him, allowing him to stare directly into your eyes instead of behind the tinted lenses. No words were shared, just Dylan’s arms wrapping around you and hugging your body close.

You orgasm rocked your body, traveling into his unknowingly. Your juices flowed freely around him, soaking into every pore along his shaft, causing him to pulsing excitedly. Your back arched you closer to him, toes curling into the nothingness of air. Your noses brushed against each other, pants hitting your faces from the other. Your eyes fluttered shut, relishing in the feeling of your orgasm and his tip twitching into your g-spot.

Dylan groaned, lifting you off him, leaving you on his lap. His fingers wrapped around his cock, fisting it twice before he, too, came somewhat violently. Strings of his hot, white cum sewed from the tip, landing in various spots on his stomach and chest. He moaned loudly, his body jerking with his release. He was sure, in his mere twenty-two years, he had never had a better orgasm.

His body calmed, yours leaning forward into his and resting your head on his shoulder. Your nose buried into his neck, inhaling the sweet scent of his cologne. You didn’t care if he had his release on his body and it was smearing on yours. You just wanted to be near him.

“Did you mean it?” he asked quietly. His hand reached up to pet your hair, your body relaxing into his light touch. “Did you mean it when you said you liked me?”

You jumped back, a dark red blush spreading across your face. “I-I said that?”

“You did,” he chuckled, one hand reaching up to rest on your cheek. His fingers skimmed across your skin, leaving it tingling. “I’m really hoping you meant it, because I like you too. So, so much. You have no idea.”

You blinked, locking eyes with the handsome man of your affection. “Really?”

He nodded, leaning up to peck your lips before he spoke. “I have for years. You’re always on my mind. But I’ve never had the balls to say anything because I was afraid you didn’t feel the same. I didn’t want to lose my best friend because I had feelings for her. Intense feelings. Like, so intense, I’m pretty sure it borderlines on love at this point. And I’m still worried that you’re too good for me and-“

You cut him off, pressing your lips to his in a soft kiss. His breathing slowed, relaxing into your action. When you pulled away, Dylan licked at his lips, seeing the faint smile on your lips. “You’re rambling, Dyl. You’re back to being the awkward turtle I know and love.”

“Really?”

“Of course,” you told him, wrapping your arms around his neck, playing with the hairs on his neck. “But I really liked Void Dyl, too. You can bring him out more often in bed. He could demand anything of me and I would willingly do it. Because, fuck, you are sexy when you are cocky and in control.”

“I think we can do that,” he laughed, stopping seconds later. “Wait, more often in bed? Like, doing this again?”

You bit your lip, nodding. “Well, I figured that you like me, and I like you. Why not like each other together?”

“Are,” he started, cocking his head cutely, “are you asking me out?”

“Maybe I am,” you replied cheekily, pressing your lips to his in another short kiss. “Only if you want, of course.”

“If I want? Do you know how long I’ve dreamed of calling you my girlfriend? Fuck, I would never have sex again if that meant we could be together.”

“Well, good thing you don’t have to,” you joked. “I kind of need your dick after tonight. You’re a little too good to not have every day.”

“Ugh, I love you already. Please marry me,” he said, half joking and half serious. You just smiled, hugging him close, nuzzling into his neck again. You both sat in silence, Dyl running his fingers up and down your back, your breathing in sync. This was a perfect moment and nothing could ruin it. It was just you, your boyfriend, and his cum coating your bodies.

Till a knock sounded from the door. You both pulled apart, Dylan’s eyes widening. “Fuck! Shit. I was supposed to meet Tyler at his trailer a half hour ago,” he said, moving you onto the couch and grabbing some tissues, cleaning himself quickly after he glanced at the time. “We were going out for drinks. Ugh, he’s going to kill me.”

He handed you some tissues, turning on his heel to run around gathering all your clothes. You watched his cute ass peeking out from the bottoms of his hoodie rush to gather all the loose articles of clothes, stripping the hoodie off to put on a fresh shirt from his closet. You cleaned the sticky mess on your skin, slowly getting dressed, ignoring the throb from your pussy.

You clipped your bra, adjusting the straps when Dylan rushed over, placing a quick kiss to your lips. “I love you, baby. I will call you later,” he said quickly, rushing towards the door. He stopped before he opened it, glancing at you. “Um…”

“It’s fine. I love you too, Dyl.”

He smiled, opening the trailer door. Posey was sitting on the steps opposite his, playing on his phone. “Ty, I’m so sorry,” he said, shutting the door behind him. “I uh… I lost track of time.”

“Because you were busy fucking someone?” Tyler joked, Dylan blushing. “I’m scarred for life, Dyl. I never knew a girl could scream so loud for you. Who was it anyway?”

“Um, it was um…” He paused, tugging at his collar as he grew warm. “Y/N.”

Tyler’s eyes widened, mouth falling open. “No fucking way. You finally got your dream girl?” Dylan nodded, Tyler jumping up to bro hug him. ‘Congrats dude! I’m so proud of you! Are you dating now or was it a one night stand?”

