#and then Gaten shows up and all I can think about

[steveharrington]

major hornets nest moment here but i must speak my truth. its so fascinating to me how will byers was clearly written with the driving motivation and intention of making him a beloved fan favorite character and instead he falls so flat that, if you asked the average casual viewer of the show who doesn't engage in the fandom like, say, your coworker, the odds of him even being in their top five of favorite characters is pretty low.

will's disappearance kicks off the plot, singlehandedly. the first episode is literally called the vanishing of will byers. his name is shouted so much in the first season that most people would recognize the reference if you used the right cadence and desperation that winona ryder does. after not being featured much in season one, you'd think season two would've just like launched will/noah schnapp into stardom with how much more screentime he's given and how dramatic his plot is that season. but instead the fan favorites of season 2 were by and large el, hopper, dustin, steve, max, even bob who's barely there. that's not to say that there AREN'T will fans out there (and online i understand there are like entire armies dedicated to him/byler, but i'm talking about the average opinion of viewers as a whole, not just in fandom spaces) but think about all the stranger things merch you see in stores, the halloween costumes, the characters that appear in promotional materials when the show has partnerships with brands....will is so rarely featured. idk if any of yall ever got the chance to visit the stranger things pop up shop in any of its various locations, but there was such little mention of will in the stores theming or merchandise that it was almost funny. actually it WAS funny, to me, someone who does not care for him

i think the flop can be attributed to many things. one, noah schnapp is just not a very good actor and he doesn't have the same appeal in his performances that millie, sadie, caleb, gaten, priah, or finn do (although finn i've noticed is also kinda falling out of favor from majority audiences). one could argue that noah schnapp intentionally isn't given much to do, which is true and i'll circle back to that, but the decline in his acting between seasons 2 and 3 is truly a sight to behold. when he's not like tied up and screaming, he reallllllly struggles on the smaller scale performances compared to the other cast members his age. he doesn't really have the charm that gaten does or the humor that priah does or the depth that caleb does. (i don’t feel bad about saying this, btw, given noah schnapp’s behavior)

back to the vanishing of will byer's screen time. my beloved prettymuchit's eric striffler commented on how diminished will and mike's roles in the story have become in s4. "noah schnapp is below the grips on the call sheet" is my fav line, but he also makes an observation on finn's role that i think is soooo accurate. when mike and will are kneeling down next to the pizza dough freezer and watching el just kinda twitch while she fights vecna in her mind, eric and his co-host miles say "this is so embarrassing! finn's like, 'oh so gaten's fighting the monster? and i'm kneeling next to a tub at a pizza place? i used to be this show" and i think the same exact sentiment can be superimposed onto will

but i think this happened naturally, as the nature of the show is to shift its focus from character to character. not to mention the duffer brothers' obsession with tweaking their story to give audiences what they want. i've always held the belief that there isn't one main character of stranger things, rather a rotating circle of characters depending on the season you're watching. season one is mike, season two is hopper, season three is el, season four is max imo. again that's a little subjective and arguments could be made to swap those a little, but overall i think those characters stories and point of views take center stage during each of their respective seasons. by season 3, the duffers wanted to kick things up to a larger scale. the UD is no longer targeting just will, it's targeting the entire town. this works because a THIRD season in a row where this one kid specifically gets possessed would just be bonkers, so they kinda had to let him take a backseat. i'm not sure why they didn't let will be more involved in the mystery-solving portion of season 3....to this day that decision baffles me, but what's done is done and the will that everyone watched in season 3 literally just kinda follows everyone around and gets a small little slice of a plotline about wanting things to go back to normal, but alas

it like totally worked, though. though there are MANY complaints commonly made about season 3, i've never heard anyone offline complain that there wasn't enough will byers. i think the group in s3 that had the most success like, commercially, would be scoops troop and then a bit farther back i think most audiences enjoyed hopper/joyce/murray's dynamic. i think if there had been a huge outcry in the minimizing of will's role, the duffers would've backpedaled immediately. they aim to please. they can't even commit to killing of a main character out of fear that audiences will lose interest if we permanently lose hopper or max, so they just do some creative writing that allows them to milk the emotional consequence of those characters deaths without actually writing them off. if audiences on a large scale demanded that will be center stage, he would be. but they dont!

final point: i think will gets fucked over by the duffers obsession with romance. in season one, two of will's strongest dynamics are with his mom and brother. which like, yeah. theyre his immediately family and he is 12. but in seasons 2 and 3, jonathan spent all his screen time with nancy and from 2-4, joyce has spent all her screen time either with hopper or in the pursuit of finding hopper. these characters are written together as a package deal, typically. it was refreshing and unexpected to see jonathan get a whole season with a friend of his very own and his siblings, but they barely took advantage of that. jonathan and will get ummmm one (1) scene to talk about their emotions in a fucking 20 hour season. it's hard for will to be a main character when he rarely gets to interact with the people that make up the other half of his main dynamics.

as for byler, im of the belief that it will not be endgame because i just don't think they're going to break up mike and el at this point. i could be completely wrong and stand corrected, but im like 90% sure lol. i do think that will's s4 storyline resonated with a lot of people. even eric striffler! i think the issue is that the vastttt majority of people who watch this show above the age of like 15 do not feel invested about the romantic relationships between any of the kids. because why would they!!! theyre literally in middle school for 3/4 of the show. you would be hard pressed to find a vocal will stan online who doesn't also dedicate 90% of their engagement with the show to byler. which makes sense, because most if not all of will's scenes revolve around mike to some degree. but according to neilsen, the majority of stranger things audience is consistently in the 18-49 age range season by season. its more likely for adult audiences to identify with adults (or characters who are narratively treated like adults, like steve and nancy) than with any of the kids. esp when the kid in question, despite being written as the focal point of the show, has less relevant plotlines, less interaction with other characters, and an actor who just doesn't deliver on charm the way his fellow younger costars do

[willbyersenthusiast]

SO I HAVE SEEN THE INFAMOUS NEW VIDEO AND HOLY SHIT

okay so my theories on it, they’re still slightly in the works i might come back and alter them but istg ive listened to the video like 10 times.

so the first recording. i firmly believe that the first part is all johnathan. BUT. that’s scream at the end of that recording? i know that voice anywhere.

that is noah. that’s my will.

you can try and try and try and change my mind that that scream?? that’s 100000% will.

now recording 2 for me is still in the works. i think it’s mostly hopper (david). now right before the last scream in the end, there’s someone else that shouts “RUN!” or something. i think that could be will but like i said im still reviewing. the last scream of “RUNNN!” again, however, that is david. the difference in pitch of the first and second one is way to stark for the second one to be noah.

people are saying parts of it are gaten, or are joseph quinn and saying eddie is gonna come back and look. idk if there’s any st5 eddie truthers that follow me but dude. im sorry. eddie isn’t coming back. i have another theory on characters like him that ill post about in a second to show my reasoning on why he’s not coming back, but that’s not the point.

like i said im still on the fence about the second clip but i think the grouping that we’re looking at here is: johnathan, hopper, will. potentially: dustin? murray? steve??? i really don’t know. i’ll probably end up analyzing further 💀

[professorsta]

Bruh I can’t watch the new Gaten Matarazzo movie I keep pausing it because he’s Just. So. Beautiful. He speaks and I scream he laughs and I cry why oh why he’s my biggest male celebrity crush and I hate him for it because I thought I was straight

[be-the-glenn-to-my-maggie]

Avatar: The Last Airbender Live Action Thoughts!

-First of all, ya'll need to leave those child actors alone, they are babies and they didn't write the show, nor was it their idea to do it. I have seen way too many people body shaming children; leave them alone they all did well!

-I think Gordon makes Aang just as cute and small and powerful as I always saw him as!! He manages to joke around and be fun even when the storyline is a lot darker and more serious.

-I really wish Sokka was able to be more of his goofy and silly self. I understand why he isn't, and his humor is more sarcasm and dark jokes, but I saw glimpses of him in there! His excitement when he was with the Mechanist, engineering and getting to do something other than be in charge. Also when he has any older brother convo with Katara or Aang. I'm hopeful with time he'll be able to loosen up!

-(Speaking of the Mechanist, my boy Danny Pudi was SO GOOD, I love him, him and his little son).

-I wish Aang would practice waterbending with Katara :( those scenes of them practicing together were always some of my favorites in the series. Just beautiful kataang moments. I'm glad they addressed it but I missed those moments.