“Thanks, dude. We are dating, for your information. She asked me out, surprisingly. Not that I’m complaining. I’ve dreamed of this for years now.”

Tyler nodded, speaking up quietly. “How is Jeff going to handle this when he finds out?”

Dylan’s eyes widened at his words, groaning and covering his face. “Fuck. Ty,” he started, whispering the end, “I just fucked my boss’s sister. I’m so boned if he finds out.”

Tyler didn’t get a chance to respond, the sound of the trailer door shutting upon your departure. You slowly descended the stairs, glancing at the boys. “I will take care of Jeff tomorrow. Don’t worry boys.” You turned to Dylan, kissing him fully on the lips. “You should stop by later. So we can… talk some more about this relationship,” you whispered slyly, Tyler smirking at Dylan’s flushed face. You glanced at Tyler, smiling. “See you tomorrow, Tpose.”

You turned on your heel, sending them a wink as you began strutting away. Dylan watched you shake your ass as you walked away, groaning as his began straining in his pants again. “Dude,” Tyler began, leaning on him. “Are you going to let that get away right now? Also, damn, why is she so cool right now?”

Dylan didn’t reply, both boys hearing you call out jokingly. “Because I fucking rule!”

Dylan groaned, knowing you were saying that because of his Void act. “Fuck. That was hot,” he mumbled to himself. He pat Tyler’s hands on his shoulders, not looking away from you. “I’m gonna have to take a rain check. I have some… prior commitments.”

Tyler laughed, shoving the flustered man in the direction of his girlfriend. “Go get her, tiger.”

Dylan didn’t say anything, just cast him a thankful look before taking off after you. Tyler watched Dylan’s arms wrap around your waist, leaning down to kiss your cheek as you left together, fingers entwining together. He smiled, knowing his friends were finally happily together.

“I might hate Void Stiles, but I love Void Dylan,” he mumbled to himself, heading to his truck.

[japanessie]

SWANKY DANK Smokes Album Review 『レビュー』

I was absolutely prepared to dislike this album. Hey, that’s a mean and discouraging thing to say for a band I’m supposedly supporting. I watched the trailer and was, “Ehh!”. I guess it was one of those times when a trailer failed* to excite me because it didn’t show the highlights of the real work. 

*I remember saying to my friends how MFS The Puzzle trailer was like a reject song from the ALONE session. But the real song gave me goosebumps. Yup! Sometimes a trailer just fails to do it for me.

I haven’t been particularly enthusiastic over their move to a major label. My low expectation turned out to be a blessing because “Ooh la la!”. I said I was hoping to be surprised by these gentlemen and …. was I in for a BIG BIG SHOCK!

Yes, this is my long overdue review of this album. I owe this to these gentlemen to give my feedback (^^). Sorry for the delay.

Track 1 I Never Gonna Let You Go 

(Words & Music : YUICHI)

Thought my computer accidentally played OOR or something. You know how bands OOR and MFS like to include an “opening intro” at the start of every CD. I was utterly surprised.Despite their Pop leanings, SD never really used piano or keyboard as a big part of their music arrangement. This is a departure from their usual approach. The song starts and ends with gentle piano that complement KOJI’s melodic vocals perfectly. The rest of the song is high energy melodic Pop Punk these guys are known for. I hope to hear this song being performed with only a piano someday. Why not? Their producer DAICHI-san was after all, the brothers’ keyboard player when they were teen pop stars. Would be cool to see him onstage with the brothers again (^^)

Track 2 Colors 

(Words & Music : KOJI)

I reviewed this song at length here. It’s the lead track and it just punches you in the face. It’s speedy, it twists and turns in weird ways. It’s uplifting. It’s ear-grabbing and leaves you wondering afterwards, “What just happened there?”. Love hearing YUICHI sharing the lead vocals again. To me it’s the perfect track to pick as the introduction song to a new audience with a major label.

Track 3 Start Again 

(Words & Music : KOJI)

Probably the strongest song on this album. It’s a big stadium rock kind of song suitable for the current young crowd who are used to bands like OOR. This is true Stadium rock ..... and thankfully minus the unnecessary electronica effects. It showcases KOJI’s melodic vocals with the thundering drums sound as his backdrop. This song deserves to be performed in an arena. A small Livehouse won’t do it justice. My definite favourite from this album.

Go here for lyrics + translation (^^)

Track 4 捧ぐ歌 

(Words & Music : YUICHI)  

This one is Pop Punk but somehow has the feel of Doggy Bag gone all out rock LOL. For those who are new to them, that’s the Pop Idol version of the Matsuo brothers before they decided to ditch that world to do Rock music. Awesome guitar solo.

Track 5 Obedience 

(Words & Music : YUICHI)  

This is the BIGGEST SUPRISE of anything the SWANKY gentlemen had ever done. My jaw literally dropped .... no kidding .... as I listened to this the first time that day. This is legit THRASH METAL with a touch of sophistication done SWANKY style. I spent my tween years listening to a lot of thrash metal, thanks to my brother. So, my ears knew it well XD Ok, SWANKY being SWANKY. Yes, it’s thrash metal at the verses but then they suddenly leap over to punk and pop and back to thrash again. This one is the most exciting and mind-boggling of ALL the songs on this album. A clear winner to me. I wanted to be surprised and Obedience delivers that to me in abundance. It even makes me want to say, “Marry me YUI!”. Yes, I’m grateful to him THAT much for deciding to make this one XD

Track 6 Closer

(Words & Music : KOJI)

Decent song but it suffers the fate of being placed right after a bigger and way stronger song. Can fit comfortably in The Love Is Gone album.

Track 7 The Hot Love Season

(Words & Music : YUICHI)

Starts with reggae-like guitar. Finally YUI has turned his love for The Police and Sting into something XD. This song is also surprisingly multi-dimensional / multi-genre. Overall it’s very ... hmm ... The Jonas Brothers gone punk? It won’t be out of place at all if placed on the soundtrack of Disney’s Camp Rock movies. It tickles me when suddenly it goes into a break that is kind of a cross between Marty Friedman’s Thundermarch & Jerry C’s Canon in D. It’s like The Jonas Brothers suddenly inviting the boy next door who had been practising his guitar with YouTube for too long XD

Confession! 

This was the song in the trailer that made me prepare myself to absolutely hate this album. Ooh ... strong statement there. Yes, I disliked the chorus so much because it stirred up that cringe-y feeling I got from Bad Girl (eewww..) from the previous album. Good news is this song does NOT give me that cringe-y feeling. The more I listen to it, the more it feels like watching Disney’s Camp Rock (which I actually like) all over again. Disney should take notice of the Matsuo brothers to work on their soundtrack. Meanwhile, I just pretend that Bad Girl doesn't exist.

Track 8 Making My Way

(Words & Music : KOJI)

I was told that this is the reworked version of their old song My Story which is available on their 1st full-length album the self-titled SWANKY DANK. Confession, I failed to find the similarities.

Track 9 アイノコエ

(Words : YUICHI, Music : KOJI)

Stadium rock ballad. Kind of Bon Jovi’s Wanted Dead Or Alive combined with Motley Crue’s Home Sweet Home minus the piano. More of the latter I must say. Listen to Home Sweet Home and then this one especially the way the drums build up with the guitars towards the end. Then, you’ll understand what I mean. 

Funny thing is years ago, YUICHI indirectly rebelled while shooting the J-Drama  青い経験 / Aoi Keiken by repeatedly playing Bon Jovi and Motley Crue with his guitar when he was supposed to promote Doggy Bag. Ok, YUI, if you’re reading this, you’ll know what I mean. Congrats, you finally got what you wanted XD 

Track 10 Neverland

(Words & Music : YUICHI)

Pop punk rock. Cutesy. Suitable for end of concert in terms of sound but lyrics suit early part of concert. Favourite part is YUI’s digitally harmonized voice.

Track 11 Make A Noise

(Words & Music : YUICHI)

That shortie track which seems to have become a little tradition with SD nowadays. But I just feel this one doesn’t really have the energy and the punch-you-in-the-face effect of Promise from Magna Carta. As weird as I feel Promise is, I think it has a stronger impact for the “What the hell just happened there?” feel compared to this one.

Overall feel

With this album, the Matsuo Brothers took the star power back to them. With the last 3 releases, I felt that KO-TA was the star. He was such a dominant element on it is WHAT it is, One of A Kind and Magna Carta. With Smokes however, you can feel the brothers putting their vision out there with a vengeance. Like they are giving a clear signal that this is a Matsuo-brothers-fronted band. 

My Verdict:

Previously, if I were to recommend a SWANKY CD for a new fan, I would advise to go for the album Circles first and start the collection from there. But with the release of Smokes, I’m starting to think that this can be the one to take over Circles to be the “buy this one first” CD. That’s not an easy thing for me to say because Circles is special to me. It has my favourite SWANKY song ever DESTRUCTION and of course, the special turning point song Sink Like A Stone is on it BUT the reason I recommended Circles was to let new listeners hear the across-genres-songwriting ability that this band has. Smokes has that across-genres quality in HUGE abundance. Also, at this point in time, the SWANKY gentlemen seem to have steered their music more towards arena rock. So, new fans would probably be more familiar with this version of SWANKY. Get this CD then.

[ecotone99]

[MF] Gaining Ground

He put on his oven mitts when he heard the beep. The steel, commercial-sized oven could cook enough for 100 people, but he only needed to feed 40.

Opening the oven, he felt the heat blast his face as he looked down at the lasagna casserole. Steam rose from the wide tray of penne pasta, melted cheese, sizzling tomato sauce and hot sausage. It looked like it had burnt on the sides, but he didn’t care. These kids would eat anything.

After pulling out the tray and placing it on the counter, he took off his gloves and walked over to his bag. From inside it he pulled out a clear, unmarked bottle filled with a light pink powder.