-I don't understand how you guys can't be having fun watching this, I get so excited waiting for little moments of lore, or when Jet and Katara were fighting in the forest I was sitting in front of the TV like "WHERE'S SMELLERBEE AND LONGSHOT. OH MY GOD NO IT'S PIPSQUEAK!" It's just so much fun! The colors are beautiful, the effects are gorgeous, and the plot and characters are entertaining. Think about the piece as it's own thing and enjoy it!

-Adaptations are just that; adaptations, and things will be changed! I think so far I haven't minded their changes, I understand why they've been made. There are things to criticize, but I think this is pretty well done.

-Zuko is fantastic; I think all the child actors are fairly good but Dallas' pissy attitude and the faces he makes are so so fun! I feel for Zuko and I'm scared of him when he shows up, and he's just as annoying and bratty as ponytail Zuko should be. His physical motions are fantastic!

-TEO WAS SO LITTLE?? Oh my god, like as a kid I thought the cartoon version of him was kinda hot so when they wheeled that tiny baby in I was HORRIFIED.

-Idk why YOU ALL weren't scared of Lizzy Yu's Azula, but her little smile in her intro scene gave me a lil chill. Maybe it's because I was away when the show first came out so I saw post after post about how bad she was, but I just.... Thought she'd be worse?? She did really well! Ya'll better be careful though or Gaten Matarazzo will come for you, that's his girl.

-So far the mushing of plots has made sense to me. Yes, I miss the silly filler episodes and the traveling the Gaang did, but it allows us to sit in a scene longer, and to colorize the world better, when we're in one place and one plot for longer. I think that's important for this type of medium and this amount of episodes. They might be able to justify more next season if this show does well enough.

-I am OBSESSED with Zuko and the 41st division oh my god, what a fantastic and well thought out addition. The reveal, and they're bowing for him when he comes back was DEVASTATING.

-They we're GIVING us Sokka and Katara best sibling moments, I loved all of them. They are so cute, they just mean so much to me.

-I don't feel Appa or Momo as characters like I did in the cartoon. I'm hoping this can change, because rn they surprise me every time they get on screen. I'm like "WHAT- oh it's Momo, he's here." How are we going to feel Appa's loss as much as we did in the cartoon if they continue to like barely be in it.

-Ken Leung SLAYED as Admiral Zhao, I watched him go literally insane as the episodes went on.

-Aang's imposter syndrome and feeling of failure being focused on I will always enjoy, even if I hope he can be silly next season too. His entire character arc this season just made me want to cry.

-Bro the coloring during the the Siege of the North was A M A Z I N G. The way the color faded in and out with fireballs and the monster koi passing nearby, just so pretty. It looked awesome.

-Making Yue a waterbender? The best. Her freezing Sokka in place so he can't stop her? Heartbreaking.

-Iroh and Zuko paddling off looking for bestie Lt. Jee?? Okay.

-They really grew this show up for us adults that watched it in 2005 and focused in on the really painful moments, themes, and details.

[natlacentral]

Forget The Haters, Avatar Live-Action Star Elizabeth Yu Is Our Princess Azula

When Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbenderannounced that newcomer Elizabeth Yu was cast as Princess Azula, some fans of the original Nickelodeon cartoon immediately took to social media to complain. Some thought she looked too innocent to play the Fire Nation princess, an antagonist in the Nickelodeon series that takes place in an imagined world with people who can master and manipulate the different elemental energies of Fire, Water, Earth, and Air. Others lamented that her face wasn’t angular like Azula’s is in the cartoon, or that she looked too young for the part. (An especially odd critique considering, though never specified, Azula’s age is believed to be 14. Yu herself is now 21; she was 19 during filming.) But when it comes to the fan reaction, the young actor is completely unphased. “I’m a hit with the kids,” she jokes to Refinery29, adding that she doesn’t take it personally. “I think anybody playing this part would’ve gotten some kind of backlash.”

Yu is confident that when the show premieres February 22, fans will see the live-action show is doing more than recreating the cartoon. In the original, Princess Azula, the ambitious daughter of the Fire Lord Ozai (Daniel Dae Kim), doesn’t appear until Season 2 when she emerges as a new threat to the Avatar, the boy with the power to control all four elements and unite the nations against Ozai’s dictatorial rule. In this iteration, Azula is a recurring character, allowing fans to see her in a brand new light. “It’s an origin story for her,” Yu says. “It’s this foundation being laid out for a lot of things to make sense when we eventually pick up where we first met her in the original series.” So if you were worried Yu’s Azula had lost her villainous edge, don’t be. Yu describes her as “a girl boss,” but “evil.” Still, she says, “Azula is my baby girl, she’s my boo thing. I love her.”

Not only is she unbothered by the early reactions, she’s not at all nervous when thinking about how the show might be received by hardcore fans. Instead, the actor is more concerned with what her two younger sisters will think. The actor has seen Asian American representation grow from Disney Channel’s The Suite Life of Zack and Cody — “All I had growing up was London Tipton,” she says, giving a shoutout to star Brenda Song — to recent Oscar-nominated films, like her 2023 favorite Past Lives starring Greta Lee. As half-Korean, Yu is proud to be a part of this current shift. “The idea that my little sisters are going to be able to watch TV and movies, and the likelihood of them getting to see someone that looks like them is so much higher, is such a win. It’s so healing to know that we’re creating an industry where little girls — little anyones — can feel like that.” 

The fact that Avatar: The Last Airbender stars Asian actors is arguably the new show’s biggest break from the original series. When the cartoon first premiered in 2005, it only featured a few Asian and Asian American voice actors, despite the fact that it took place in a world inhabited by mostly Asian and Indigenous peoples. When the beloved series was adapted into a widely panned live-action film, The Last Airbender (2010), the cast also remained mostly whitewashed, save for members of the Fire Nation, who were depicted as South Asian. Now, two decades after the original’s debut, Asians are finally getting a seat at the table. “It’s monumental,” Yu says.. “It’s so important to be able to see yourself in stories. That’s what storytelling is about.” 

Yu’s confidence is impressive, especially considering Avatar: The Last Airbender is only her third credit on IMDB. She gives off the air of an old pro. And in some ways, she is. Born and raised in New Jersey, she’s been auditioning for acting roles since she was 16. She’s also been dating Stranger Things star Gaten Matarazzo since they were 15. They currently live together in New York City with their three cats, and she’s had a front row seat to his rise to global celebrity. Though she insists she has always tried to keep their careers separate from their relationship, she admits, “Getting to see someone with such a huge heart navigate this industry is the best advice that I could be given.” She adds, “We’re both still trying to figure it out, and it’s really cool to be able to do it together.” 

She continued to audition throughout her last years of high school, though “it was a struggle,” she says. During her senior year, she debated whether or not to go to college or commit to acting full time. In the end, she stuck with her passion. Then, in December 2021, just months after her high school graduation, she booked Avatar. “‘Oh, thank God,’” she recalls thinking. “I’m doing what I should be doing.” She has since gone on to appear in the Oscar-nominated May December, opposite Julianne Moore, Natalie Portman, and Charles Melton.

It wasn’t until her fourth and final audition came around that Yu finally learned what role she was fighting for. “It was insane. I cried on the phone with my mom.” Months later, she was standing on the Fire Nation set next to the legendary Daniel Dae Kim in full armor and regalia, acting between bursts of flames. (“Before they’d call action, they’d be like, ‘Pyro!’ and the flames would ignite from these sconces on the walls. It was insane.”) And though she admits acting opposite Kim was intimidating at first, it was also pretty damn cool. “Who wouldn’t feel like the baddest bitch in the room sitting next to Daniel Dae Kim as Ozai?” 

It sounds lucky, but her road to Azula had more than a few bumps. First, there was the fact that she didn’t know what project she was actually auditioning for. “They sent this completely fake, made-up storyline for this fake TV show. I was auditioning for a character named April,” she explains. After getting a callback, she hit the internet to do some sleuthing. “I became an FBI agent trying to figure out what I was actually auditioning for, because I was like, ‘Something about this does not feel real,’” she says. When she realized that it might be an adaptation of Avatar, a show she watched growing up, she couldn’t believe it. (“I was like, ‘No way. That is definitely not what I’m auditioning for.’”) Then there was the “minor car accident” that she got into right before her first callback. (She made it safe and sound and “did the damn thing!”). 

As for what big names she hopes to work with next, Yu is open for whatever comes her way. For now, she’s got her eyes set on a not-yet-confirmed Season 2 of Avatar, which she hopes will include Azula’s time on Ember Island with her brother Prince Zuko (Dallas Liu) as well as some of her character’s famous lines. “I’m really excited to go into a second season and finally do these iconic line reads that Azula has,” she teases, adding, “I quote them all the time to myself. There’s this one scene in the original where she says, ‘Do the tides command this ship?’ And she’s basically threatening this soldier that she’ll throw him overboard if he doesn’t do what she says. It’s just so badass.”

Live action or not, Princess Azula will always be badass.

[unabashednightmarepizza]

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨| Joseph Quinn x Celebrity!Reader

Warnings: Bullying, death threats, s3lf h@rmïng, people calling Joseph ugly, Pedro and Jamie being menace

"Y/N, darling wake up!! You need to go and have your hair and make up done in one hour and return to the set!"

Groaning out loud and trying to get out of the covers, your manager chuckled at your disheveled morning hair and tired look while he turned his attention back to his phone to have a convo. Wondering what the hell he was speaking about over phone that passionetly, you blindly looked for your socks and wore them while rubbing your eyes to get rid of the sleep. It was a known fact that you ran from project to project nonstop, the latest ones being the new Marvel series and Star Wars series, which your fans loved dearly. Your shoots with the Star Wars happened a long time ago but since the release of the new series had unfortunately hung up for some time, its date was the same one as your dear project, the one who gave you the recognition...

Stranger Things.

People would always jokingly say which one would get the highest record, some would be a little shit about it but over the years, you learnt how to ignore most of the comments. You could still vividly remember some "fans" reactions to you playing an important role in Star Wars and how you didn't "deserve that role at all" which made you... throw some snarky comments at those terrible people.

Giggling at your fond memories, you side eyed your manager and listened to what he had to say about your day.

"Okay, I know you're tired like hell and trust me I am too... Like, can you please have some rest after finishing this season of Stranger Things? You're still too young and already had done a lot for your age... YOU DON'T EVEN HAVE A PARTNER!"

"I never cared about those though..."

"No, you want to have one but are scared of what would happen to you if they turned out to be a douchebag!"

Touché, you thought while grinning sheepishly at him with your mouth full of toothpaste, not really denying anything. It was true that in this indurstry, most people would date another for more fame and money so, it was only natural to be reluctant about relationships in general.

Your latest and only partner almost ended your career though...

"Well, there is nothing I can do about it! Stop being my mom, Pedro, Oscar and Ewan do that enough for anyone..."

".... Even they tell you to find someone but you just... Unbelivable. Just... Go and get changed please."

Being done with your shit, he got out of your hotel room to give you privacy and also leave you to think by yourself. You were aware that at one point, you would stop acting and that your mom would start to pester you about a son or daughter-in-law but even though your heart longed to have a cheesy love like those in historical shows and books, the life was no fiction.

People would always look for something in return, they would always ask for more while giving nothing and unfortunately, that would be the same with love. The world no longer cared about emotional things, rather money and even though you didn't care about it that much, you convinced yourself that, that was for the best for anyone.

But for mostly you.

You didn't want to break a gentle soul with your trust issues, use them as a bandage to cover your past wounds so, you buried every affection you had felt over your years deep inside your heart.

Who knew a man with cute dimples and soft curls would change every rule you had set for yourself?

*******

The set was in a chaos, and that was an understatement. People were running around, actors were trying to memorize their lines and the younger cast was playing pranks at others. Meanwhile Joseph alongside Gaten who was making him get used to the set were just idly looking through their phones, Joseph looking around anxiously. It was his first time being around all these very famous people and he was getting anxious over what they might think of him. He was confident with his acting skills but these people were together for almost 6 years and literally knew everything about each other, having a type of connection so rare.

"Stop thinking too much, Jo! You already blended in and nobody is judging you!"

"It's easy to say! There is an actress who is so talented that everybody, and I'm not exaggerating, everybody is fighting for her to be in their project! And she is my celebrity crush for as long as I can remember-"

" Stop whining! She's such an easygoing and relaxed woman that she would gladly hang out with us and do every kind of things! She even imitates a seal to make someone laugh so think about the person she is!"

Joseph just groaned and dragged his hands down his face and looked around with tired eyes. To be honest, as long as he could remember, he was your fan. You two weren't that far of age, being almost peers yet you were much more successful and well-known than him and pretty much most of the people here, with you working for Star Wars and Marvel. But you weren't a rude douchebag, you were still the same as you used to before the fame.

Wearing loose clothes and never making a show with any part of your daily life, you were the paparazzi's favorite celebrity to run after to. Always trying to make new friendships with other actors, even going as far as meeting their families and also becoming friends with them... All of these, alongside what Gaten said, were what he adored in you.

And also what made him fall in love.

Yes, he didn't want to admit it since you were way out of his league, at least he thought, but he already knew that you wouldn't bat an eye on him that much. After all, there was a slight chance that they would be lying, right?

"OH MY GOD, GUYS YOU ALL BECOME EVEN MORE PRETTY DAY BY DAY! LOOK AT YOU! AND WOW SADIE YOU LOOK AMAZING WITH YOUR NEW STYLE!"

Turning to look at where the cheerful voice that he knew very well coming from, he widened his eyes at your form which was hugging the girl thightly to yourself while munching on a donut, stuffing it inside your cheeks. He squealed silently at your cuteness and wanted to take photo to gaze at after but decided that it would invade your privacy. Watching you hug everyone after not seeing them for long, he failed to realize that Gaten had run at full speed at you and knocked you down to the ground.

"OH WOW GATEN! YOU ARE ONE HELL OF A HANDSOME MAN NOW DUDE! I HEARD THAT THERE ARE NEWBIES WHICH MEANS-"

"PRANK WARS!"

"HELL YEAH!"

Shaking their head at your childish attitude, your manager just walked towards you and pulled Gaten off of you and held you from your armpits like a cat. Whining at him for "obviously being a party pooper", you looked around as if trying to find something.

"So where are the newbies? I hope I didn't make a bad first impression, I mean I'm cute and energetic and have no problem with being loud but these can be hard for someone who just met me for the... first... time... Oh wow..."

You muttered the last part in awe when your eyes landed on the British man who had a wig on with the clothes of his character. You just stared at him with blank eyes and a hung jaw. He has big, soft, brown eyes... He has puppy eyes... Oh Lord, not on the day I just said I wouldn't fall for a man, you thought while wiping your palms onto your jeans.

His eyes were watching you with a fondness and soft look you saw rarily on man, though it would be because of his big, comforting eyes. The brown eyes would always give you a sense of comfort you used to have when you were with your parents, whether on a woman or man, it was nice to look at them.

Gulping down hard, and feeling your cheeks heat slowly, you hoped that they wouldn't give away your hammering heart and anxiousness and stood in front of him with big, doe eyes, extending your hand to shake with him.

"Hi, welcome to the set and I hope we can be good friends... You're a great actor, I actually watched Dickensian and you were... nice..."

Cringing at your shyness and thinking that yes, you actually drove him away, you were shocked when you felt his bigger hand in yours. Looking up at him, you smiled unconsciously at the sight of his dimples and the crinkles around his eyes. For fucks sake, the man has dimples too... Don't fall in love Y/N!

"It made me so happy to hear such a compliment from an actress like you! I'm surprised that you watched it, most people doesn't even know the name..."

And your manager could only watch with a wide mouth while others were giggling at the shy yet adorable first meeting of you two, silently making bets if you would end up together.

Meanwhile your manager was busy calling the "Space Sisters' group and tell them what he just saw.

Oh they are going to do everything they can to set you two up together.

*******

This scene was going to kill you and that wasn't overreacting. Who taught that shooting a scene with Jamie was easy? Even Pedro was a better choice that you were ready to just go and say "Aight, I'm done." with the amount of teasing you were facing with.

"Jamie, stop tickling me! Dear director, say something!"

"Awww, are you embarrassed darling? Maybe we should call your crush?"

"Jamie!"

Hitting his chest playfully, you shoved him aside and grabbed your drink while trying to fan yourself. You hated to admit it but currently, you were having a huge crush on your eccentric co-star. You cursed at your sudden crush for the sweet and warm man and before you could scold yourself inside your mind, a certain blonde came in view with a sly plan.

"Y'know... You're a young, talented and beautiful woman who could pull anyone she wanted with just a look and you fancy someone so why not go after him?"