The casserole would be an easy meal to make the powder disappear. He would just mix it in with the serving spoon and voilà. None of the players would need to know what they were eating. He had regretted making burgers during the first week he began feeding the team. He had to sprinkle each individual patty with the powder and make sure it was covered with the slice of cheese. That’s when he decided to start making meals that fit in large trays. He planned to continue through his rotation of shareable meals for the next few weeks, at least until after the league championship game.

“Chef Bill! Chef Bill! Chef Bill!”

Cody chanted along with his teammates, but not as loud as some of the hungry linemen, as the cook walked out of the kitchen holding a tray of steaming food. They had used to call him Mr. Hamlin when he taught chemistry, but ever since his accident in the lab, he was no longer allowed to teach classes. It was probably for the best.

Some students were surprised Principal Webber allowed him to stay on as cook, but the principal had assured everyone there was no risk, and that Bill was a good man who deserved another chance. Cody thought the principal did it because he felt bad for Bill. Even as a teacher, he always had a hint of sadness in his eyes. Cody had heard his wife left him a few years back, and once when he was biking home he saw Bill walking toward the trailer park where his mom told him not to wander.

“What’d you think of that new play?” Steve asked him.

“What’s that? Cody responded, distracted. “Oh yeah, the play. I think it’s smart. If the linemen make their blocks, I’ll have no one but the safety to beat. And I can juke him out.”

“Forget juking. Run over him,” Steve said, patting him on the shoulder. “Look how big you’ve gotten. You can run over anyone.”

After Bill put the tray down on the table, Cody went up with Steve and the other seniors to take his serving. Then the juniors went up, followed by the underclassmen. The older players scooped the better pieces of the casserole, leaving the burnt edges for their younger teammates, but that didn’t stop anyone from wolfing down their meals. The typically loud banter from the group was replaced by the sounds of forks and chewing mouths as they scarfed down the first food they had eaten in hours. Practice always made them hungry.

“All right everyone, listen up,” Coach Hunter said once he saw that most of the players had finished eating. “It’s no secret that the season didn’t start out the way we wanted. But you guys have shown serious improvement over the last few weeks, and if we win tomorrow we’ll be 4-4. We would still need to win our last three games to make the league championship, but like I always say: one week at a time. The games are not going to be won on the field. They are going to be won at practice and in the weight room. If you put in the extra effort when no one is watching, you’ll be able to celebrate with the whole school cheering from the bleachers. Get to sleep early tonight, and you’ll wake up stronger tomorrow. Team on three. One. Two. Three."

“TEAM” the players chanted in unison. Then they began to throw away their plates and file out of the cafeteria.

He opened the door to his mobile home, a rusted trailer not much bigger than a minivan with cinderblocks instead of wheels. The key always got stuck at first, and he had to jiggle the handle to get the door open.

Once inside, Bill glanced around to make sure everything was still in its place. On the right side of the trailer was his pull-out couch and a small television set. On the left side, the kitchen countertop was lined with beakers, test tubes and a plastic shelf filled with bags containing various minerals in powdered form. Ever since he lost his job as chemistry teacher, this cramped kitchen had become his lab.

Bill pulled the bags out of the shelf one by one to check how much of each mineral remained. He had only mastered the formula for the strength serum about a month earlier, but already he had depleted each of the necessary minerals significantly. He would need to make sure he had enough to last through the league championship game.

As he sifted through his materials and thought about his plan, he wondered if the kids had noticed themselves growing unnaturally stronger. They probably wouldn’t think anything of it. They were going through puberty anyway, and their egos would likely attribute the growth to their work in the weight room. If the kids didn’t notice it, he worried that the parents might, or even the coaches. The team had improved and won its last three games. But the regular season wins didn’t matter to Bill. The bet he placed had been on the league championship.

His bookie didn’t usually accept bets on high school sports, but he made an exception for this one. It couldn’t be on an individual game, only on the league champion at the end of the year. Irving High struggled last year and had gotten off to a slow start this year by the time Bill mastered the serum. When he went to ask about league championship odds after the fourth week, his bookie gave him 20-to-1 odds on Irving, even though there were only 10 teams in the league. He put all of the money he had been saving up — a full $5,000 — on the team. But he wasn’t betting on a bunch of high schoolers, he thought. He was betting on himself.

Bill pulled one of his microwave dinners out of the freezer and began to heat it up. If he could only win this bet, he thought, he would never have to eat this crap again. The payout would be big enough that he could rent a spacious apartment with a full kitchen, and he could stock up on fresh groceries. He thought back to the meals he used to cook for Linda, before she kicked him out of the house.

Suddenly, his attention was grabbed by a hard knock on the door that shook the entire trailer.

“Open up, Bill. I know you’re in there.” It was Dave, the owner of the trailer park.

“Be right there.” Bill shouted. He walked over to the door and opened it a crack, stopping it with his foot so Dave could see his face but not the entirety of his home. “What can I do you for, Dave?”