"Because... Well, I don't know if he's single and two, I'm not ready after... you know..."

Looking at you with soft and undestanding eyes, he pat your head and sat down next to you to grab something and have some rest until the next scene.

"But you can't go on like that forever... I know your shitty ex who is beyond fixing abused you emotionally but... he really isn't like that. The man talked to you and us about all the stuffed animals he had for collection the other day for God's sake! Do you think a man like him who has the cool uncle vibes can be the same as that asshole?"

Shaking your head no, you played with your fingers nervously. You wanted to have a beautiful relationship, experience all the things you should have done with someone special, and maybe even get married one day...

But opening your heart fully cost you everything and you would do anything to protect yourself from the same pain.

Unfortunately, even when thinking like that, you couldn't help but smile softly at the memory of him talking excitedly about the little trinkets he would buy or find, or how he loved to look after the kids... Seeing you blush while looking down on the ground, Jamie was happy to see that you were getting ready to open up step by step. It would take time but he wouldn't give up until you two were together.

Texting to Oscar who became his friend after their whole plan of "Get these stupids together", he turned to you innocently.

"Well darling, I don't know what will happen between you two but he was looking for you alongside Gaten and Joe."

Raising a brow at him, you shrugged your shoulders and looked at the director if you could go and with a nod from him, you began to search for the sweet man while Jamie was smirking at his phone.

"We're this close to get them together, Jam! Now, let the plan begin :) -Moon Boy"

******

Joseph was pacing around his trailer after shooting his scenes and the director gave him some time to rest but he was anything but resting. He seriously couldn't believe the events that happened in the past few weeks. He got to meet you, his long time crush, become friends with you and many people, and you two almost spoke all the time despite his worry about you not opening up to him at all.

He knew pieces about your past from the media and at first, he didn't want to force himself on you, even if he wanted to be close to you despite his heart hammering around you whenever he was close to your gorgeous form but with each passing day, it was obvious that you started to trust him as well. Gaten would always tease him for it, saying that it took nearly 2-3 months for you to trust them while it took only a few weeks for him but even if it was teasing,it couldn't have made him happier than anything to know that he was someone you could trust.

But the biggest part was his feelings. He wanted to confess, to tell you how gorgeous and amazing you were, how he wanted to just hold you against himself and indulge in every little activity you wanted to do but... Deep down, he knew that you deserved someone well-known, someone more popular just like you. What would you possibly find anything remarkable in him, with all the other significant men around you?

He almost jumped when he heard a knock outside his trailer, wondering who came to talk to him but upon hearing your soft voice, he immediately rushed to open it, almost tripping over himself.

"Geez, calm down Jo! Are you good?"

"Y-yeah! Just uh... Wasn't expecting a guest?"

" Oh, now I am a guest huh? My poor heart is breaking!"

Chuckling at you and rolling his eyes, he stood at the side to let you in while you were grinning from ear to ear. He knew that look, you did something and was planning to explain it to him. With wide and suspicious eyes, he sat you down on the makeshift bed.

"What did you do this time?"

"First of all, it sounded like you are accusing me and two, I bought us some cake! It's your first month anniversary at this set and trust me, staying alive with a sane mind here is pretty remarkable so it deserves a celebration!"

Shaking his head amused at your happy face, he went to bring some forks so that you two could eat the cake but he widened his eyes at feeling your smaller hands on his forearm with his heart almost bursting out of his chest and turned to look at your toothy smile.

"I brought forks and napkins, dork! Now sit and let's talk about our lives if that's okay?"

"Yes, yeah! Absolutely!"

Giggling like highschoolers while telling funny stories from your sets, you were discreetly watching him throw his head back at you and the wrinkles around his soft eyes whenever he laughed ear to ear with a thundering heart. Feeling your insides melt at his precious laugh, you realized how bad your case was. You didn't have to refuse it anymore...

You had fallen hard for him.

But did he feel the same? You were a very popular actress after all, paparazzis would always be on your tail, you would be seen with a co-star just because you had to and you would always be shipped with someone. People even shipped you with your "Space Sister" for God's sake! You wouldn't be able to give him the life he wanted, he wanted a somewhat normal life despite his career, have a little house away from city, maybe even some puppies or eventually kids...

Your life was far different than his and you didn't want to make him feel unworthy of himself...

"I can't believe Finn almost cried in the IT! How did that happen?"

Ah, one of the sweet memory you had of the now young adult and you were about to use it against him but to be fair, he started it when he thought that sharing your crying self over the movie Hachiko was a great idea.

"Ah well... I wasn't on the cast but since I'm great friends with the Skarsgård family, Bill invited me to come and visit him and I didn't refuse. To be honest, clowns make me irritated and uneasy but this role was important to him so I went to visit and they were so nice to me! When I arrived, Bill was pretty sad because they wouldn't let him speak and play with the kids since they could get attached to him and not get scared easily..."

Cutting a huge cake and eating it with stuffed cheeks, you failed to realize that Joseph clenched his jaw and grabbed the fork thighter at the mention of Bill. When had he started to feel jealous of you? He turned his downcasted eyes to your pretty face when he felt you poke at his face with the tip of your fork with worried eyes.

"Are you okay? If you're bored or if I'm talking so much I can stop... I probably talked a lot and you have a few things to tell me too but I just got excited and-"

Realizing you were getting panicked since he wasn't saying anything and because of the hard look on his face, he immediately loosened up and gave a soft and understanding look to you. He didn't want you to feel bad for being happy while talking about your friends, he wasn't that kind of a man and he would kill himself before making you feel uneasy.

"No,no darling, please continue... I just dozed of because of your pretty smile..."

Winking at you and making you blush, you hit his arm for his teasing nature to hide your embarresment and looked at his face, inspecting every little thing about him and thinking how the wig suited him for a few seconds, you continued after stuffing another chunk of cake into your mouth which made Joseph laugh at your eagerness and grab a napkin for you.

"And I just had to pat his back because he was sad he was making them scared and told him to hang on for a few months and assured him that they would come and play with him because they were looking up at him so much already. The next day, he had to scare Finn and Jaeden and this time, Finn got so scared that he cried at one of the rooms. Meanwhile Bill was crying too and I just had to play the mother and calm the boys and buy everyone in the set ice-cream... It costed me one hell of a money but hey, it could be replaced after all!"

"Don't tell him I have the video and especially that I told you this!"

Making a cross at where his heart was, he grinned at you and extended the napkin to you since he didn't want to make you uncomfy just in case. You looked at him with big eyes and took it with gratitude and realized that you didn't really know much about his life outside the set. With anxious fidgeting and hoping that you wouldn't be asking something offensive, you put the fork down.

"So what about you, Jo? How is your family like?"

Looking at you with a side look, he fangirled inside at your curiousity about his life, not the actor one, and happily told you about his mother. Giving small smiles at him when he would talk about his mom so lovingly, your inner voice just sighed at your miserableness. Grow some balls, and fucking confess to him already! Look, the man has respect for his and your mom, nothing bad would come out of this!

Just when you opened your eyes to finally tell everything you have been feeling about him, his phone started to ring and he looked at you apologetically. Waving your hand as if saying that it was no big deal and that he could talk here, you grabbed the forks and the box of the cake to throw them at the bin when you heard a soft yet older female voice from the speakers.

"How is my boy doing, hmm? Is everything alright in there?"

Cooing at his mother's soft words and concern for him, you chuckled when he looked at where you disappeared a few seconds ago anxiously to see if you heard anything. Seeing that you were still in the kitchen and your back was turned to him, he continued his talk with her.

"Yes, everything is fine mom! Everyone has been kind and Y/N is here right-"

"Oh my God! You work with her?! Is she really that pretty and kind in real life? And... she was that one actress you had been crushing on forever, innit?"

"Yes, oh God, yes she is and... Mom! Don't say things like that so loudly!"

Giggling in your hands while blushing profusely, you stayed in the kitchen and returned when he finished the call with her just in time. Seeing him look at anywhere but you, you just smiled and sit down in front of him.

"My mom says hi and now, you're invited to our home... You don't have to come if-"

"I would like that more than anything, Jo! But, oh shit! I don't have a dress with me and I need to find one quick and I have an interview to do and I-"

"Easy, easy, sweetheart... She invited you when our shooting is done so you still have time and besides... You are already beautiful as the way you're..."