“You know why I’m here, Bill. You’re three days late on the rent. I ought to kick you out of this park. Freeloading off all of these fine people who pay their rent on time, that’s what you’re doing.”

“I know I know,” Bill gathered his thoughts. “Look, I don’t have it this month. But I’ve got some money coming in soon, and next month I’ll pay you double, plus interest. I might even have enough to leave this godforsaken trailer park.”

“That’s no way to talk about a park to it’s owner, especially one who’s letting you live rent free. If you don’t have the money to me by the first of next month, plus a 5% late fee, I’ll tow your piece of shit trailer out of the park myself. You consider this a warning.”

“Thanks, Dave. I’ll have the money. Don’t you worry.”

“FIVE! SIX! SEVEN! EIGHT! NINE! TEN!”

The chorus of teammates chanting together echoed off the weight room’s concrete ceiling as Cody completed his set on the squat machine. He slammed the bar back into place on the rack and then walked away from the machine, flexing his arms as his teammates cheered him. He had just done 10 reps of 405. Last week, he could only do six reps at that weight, and the week before, just two.

“Dude, you’re killing it,” Steve said to Cody as he rejoined his group of friends. “Since when can you squat that much?”

“Since this month, I guess.” Cody grabbed his legs to feel his quad muscles. They had grown larger and more firm in the last few weeks, he thought, just like his arms. “But I’m not the only one hitting a new max. Look at Frankie.”

The boys looked over as Frankie, a stout junior who played center, put another plate on each side of the squat rack. A crowd gathered around him.

“He’s about to squat 495. Holy shit.” Cody looked at Steve with his eyebrows raised as Frankie strutted around to the front of the squat rack. He bent his knees as he pulled his head under, placed his hands evenly on the bar, pushed it up with his shoulders and began to squat.

The mob of teammates around him cheered even louder as Frankie reached his sixth rep. Veins bulged out of the boy’s forehead as he forced up a seventh. Cody was surprised he made it that far and his jaw dropped as he saw Frankie going down for one more. The voices urging him on grew louder and louder, screaming his name as Frankie bent his knees to his lowest point.

“AAAHHH” Frankie shouted in pain as he collapsed onto the ground, the weights falling out of his hands and slamming onto the safety bars. His teammates’ cheering stopped suddenly as they crowded around him asking if he was all right. Frankie cursed as he held his knee. “Get the trainer! NOW!”

Three weeks later, Cody could barely fit into his clothing. His skin-tight compression shorts felt like they might rip as he pulled them on and began to get dressed for the big game.

“You’re looking huge, kid.” His coach patted on the back of his muscular shoulders. “How do you feel?”

“Fine. I mean, good. I’m ready to go.”

“You better be. This is the biggest game of your life, son.”

He was usually one of the first to start getting ready, but his teammates had arrived early today. They each sat in front of their lockers, headphones on and not talking to each other as they went through their early preparation for the game. All except Frankie. He sat on a bench in jeans and his varsity jacket, with his two crutches leaned up against the wall next to him. He hadn’t played since the accident.

As he looked around at his teammates, Cody wondered if they felt as anxious as he did. He always felt a little nervous before games, but this one felt different. It was the league championship game, and he felt like all the pressure was on him. His team’s winning streak had come from Cody running over people with a strength he never had before. He used to be a quick running back and would cut in between the tacklers, but now as he grew stronger and more aggressive, Cody ran straight through and over the defenders. As he thought about some of his harder hits, he felt not pride but fear. He didn’t feel like himself anymore. He didn’t know what his body was capable of doing.

Even if his teammates were as anxious as he was, he knew none of them would say a word about it. They would nod their heads to their own pump-up music, slap each other on the ass, shout each other’s names and describe just how hard they intended to hit the opposing players.

“You good, man?” Steve said as he sat down on the bench next to Cody.

“Yeah I’m good. It just feels weird. I never thought we’d make it this far.”

“It’s been a crazy run, and it’s all because of you, bro.” Steve patted him on the back. “You gonna run over some more losers today?”

“You know it.” The boys pounded knuckles as Steve walked away from Cody’s locker.

“You’re in for a good one today, folks,” the announcer’s voice boomed from the press box. “We’ve got defending champion Monroe High School looking to hold onto their crown against the comeback kids at Irving High. After an 0-4 start to the season, Irving has won a miraculous seven straight games, vaulting them into the league championship.”

The press box sat atop the metal bleachers, and next to the right side of the bleachers stood Bill Hamlin. Standing alone with his arms crossed and sunglasses on, he scanned the packed crowed of excited faces. He saw students and parents he recognized, and just as his focus reached the side gate, he saw the one person he hoped wouldn’t make it. His bookie.

The man in the leather jacket nodded at Bill and began to walk toward him. He wiped his sweaty hands on his jeans as the man approached.

“Tony, how you doing?” Bill said with fake friendliness in his voice as he reached out to shake his bookie’s hand. “I didn’t know you were coming to the game.”