Timidly looking at your wide eyes, you couldn't help but feel your heart skip a beat at his affectionate words and the feeling of his much bigger hands holding onto your arms. Your mouth dried, and you started to sweat slightly at how close you two were suddenly. Eyes looking at each other, deep brown melting into Y/E/C and hearts beating erratically, you knew that he was a man you deserved.

Fame, money, nothing mattered in that moment. You were just 1 inch apart from each other, one inch away from finally sealing the deal and become something much more than just friends. Maybe you just met, and maybe there were things you need to learn but deep down, you knew that he would mever treat you the way your ex did.

He wouldn't belittle you, he wouldn't blame you for everything, he wouldn't use you. Instead, he would hold you when things went bad, he would call you beautiful things instead of crude words, he would cherish you, love you till the day you two would die...

Holding onto his arms thightly and looking at him with shaky eyes, he shuffled closer to you, hands now holding your face delicately. He was no different than you, he couldn't believe that he was about to do what he thought he was going to do and you, looking at him with tearfull and shaky eyes with somewhat a painful yet full of hope eyes burned something inside of him.

"Y/N, I... I know you faced many things alone. I know you don't trust people easily anymore but... I love you. I always loved you ever since I was like 21 as soon as I watched your first film and I don't want to force you into anything. I'll be yours if you'll have me and if not, I would just stay as your friend-"

"But... what about everything? Are you fine with me being shipped with someone all the time? Not being home at all? Are you sure you would trust me with all your heart? I... I don't know if I'd be a good significant other and I-I d-don't wanna fuck things up-"

Wiping a stray tear softly from your cheeks, he brought your forehead close and touched it with his own. Even though he had the wig on, he could feel your heart beating with both love and worry. Behind the cheerful and noncholant mask you had, you were just a young woman who was betrayed by someone you trusted once. Someone who didn't make you feel loved and cherished and he would be damned if he did the same mistake.

"As long as you come back to me and I have your heart for mine to love... Then yes, I'm sure with everything inside me that I would go to the very end of-"

Stumbling down on his bed with the shock of your soft lips kissing him slowly with your hands cupping his cheeks lovingly, rubbing the apple of his cheek as if afraid you would break him, he let out a shaky and relieved sigh at finally having you between his arms. Feeling overwhelmed of everything that has been happening to you and the realization that you finally had your "prince charming" between your arms, you smiled into the kiss and shifted to get closer to him. Moaning into the kiss when your leg made contact with his crotch and your stumbling only added more pressure, you both blushed like crazy and parted your ways slowly. Looking at each other shyly with lovesick smiles, he put your stray hair back and dragged his hand down from the side of your face and rested it on your cheek while the other held onto your waist. Giggling happilly at him and throwing your arms around his neck, you two hugged each other while laughing to your hearts contents.

"I don't know why I'm laughing so much! I guess it's been a long time since I felt this happy!"

"Me too, love... Me too... But you're so unfair, now that I got a taste of you, I don't know how I'm supposed to stop myself from kissing you."

"Who said I want you to?"

And being unaware of your manager throwing his fists into the air in victory and texting to the groupchat that you two finally did it, you two kissed each other hungrily and grinded on each other like horny teenagers, moaning into each others mouth with the newfound happiness of you two finding each other.

GUYS THEY FUCKING DID IT! THEY'RE KISSING RIGHT NOW!-the Mother Hen

HOLY SHIT, THE BABY OF THE GROUP IS HAVING A TIME HUH 😎- Moon Boy

I CAN'T BE THE ONLY ONE WHO IS SINGLE!- the Space Dad

Please don't let her come to us with hickeys all around her body... I don't know If I can take it- Hello there

Wait... THERE IS MOANING SOUNDS OH MY LORD, OH FUCK WAIT- Mother hen

WHERE ARE THEY DUDE! I lAM COMING TO SAVE MY SIS FROM GETTING FACESUCKED-The Vampire Jayce

*******

Sitting at the back and bouncing your leg up and down while waiting for the signal to come and sit in front of the camera to have the yearly Buzzfeed interview with Eduardo and your boyfriend Joseph while the said man was sitting next to you with a hand on your thigh. Smiling at you cheekily, he kissed your cheek fast and you turned to him with wide eyes, trying to hit him with the soft pillow you had when you used if you need to take a quick nap.

"Jo! Don't do this kind of things so suddenly!"

"Afraid of not being able to stand against my love? I thought you loved me!"

Rolling your eyes at him, you looked right and left to see if a certain blonde who became overprotective after learning from your manager that you two were together was around. He had all the right to do so, after all, you went to him when the shit went down alongside with Pedro and Oscar.

Kissing him from the lips quickly, you stood up and went to sit down before the camera while Joseph was grumbling under his breath.

"No fair, you little fox..."

"Beat this, bub!"

Turning your attention to the puppies who ran at you, you didn't see the way he blushed at your nickname and how he looked at you with heart eyes. Introducing yourselves after finally having a puppy on your lap, you three answered the questions about yourselves and your career.

"Y/N, this one question is specifically for you. What is Y/N Y/L/N known for and is there an embrassing story behind any of it?"

Humming to yourself while petting the dog absent mindly, you leaned back on one of your hands while giving some of your body weight to Joseph, trying to be subtle while the staff was watching with smiles at you.

"Well, I'm mostly known for my role in the Star Wars I guess? And maybe my interactions with others, especially our group the Space Sisters? So uh... Oh, there is one story I could tell you! When I first got the role, I met with Oscar first and he terrified me! He was loud and energetic while I was anxious, then one day he and Pedro came and just said 'We're adopting this one!'.And I was just standing there like a kitten being held from its neck and they dragged me to everywhere to show me off which was... overwhelming. How about you Eduardo, Jo?"

Smiling at your way and how you included them too, Eduardo started to speak while Joseph held your hand thightly in his behind your back. The rest of the interview went smoothly and you two said your goodbyes but you couldn't help but get sad over Joseph not getting a puppy while he wanted to have one and remembering his tongue poking out sweetly at the little puppies, you decided to do something you never did.

"Love... would you mind... you know... coming at my home? I-I mean you never saw where I lived and I want you to be part of my life fully and I want to introduce you to someone..."

Widening his eyes at you and your offer, Joseph smiled widely and hugged you to himself.

"Like? I would LOVE to come, darling! Are we going like now or later, oh I should go change my clothes and I-"

Cooing at his accent and the word "darling", you kissed the corner of his mouth and played with the curls at his nape with a soft smile.

"No need to Jo, I have some spare clothes since men's are much comfier. And we can go now since I think they can't wait to meet you. I mean they don't like people that much and they mostly bark at new people but-"

"Wait, wait... Bark? Who... Who am I going to meet with?"

"Well, my dogs and their puppies obviously? Also the newest addition to our little family, a sweet kitten- Owow, slow down Romeo!"

Dragging you to your room and closing the door behind himself, he laughed and kissed you sweetly before your manager could come and ruin the moment again. Kissing him back and running your hand on his bare back, he groaned into the kiss and before things would escalate, the ringing of your phone made him groan out and you laugh out hard.

"Don't you dare give me babies~~ Or else I would come with little bees~~To sting you from your weenie~"

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, LET ME KISS MY LOVE!"

"NOT A CHANCE QUINN! GET YOUR HANDS OF OFF OUR LITTLE BABY!"

"PEDRO WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING HERE?! GET THE FUCK OUT OF MY ROOM!"

*****

"I'm sorry Jo... I don't know how he came into my room..."

Coming out after having a shower, you felt freshened and happy after all the things that heppened today. Drying your hair with the towel, you sat down beside him on the couch and layed against him while he was playing with your hair with one hand and the other petting the puppies who loved him immediately and jumped at him as soon as they saw his tall figure.

"It's okay sweetheart. They're protective of you but I seriously wonder what they will do when we get married..."

"W-what..?"

Gulping down hard, you felt the shivers all around your body when he mentioned marriage. He wanted to...marry you? It wasn't something strange, you two almost dated for 8 months now and was happy that you were able to keep it hidden from the media but... You never thought that he was that serious with you.

"Marriage..? Oh God, I'm sorry if I did made you uncomfortable! Just forget it-"

"You want to marry... me?"

Looking at you with shocked eyes he put the puppies down and took your form on his lap to look at your face closely.

"What? I always dreamed of being married to you! I even have the whole speech ready from the moment I saw you first, even though it's cringy with all the fanboying... But I'd understand if you... You know... didn't think like that..."