“After that bet you placed, how could I miss it?” Tony said. “Say, how’d you know those Irving kids were gonna turn it around?”

Bill looked around, scared that someone might overhear their conversation. But a steady roar came from the crowd of talking fans, and Tony had gotten close enough that he could practically whisper. “No reason. Just a hunch.”

“A hunch, right. Well look, I’ve got proposition for you,” Tony lowered his voice. "I’ll let you hedge your bet. Put some money down on Monroe. That way no matter who wins, you win something. And you’re not at risk of losing everything.”

He considered the offer. If he hedged his bet, then either way he could win enough to pay the rent he owed. But if he won the whole thing, as he had planned from the beginning, he could start over. He could move into a nice apartment where he could invite people over and cook for them. He would just need Irving to win. Looking over at the field, he saw the team lined up to stretch. Their muscles bulged out of their jerseys as they reached down to touch their toes. They were stronger than the other team. He knew it. He had made it so.

“No thanks, Tony. I’m all in on Irving.”

“That’s a timeout by Irving High. We’ve got a close one here folks. It’s 24-20, Monroe on top, 20 seconds left in the game. Irving has the ball at their own 35 yard line. They need a touchdown or it’s all over.”

Cody could hear the announcer as he jogged toward the sideline where the team huddled around the coach. He tried to slow his breathing, but it had been a long game, and he was exhausted. Someone tossed him a water bottle and he squirted it into his mouth as he tried to hear what his coach was saying. The noise from the crowd made it difficult.

“Can you here me Cody?”

“Yes. Yes Coach.”

“I said we’re calling your play! 28 Toss Crack. Take it to the outside, the blockers will clear the way, and you’ll only have one man between you and the end zone. You got it?”

“I got it, coach.”

The whistle blew and they ran back onto the field, lining up in formation. Cody stood behind the quarterback with his hands on his bent knees. He snuck a quick peek over to the right side of the field to see where the defenders lined up.

“Red 28! Red 28! Set! Hike!”

The quarterback received the snap and tossed it backward to Cody, who sprinted to his right. His blockers pulled out in front of him as he looked to turn up field. The linemen made their blocks with ease, sending the defenders falling backwards as Cody burst through the gap. When he emerged, he saw only the safety between him and the end zone.

He barreled toward the safety and saw his eyes widen as he approached. Cody thought about trying to run him over but decided against it. This was his play. He was going to do it his way. He took a firm step to the right and saw the safety plant his foot, then he shifted all of his weight in the opposite direction and exploded to the left. The safety fell backwards as he tried to recover and Cody danced into the end zone, untouched.

The crowd erupted as Cody turned around, threw the ball into the air, let out his loudest scream and raised his arms to embrace his jumping teammates.

Next to the bleachers, Bill Hamlin pumped his fists and shouted: “YES! We did it!”

Tony, without saying a word, handed Bill a thick envelope and walked away. Bill slipped it into his jacket and turned to exit the stadium.

As walked to his car, he felt euphoria. He couldn’t believe how easy it been. He could now escape from the trailer park and rent a fancy apartment. But then a thought occurred to him: what if he could buy one? What if this scheme could work on another level with even higher stakes, where he could win even more money? He pulled out his phone and began to type into the search engine: “college football team cook jobs.”

submitted by /u/CranesandTrainsNE [link] [comments] via Blogger https://ift.tt/2VfaLSZ

[joneswilliam72]

"I believe in having no regrets in life..." - Meet Stormi Maya and David Vaughn of the satirical sex robots tale 2050

Technology is a double-edged sword. It was designed to improve humanity's lot by making our lives easier, and in many ways it has – just look at advances in medical technology or even your smart phone, how many devices did it replace all in one mini computer in your pocket?

Yet, technology also has enabled the worst drives of humanity. Tragedies like the Holocaust and devices like the Atomic Bomb are unequivocal proof of that. Still with certain other types of technology, we are not yet sure of the scope of the impact on humanity as a whole. For instance, we simply do not know enough yet – scientifically speaking – to say how damaging social media really can be or whether too much screen time will always turn people into head cases. We’re getting closer to understanding, but the science is anything but settled.

Still, the questions entailed in looking at this issue are also quintessentially existential. Director Princeton Holt's thoughtful, romantic, sci-fi, satire 2050 tackles these issues from that very human direction. In it, Dean Cain plays Maxwell, a purveyor of perfectly obedient and submissive sex robots who gets his claws into struggling family man Michael Greene (played by 2050 producer and co-writer David Vaughn).

Michael was seduced by Maxwell's sex robot parlor precisely because of what is being offered: perfect obedience without him having to put forth any effort of his own. All of the upside, seemingly none of the down. But is a relationship with one of Maxwell's robots – specifically Quin, played by creative force of nature, artist, musician, emcee, model, actress, producer, writer, and director Stormi Maya (She's Gotta Have It Season 2) – enough to displace anything human? What does that question and its implications have to say about the human condition and our growing technological dependencies?

2050 probes all these questions in a smart, thought-provoking, and elegant way – while not mincing on the satirical side of its essence as a film. Check out the film's website here for release information as it makes its way on the theater circuit this spring. Also, enjoy the separate interviews below with Stormi Maya and David Vaughn.

David Vaughn as Michael Greene in this still from 2050.

Stormi Maya as Quin in this still from 2050.

Stormi Maya

Hello Stormi and welcome to The 405! To start things off, what initially attracted you to 2050?

When I saw the casting the concept instantly intrigued me. To play a robot was something I'd never thought I play and it was a challenge that excited me. I am always attracted to super unique and creative things.

You did it very well, 2050 was intriguing to watch in no small part because of your contribution. What was it like getting into the head space of Quin?

It was crazy to play Quin because in acting you're supposed to have emotion and be relatable. Quin is not human so I had to have no emotions and act extremely non-human.

That's interesting and actually gets into a related question I had: what were the other challenges like?

It was interesting to go into a state of no emotion and to act like I didn't understand certain human problems and emotions. It was fun though.

That's fantastic. Any funny or memorable moments that stick out from the process of filming?

The sex scenes were very new to everyone – it was the director's first one and for myself and the other actor, so it was a little awkward and new, but everyone was extremely professional and respectful. Also our lunches and breaks were amazing: it was full of laughter, jokes and great stories. We really bonded.

Interesting. Those scenes do arguably form a lot of the core of what 2050's story is, with its tremendous social commentary on technology, dependence, and relationships. What do you hope audiences will take away with them from the film?

The film is a satire of how we are so dependent on technology that we are losing human connections and I hope people grasp that.

Me too. The message is very timely with all the new findings science has on the effects of technologies like social media on humanity.

Stormi Maya. Pic courtesy of Stormi Maya.

Switching gears a bit, to a question I put to most everybody: what films, directors, actors and/or performances have shaped you as an artist?

I love Pam Grier because she’s a strong black woman who embraces her sexuality and sexual power… I am inspired by Eartha Kitt – she was extremely intelligent, knowing multiple languages and holding many talents. I also admire her energy, she was sassy, strong and someone you could not push over.

Pam Grier and Eartha Kitt are fantastic. I loved Grier especially in Tarantino’s Jackie Brown and, of course, her earlier work like Foxy Brown. She has a presence about her, an x factor, which you also have Stormi. You are insanely multi-talented: model, actress, writer, director, musician, a theatre background. Any advice for people out there? How do you balance all those things so well?

I believe in having no regrets in life, I want to do everything my heart desires and everyone should try doing that in life at least once before dying. The key to balancing many things is to do them stress free, have moments where you focus all your energy on one skill and build on it; also, truly love and enjoy what you do and it will not feel like work . My talents and skills over all are all related – it's art. That's why it's easy for me to transition back and forth. If your various careers are related or similar you can easily work on them simultaneously.

I have great respect for people with the boldness and ability to do that. Speaking of art, what artists and works of any discipline or media have really influenced you?

Spike Lee is a huge influence – his talent, dedication and drive. I was blessed to work with him on SGHI2. I'm also a huge fan of Frida Kahlo; I love her feminism, her rebellious spirit and her rawness.

Spike is great – so is Frida, I'm a big fan of the symbolism and surrealism of her work.

Stormi Maya. Pic courtesy of Stormi Maya.

It saddens me BlacKkKlansman didn't get Best Picture when it clearly deserved it. Not just because of its message either – it was great entertainment, a compellingly-told good versus evil story with Sgt. Stallworth versus the Klan, I thought. Those are things that to me define a truly great film – it has to be entertaining and suck you in.

Which naturally leads to our next question, what makes a great film?

Rawness. The art being valued over the commercial. I like films that make me feel like I'm truly there. Draw me in.

Me too. If I can't suspend my disbelief and forget I'm watching a movie, I'm done. Might as well turn it off. With 2050 I had no trouble getting lost in the film because the story, acting, and satirical value were all strong.

Our last question Stormi, what's next for you? Will we be seeing more directing and writing from you? Cattle: The Cult was interesting to say the least, but it felt like it's an idea that needs more exploring in perhaps a feature film.

I am a rapper /emcee so I’m focusing a lot on my music now and going on tour soon, performing all over the world. She's Gotta Have It season two is coming in the summer and you'll see me on the Netflix screen as Yennifer Clemente. I'm always filming and you'll definitely see more movies of mine soon.

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Stormi's socials can all be found at the links here: Instagram, Twitter, music YouTube channel, other YouTube channel, Facebook. Head over to her website here to see the full version of her short film Cattle: The Cult after checking out the trailer below along with the music video to her song "STFU" in her Instagram post embedded below.

CATTLE: THE CULT (2018) trailer.