Seeing his saddened eyes made you feel like shit, and also helped you remember that you both had insecurities. His had skyrocketed after starting to date you and the new season started, with people saying that they didn't like him at all. That he was better with the wig on and that he wasn't handsome at all. And that wasn't the end, people even picked on Millie, for the millionth time, and Millie and Joe had to stop you from going off on someone on your social media. You could still remember how liverish you were while trying to get a hold of your phone which was in Joe's hands.

"LET ME GO MILLIE I'M JUST GONNA HAVE A TALK WITH PEOPLE ON TWITTER! EVERYBODY IS USED TO IT BY NOW, AND I'M NOT GOING TO BACK OFF! HOW DARE THEY CALL HIM UGLY?! THOSE BITCHES CAN'T DO HALF OF THE SHIT HE DOES AND THEY HAVE THE NERVE TO CALL HIM AND MILLIE USELESS?!!! GIVE IT TO ME!!"

Giggling at the memory, you didn't think about how it would be seen by the man under you who was swimming inside his insecurity pool. He knew he shouldn't read and think about the people and what they thought of him. He never cared about his appearance before he dated you, and it wasn't gonna change. You told him time and time again that he was the prettiest and most handsome man you had seen and you would always love him, not for his looks but for his sweet personality, the one which would shy away from a lot of attention, would poke his tongue out while thinking, the one that had fallen in love with you.

There was only one way to prove to him and the rest of the world how amazing he was and you exactly knew what. Suddenly getting up from his lap and looking for your phone, he looked at your back confused and hurt since you just left without saying something, he was even more confused when you sat down next to him and entered your gallery. He widened his eyes at seeing so many random photos of himself in it, him trying to focus, him reading a book, him with the wig on, him on the events...

"Love, what are you doing?"

" I thought I fucked those insecurities away from you last night, but apparently, I was wrong..."

Blushing at your blunt words, he put his hand on your waist and softly pinched the fat there lovingly begore his hand froze in shock.

"So I'm gonna share you and our very happy children to tell the world to fuck off!"

Shuffling away from you to take your hands into his to stop you, he looked at you with panicked eyes. You didn't mean to make him that anxious and seeing your sunshine like that made you but angry at the so called fans and sad for him. Taking his head into your hands, you kissed his lips passionetly in which he responded with the same amount. Parting away while panting and looking at each other eyes, you kissed the underside of his eye and smiled at him sweetly.

"I know you're anxious and I get it. The amount of hate I got for taking a role in the Star Wars universe was so bad that I... I tried to end it all. For good..."

Getting the meaning behind of your words, he immediately checked your wrist and when he saw the faint scars, he looked at you with tears in his soft eyes. Wiping his tears away, you continued before he could go on.

"Don't worry, Oscar and some others found me just in time and I'm fine. I never tried to do something like that again. My point is, even though it's hard, don't listen. They will talk no matter what you do and understanding this took a long time for me but I don't want the same things happen to you... I'd fight with every single one of them if it meant you'd be happy but... if you don't want people knowing, then I'll not share anything."

He looked at you with unreadable eyes, shook that you went through this. He stared at your hands and back at you, feeling too much at the realization of what might have happened if they didn't come in time. Suddenly yanking you to himself, he smelled your shampoo over and over as if to memorize it. Soothing him by rubbing back and twirling his curls, you put your weight on him with the relaxation and listened to his heart when he started to talk.

"I-I didn't know... any of this... I'm so sorry darling, for people and for not being in your life at that time... You can share whatever you want and I'll do the same besides... the internet will be upside down by the hottest couple, no?"

Smirking at him with a proud look, you nodded your head and set yourself onto his lap again. Back against his chest, his hand were on your tummy, hugging you close to himself. He smiled at the photos you had chosen with his chin on top of your head, he pointed to each photos, asking when you took them. You smiled and hugged his arm to yourself while your kitten was hissing at the background.

"I took the first one at the World Premiere secretly because you looked so cute, the second one as soon as we entered and the third one was when you went to bathroom... Now let me poor all my badass attitude into the caption, love!"

And rolling his eyes at you, he watched you type fastly with a fond look. He didn't know what the future would bring for both of you, but he thanked God for giving you to him, letting you fall in love with him and making him be a part of your life.

Putting your phone down after posting the photos, you snuggled him up with your puppies on your lap and around you with your kitten on his head, hanging on his curls.

That was all you've ever wanted, and finally you were happy.

[ngalu]

Stranger Things 5 time jump.

See the update below.

Okay, hear me out! I think I figured out the time jump situation for Season 5! (I might be a little late on this but whatever)

Everyone's already figured that there is going to be some kind of time jump after the end of season 4. And if you haven't been following the news as I have, I think the new photos of Gaten Matarazzo as Dustin Henderson should make that pretty clear.

Now, Season 4 left us on a cliffhanger sometime in March of 1986. But last year in November, we got some leaked photos from on-set indicating that Christmas was coming up or had passed in season 5.

Among these photos was this picture. But look at the bottom right corner: There is a date!

Saturday, November 21. That exact date occurred in the year 1987. But there's more! Here is a more recent photo from the Stranger Things 5 set.

In the corner is a book that @joycelhopper over on Twitter did some digging on, and it's called "Planning, Shaping and Slotting". And get this: It was released in 1988.

This could mean that roughly 2 years have passed between the end of season 4 and the start of season 5.

Major Update!

Alright people, I just saw the new Stranger Things 5 set leaks and I need to talk about it. You might think I'm reaching but I hate being wrong so better safe than sorry.

There are a few pictures out including some of Dustin and Mike but that's another post. But I wanna talk about this Coke can picture that was included among the leaks. Just a couple of props - no big deal, right? WRONG! Because this Coke can is ⭐Special⭐

A quick Google search will show you how Coke can designs have changed over the years and you'll notice how this particular Coke can was released in a certain year.

This might be a reach, HOWEVER, Given all the leaked info I now believe that it's possible that Stranger Things 5 could take place in 1989 (rather than 1988 as I once predicted).

AND given all the other set photos, Stranger Things 5 could also take place around the Fall of 1989 specifically. BOOM!

[opera-ghost]

thought this needed to be shared on its own since the sweeney team have decided to edge us with releasing the cast album

this is from the second night of previews, february 28th. i gifted the full audio here, and shared a clip of the final sequence here as well

(more notes on the clip + the production under the cut)

after the verse about the beadle, annaleigh ashford attempts to swing onto the table and misses twice, before succeeding as the audience cheers. it was really funny in the moment and played into the vibe of the song as both ashford and groban continued to crack up. this seemed to happen on more than one night during previews from what i've read, which had me suspecting that it was a planned break-in a la the music man revival. but outside of previews i haven't heard of this happening again, so they could very well have just had difficulty with this bit during the first few shows. either way, the audience couldn't get enough of it. it was just amazing to hear this whole sequence live after only ever watching the movie and concerts (where the audience volume is significantly reduced). there was just the most contagious laughter at all the right moments, and it makes me really upset in hindsight that this number was butchered so much in the movie

so much to say about ashford and groban's performances in general. they clearly have so much fun with these roles and they do this particular number such justice, in my opinion. their visual comedy is just on a whole other level, and it really let the material shine along with their vocals. some people have criticized ashford for her accent/general characterization of mrs. lovett, but i'm so obsessed with what she's brought to the role. her lovett skews younger and, to me, she offers a mix of the iconic actresses who have taken a stab at the character before. others have had things to say against groban being cast as sweeney, but i personally enjoyed him very much, and he's of course at the top of his game vocally. this production plays things pretty straight and doesn't do anything super imaginative with the staging, but it really lets the actors performances shine

as a general note for the whole show, maria bilbao absolutely kills it as johanna, john rapson as the beadle makes parlor songs into one of my favorite bits of the show, and i want to print a little picture of nicholas christopher's pirelli and keep it in my wallet. gaten mattarazo is a great tobias, ruthie ann miles's beggar woman is as entertaining as she is soul-crushing. though he's since departed, jordan fisher had amazing chemistry with maria bilbao and his anthony was very sweet. jamie jackson as judge turpin was everything you could want out of that character, though i really really would've loved to see mea culpa here. i think the judge in this production especially feels a bit empty without it

this revival makes the weird choice to remove the factory whistle, which really takes away from a lot of the drama and overall makes it feel less sweeney-esque. although, i did read that they were maybe having technical issues during previews and added it back in later? but i watched/listened to some bits after opening and didn't hear it, so... still must be noted

despite some general criticisms i'm just so obsessed with this show, it's amazing to have a full staging of it on broadway once again and the 26-piece orchestra still has me in a chokehold. i highly recommend seeing it if you can!

[finalgirlfae]

for the one you asked more context for -> maybs finn facetiming reader and them saying how much they miss eachother and the other cast members are like making fun of them but in like a sweet way 🤭

the space between

finn x gn!reader

genre: fluff

summary: finn missed his costar and partner

“i know you guys had to be pretty far apart for the majority of the filming with half the cast in atlanta and the other half over in albuquerque.” jimmy spoke. you were currently with half the cast on the tonight show airing live from new york city. you were sat between millie and finn, next to finn was noah and sat behind noah in a row of four was gaten, sadie, caleb and priah.

“was it hard to keep contact with each other throughout the filming while you were far? i know how close the cast it.”

“well we did the best we could,” mille started off and noah nodded and continued her sentence. “we called each other a lot and we all texted non stop on our groupchat.”

“yeah and two cast mates in particular,” gaten trailed off, looking at you and finn. “looved face timing each other.” you both felt your cheeks heat up as the audience cheered and your cast mates looked at you with obvious smirks on your face. your relationship with finn wasn’t exactly a secret because you two were always spotted together but you guys never went out of your way to say you were dating.

“is that so?” jimmy smiled. you saw finn’s blush and placed a hand on top of his, nodding.

you think back to the time that you were in hair and makeup, getting all done up for the fight scene got had this season. your eyes glanced at the mirror but they were not trained on your reflection, they were focused on a picture of you and finn from season two. in the photo he had his arm around your shoulder. he smiled at the camera while you looked at him with a smile, lost in the moment. this was months before he had asked you on a date while on set and your relationship begun.

your phone began to ring and you got excited when you picked it up and saw finn pop up with a little heart next to his name. your makeup artist took quick note and put the brush down, scurrying out the trailer to give you and your boyfriend some privacy.

“hi baby, i was wondering- oh my god what the fuck happened to you? are you okay?” finn’s voice dramatically changed when he saw the blood on your face.

“finn-”

“did you fall? get hit? does it hurt? is there anything i can do i-”

“finn! it’s makeup! i have that big fight with vecna where i get my shit rocked today, remember?”

he sighed in relief. “oh right. sorry.”

“it’s fine.” you crossed your legs in the chair. “it’s cute when you worry about me.”

he smiled at the camera. “anyways. i was wondering if you wanna go on a date when i get back in atlanta. it sucks being away from you y/n, i miss you.”

you frowned lightly. “i miss you too! i’d love to go on a date when you get back.”

“great! noah and mille are waiting for me on set, but i’ll call you before bed?”

you nodded. “of course love. talk to you later.”

“later.” he smiled at you again before hanging up the phone.

“oh they called EVERY second.” caleb commented, pulling you out your thoughts.

“it was not every second..” finn defended even though he knew he was lying.

“sure it wasn’t.” priah spoke. “it was just every day. 24/7. all the time.”

“it was cute though,” sadie spoke in your defense. “i know we all missed each other but definitely not as much as y/n and finn. they missed each other a lot.”

the audience clapped again and jimmy smiled at you two. “ah to be young and in love.”

you and finn both covered your faces at the comment. the feeling of love was very much mutual but neither of you had said it yet so it was slightly embarrassing to be teased non stop by your costars and now the tv show host.

“i’m embarrassing you two, aren’t i?” jimmy asked, smiling.

“just a bit!” finn intertwined your fingers and brought the back of your hand to his mouth, kissing it before looking at you. “but you’re right. we are in love, aren’t we?”

you gave him the biggest smile before pressing a kiss to his lips which earned a squeal from all your friends. “yes. yes we are.”

•••

[icallhimjoey]

U know I always thought a cute fic idea would be where Joe is on ST set and there’s some riveting scene where he’s rescued from the Upside Down. Yn is the person playing the character but staff have kept Yn hidden from Joe until this point, to build up the suspense and genuine surprise for when he gets rescued in the show. Anyways there’s a riveting scene where Eddie opens his eyes for the first time and yns face is the first thing he sees as she’s in character and “tending” to his wounds. Joe just absolutely immediately smitten like “wow didn’t believe in love at first sight until now” and then as the show filming progresses yn becomes a love interest both on and off screen 😣

the way i felt so awkward writing this because it involves so many people i dont know how to write for, my GOD i hope you like what i've done with it Wordcount: 1.6K

----

Shit, that was hot

“Shh shhhh, guys, guys, this is it, quiet!” you managed to get the room quiet enough for the TV to blare over the chatter that had filled the air all throughout the evening.

“Watch that face,” you heard someone mutter from the other side of the sofa.

“It’s so fucking funny,” someone else replied.

You shot eyes at Joe who sat right next to you. He looked annoyed, like he was about to groan, but simultaneously he couldn’t hide his smile. It was adorable.

On screen, in the last episode of the Netflix series you all played parts in, you were all about to watch Eddie getting rescued from the Upside Down. By you.

It hadn’t been revealed to be you yet – not to the audience, as the scene was still working up to its climax, but also not to Joe or many other cast mates when you’d filmed it. It was the biggest secret you had sat on, and it was so difficult to not tell anyone all throughout filming. It had been one of the latter scenes you shot, so getting to know your cast mates had been fun, but the urge of sharing your exciting knowledge with others – never with Joe, you couldn’t fucking wait to see that face – had been almost too much to handle. There was a reason you’d be in quiet meetings with Matt and Ross so often. You just needed to talk about it with someone, just to get your excited jitters out so you’d be able to hold the news off for longer.

During filming, people had heard that there was a piece of script entirely blacked out.

“Ooh, that’s new.” Natalia had mused when Keery had asked her if Nancy was the one to save Eddie from the Upside Down. Natalia had reacted confused; was Eddie going to be saved from the Upside Down? That hadn’t been in her script.

“But look,” Joe had shown them pages of his script, which had so much blacked out dialogue, directions and even character names, he didn’t even know how he was going to rehearse any of it. "It's just directions for me- for Eddie, and then... it's all this shit. What do I do with this?"

“That’s the point.” Matt had made clear when Joe had gone to him with questions. “It’s such a pivotal part in the episode, we need to build maximum suspense and get your genuine reaction as Eddie.” They had skipped the full chuck at the table read and left everyone fully in the dark.

“You don’t think I can act surprised?” Joe had pressed them, instantly insecure at his abilities and his work up until that point, but Matt didn’t want to discuss it any further.

In make-up, Sadie asked if you’d heard about the surprise scene. You had to do your best to pretend to hear of the news for the first time. Amy and Sarah from the make-up department had listened in and you wondered if they knew – why would they need to, you thought first, but then you realized they’d need to get you ready for it when it was time to shoot. Of course they knew. But they’d kept silent, and Sadie hadn’t suspected a thing.

It almost slipped out of you when you heard Gaten talk to Joe and they were both so sure it was going to have to be Keery, the dude who’d asked pretty much everyone if they were the one that was blacked out. Surely, it was to distract from himself. Some sort of sick power-play, having everyone else talking about it and trying to figure it out as he got to sit back all-knowingly.

The small parts of the pages Joe had shown everyone before being told off by Matt and Ross – “Keep that to yourself, Joe. We hand people individual scripts for a reason.” – were perceived to be at least a little flirty. And who had Eddie been the flirtiest with throughout everything they’d filmed up until that point? Definitely Steve.

The words were so close to rolling off your tongue, wanting to pull Gaten aside and let him in on your secret, just to be able to shoot him looks whenever people would talk about it, just so you wouldn’t be suffering by yourself. But the NDA kept you from spoiling the surprise to anyone.

At the last minute, they had to let Maya know. Just her. She’d be on the call sheet as a distraction as to not give anything away to Joe. She didn’t have any scenes that day – you clearly had, but they kept you under wraps. They got Natalia and Joe Keery ready too, for a scene they had together, which still left Joe in the dark as to what exactly Eddie’s faith would be. And then Joel walked onto set, and Joe thought he knew for sure. “Of course, it’s uncle Wayne!” he said when he hugged him, but Joel didn’t know what he meant, and it left Joe with just as little of an inkling as before.