View this post on Instagram

Yo ! Storm Chasers ! ⚡️⚡️⚡️⚡️☔️Link In Bio My New Single “STFU” available on all platforms @itunes @spotify @tidal @applemusic @youtube etc • Producer @donaldrcole • • Directed/Film/Edited @donaldrcole Sound Engineer @lexwiththerecords • Cover Art @calebartxero • • #music #stormimaya #stormi #afro #black #musicvideo #musicproducer #musicians #rap #rapper #rappers #rapping #femalerapper #femalemc #female #dj #hiphop #hiphopmusic #hiphopblog #hiphopculture #hiphopartist #beats #itunes #spotify #artist #actress

A post shared by ⚡️tormi MF Maya (@stormimaya) on Apr 2, 2019 at 11:06pm PDT

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Still from 2050.

David Vaughn

Hello David and welcome to The 405! To start things off, what attracted you to 2050 and initially inspired you on the project? I know you are one of the credited writers and a producer in addition to lead actor.

What initially sparked this project was simply a need to produce a genre movie that was marketable. The idea itself came from an article that Princeton [Holt] read and subsequently sent to Brian [Ackley] and myself. It made the claim that by the year 2050 humans and robots would be in fully functioning romantic relationships.

Interesting.

All we had to do then was imagine what that world would look like. While it was a collaborative effort in creating the story, Brian did a fantastic job of actually writing the script. For me the biggest attraction to 2050 was the opportunity to not only be a lead on the project but to also produce at the same time. My inspiration came from my love of the genre, and Princeton's continuous enthusiasm for pushing creative limits on a budget. I wouldn't have been able to do what I did without his constant reminder that we are in this to create and not to settle.

Love that ethos, "low budget high concept." What was your individual and the collective creative process like as the film was being written?

It was a very collaborative effort. We would brainstorm about the story, characters, relationships, etc then Brian would put it into writing. After he had a draft ready, we would all read it, and start the process over again until we had a story that we all agreed was ready to produce. It wasn't easy. The three of us have very different tastes and styles, so I believe that what we ended up with is the most universal version that we could have made.

Awesome when those things click. What were the other challenges like?

Like all indie movies, we had many challenges to overcome. There were time constraints, budgetary deficits, locations falling through at the last minute, talent pulling out at the last minute – if it could go wrong it did. Murphy's Law was in full effect.

That sucks David. But yeah these things do tend to happen with film generally.

On the other hand we had amazing friends and support staff who worked their asses off to make sure that we would always land on our feet. Princeton and I would always be up until 2 or 3 AM after shooting trying to lock down locations for the following day, or finding an actor, or reworking a scene, or going over dailies. It was like being in a pressure cooker and trying to stay in character at the same time.

I love hearing about that kind of perseverance. What was it like getting in that head space of Michael Greene?

Becoming Michael Greene was easy. He and I are very similar. The challenge was staying in that head space and producing at the same time. There were a lot of days when I was literally running back and forth between takes because we didn't have an art department or costume department, or a script supervisor, so I was wearing a lot of hats at the same time.

Wow, yeah, I bet. Not too often I get to talk to someone wearing as many hats as you did.

Still from 2050.

Any funny or memorable moments which stick out from behind the scenes during filming?

There are, but you'll have to wait and hear them on the director's cut with commentary. I give all the secrets away!

[Laughs] fair enough. What do you hope people will take from 2050?

It was – I thought – very funny with some pointed observations about relationships but sad at the same time as we see the effects of the robots. The other thing that really stuck out for me was the music, too.

The music was perfect. It really accented the existential nature of the story while juxtaposing it with the artificial nature of 2050's technology.

Classical seemed to perfectly punctuate it and also serve as a nice juxtaposition with the action happening on screen. At any rate, quite a few existential questions were posed and answered eloquently. Well, the eMates didn't affect everyone negatively. That's the takeaway. I want people to see that happiness is different for everyone. The process to find what that happiness looks like can be painful, but it's necessary. To me the eMates are a metaphor for whatever it is that brings you happiness. I hope people's minds are opened a little, and they see that just because they believe something is right, it doesn't mean it's right for everyone.

GREAT takeaway. Switching gears to a question I ask everybody: what films, directors, actors, and/or particular performances have shaped and molded you as an artist?

Stanley Kubrick, David Lynch, Wes Anderson, P.T. Anderson, Lars von Trier, the Coen brothers, Tony Kaye, Darren Aronofsky, Martin Scorsese, to name a few directors. De Niro in Taxi Driver, Hoffman in The Graduate and Midnight Cowboy, Nicholson in The Shining, Hopkins in everything he's ever done… the actor list could go on forever. As for films that have influenced me, there's a litany of them.

Yeah, it's a big question by nature. What makes a great film?

A story that moves people, filmed in a way that keeps them interested, by a team that cares about making the best possible work.

I like that. Great, succinct, to the point.

Dean Cain as Maxwell in this still from 2050.

Our last question, will we be seeing more from you as a director and writer? What’s next for you?

Absolutely you will be seeing more of me as a writer/director. Currently I'm working on a movie franchise. I've written the first screenplay and have the next four in development.

Follow David Vaughn on Twitter here.

2050 (2018) trailer.

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