The day before shooting, and with Maya in on it now, you had to come up with reasons to explain your giggles whenever you’d make eye contact. “Maya broke a chair in the make-up trailer,” you said to Joe when you’d gotten strange looks from him. “Catering is doing a number on me.” Maya had laughed, rubbing her hand over her stomach, prompting you to laugh louder.

Your big watch-party of the series had turned into talking over whatever was happening on screen, reminiscing, and reminding each other of inside jokes, alternating with the odd silence when special effects would overwhelm you all to shut up and watch. And now the moment had come, where Eddie was about to almost miss his chance to get out and survive the alternate dimension. By now everyone knew it had been you who was the blacked out person with the blacked out dialogue and blacked out directions, but that didn’t make watching Joe’s reaction to it less fun.

You remembered everyone’s reaction on set when Joe was made to close his eyes as they called cut for just enough time to get you onto set, into the scene. Some of them had seen you be walked in, and had gasped, and Joe Keery had whispered "I fucking knew it," which had only added to the suspense Joe had felt in that moment. The Duffer brothers knew they could do more shots if they needed to, but the dream was to get it all in first go, just because they hadn’t put so much work into keeping secrets just for them to use a shot that wasn’t that first, true, genuine reaction.

When they called action, Joe needed to keep his eyes closed for longer as two hands managed to grab hold of him and yank him out of the situation he was in before shooting Hopper’s police weapon that your character had stolen from his abandoned house in the woods. You shot it right into the face of whatever monster the Upside Down tried to attack Eddie, which would be put in later by the SFX team.

“Watch his face, watch,” you pointed, as giddy as you could be.

“It’s the line, it’s so good!” Keery slapped his own leg repeatedly in suspense for what he was about to hear.

After the shots were fired, and Joe, as Eddie, had bunched himself up on the ground in self-defense, he had opened his eyes and had seen you, holding that gun, arm outstretched, the bad-assery practically dripping off of you. It had done something to Joe, and so that showed in Eddie’s face too – the cameras had captured it perfectly. “Whoa, I didn’t believe in love at first sight until now,” Joe spoke as Eddie in his heavy American accent, panting from the action scene. You had turned back to look at him, and you chuckled. “We’ve seen each other lots, idiot.” And you’d held out your hand to help him stand. “Exactly. But I just now realized I’ve loved you all along. Shit, that was hot.” And then Joe had pulled you in for a kiss that you had gladly accepted. It was the kind of kiss that felt like it would be the last kiss you’d ever have – like the world was going to end and you didn’t have tomorrow together. You remember being able to feel Joe's heartbeat in his chest, absolutely desperate to beat its way out of his ribcage. The kiss stopped abruptly though when it got called cut on, and had Matt and Ross laughing as they waved for the two of you to stop making out. They hadn’t included the kiss in the show, but everything else had stayed in.

“Shit, that was hot,” Keery quoted Eddie as he watched it, nodding along and his face showed how cool he thought the line was. It had everyone laughing, but Gaten was in hysterics. Joe was so embarrassed, and you took advantage, poking him in the sides as you watched his face scrunch.

“Okay, okay, all right,” Joe tried to calm the room down.

“Best bit of the show,” you cooed, your face too close to his for the company you were in. “Better than dontcha, big boy?” Joe raised his eyebrows at you. You’d gone on about that line endlessly after witnessing Joe ad-lipping it. “Mmmh, maybe not,” you said, leaning in and kissing Joe on the lips. You were instantly met with thrown over pieces of popcorn.

“You’re damn right, it's not.” Joe Keery commented, stuffing the rest of his handful of popcorn into his mouth.

—

The Taglisted: @kiwisa @jasminearondottir @josephquinned @cancankiki @sidthedollface2 @dylanmunson @munsonsgirl71 @alana4610 @emmamooney @xomunson @sadbitchfangirl @jssmth5 @bagelofthelord67 @nobody-000 @lluviamg06 @thatonefan-girl @kylakins88 - add yourself

[larakb117]

LONDON ADVENTURE

Joseph Quinn & female y/n

Summary: You and Joe meet Jamie in New York…

Content Warning: rpf, drinking (don’t worry, Jamie is okay with it!)

Part 13

When you came out of the bathroom, Joe sat in the middle of the bed, still completely naked and obviously waiting for you to come back and lay between his legs, your back to his tummy. His happy trail tickled your lower back. “I think I will text Jen, just to let her know I’m good.” You tapped on your phone revealing the lock screen, which showed the time and date. “Oh love, we met a week ago!”, Joe gasped. “Yeah, we did.” “Best week of my life.”, Joe laid his arms around you even more tight than before. “Joe, don’t exaggerate.”, you looked at him with a straight face. “I don´t.”, he had a sudden serious facial expression. “Joe.”, a wave of self-doubt caught you right by your feet and threw you face forward on the ground. He could not be serious, he just could not be serious. Why would a person like him be attracted to a person like you. You moved away from him and grabbed the blanket to cover you up a bit. These moments came all of a sudden, self-doubt was a big part of your life. The fact that no men had shown the slightest interest in you did not make it better. You always asked yourself what was wrong with you, if you didn’t deserve love. And now it happened again. “What is going on love?”, Joe looked kind of scared. You tried to avoid his gaze. “I´m… I… I´m just….” Y/n! Stop!”, Joe grabbed your wrists and looked you deep in the eyes, he focused so much, that you could not escape his stare. Now Joe could see the tears in your eyes. “I know what is going on. Love, trust me. I´m not joking, you are the best thing that happened to me in a very long time. I love you. I told you yesterday and I´m going to tell you tomorrow, in a week, and in five years. I can´t describe how much you mean to me, how you make me feel. I never felt like this before. I understand that you are sceptical. The things you told me about you, it makes sense to me, but you have to believe me: You are an amazing human, you are beautiful, you are sexy and hot. You are a great story teller, I love how passionate you are about things you love. And that’s just what I can say about you after 7 days of knowing!” You were shocked. “I´m sorry.” That’s everything you were able to say. “Why are you sorry now?”, Joe chuckled. “I don’t know.” “Y/n.” “Thank you.” “For what?” “For blowing my doubts away instantly.” “I love you.” “I love you too.”

You woke up the next morning, Joe wasn’t there with you. On your nightstand you found a little message written on a piece of paper: “Doing press all day, I let you know when I´m done. Enjoy NYC, my love!” It was 9:30 am, the sunlight streamed into the room. You jumped into the shower, washed your hair and got ready to explore some more of New York City. Most of the day you spend in Brooklyn. You started your day trip at Coney Island, took the subway back to the Northern part of Brooklyn and visited the Green Wood Cemetery, the largest one in NYC and ended up in the heart of Dumbo. The last thing you did before returning to the hotel was crossing the Brooklyn Bridge back to Manhattan which was breath-taking, probably one of the best things you had done during that trip. It was already 7 pm when Joe called you, you were on your way from the subway station to the hotel. “Love, I cant believe it!”, he giggled into the phone uncontrollably. “What is going on?”, you loved his laughs and giggles, you just had to join him. “One of my best friends is in New York right now! Can we meet him later?” His question sounded a little bit like begging. “Joe, of course we can! Remember what I said about Gaten?” “Okay, love! Can you come to the Brandy Library, like right now? He´s there!” Joe sounded so excited, which made you excited as well, because damn, this person must mean a lot to him. “Yeah, I get there right now, I´ll text you when I´ll be there.” “Love you!”, cartwheels in your stomach. You googled the way and texted Joe that the way would take about 30 minutes with the subway. You turned around to go back to station and arrived at the bar at around 7:35 pm.

Joe stood in front of the building and greeted you with a tight hug and a loving kiss. “I missed you, y/n.” “You hugged him back trying to pull him closer, but it was simply impossible. Joe was so nervous, he made mini jumps when he loosened your hug and took your hand rapidly to pull you into the bar. He took a look around and when he saw who he was searching for he squeezed your hand even more than he had did before and walked up to the table in a fast speed. On the table there sat a thin man, with shoulder long and ash blonde hair, dressed all in black. He stood up and threw himself at Joe with a big smile, they tightly hugged, like you had did with Joe just a few seconds prior. They clapped each other on their backs, kissed their cheeks and couldn’t stop the chuckles. What was going on? Out of a sudden, Joe interrupted the cuddles and turned to you. “Jamie, that’s y/n.” Jamie gave you his hand and smiled politely, as if you hadn’t experienced that moment which had gone on with Joe. “I´m Jamie, hi. Heard a lot about you.” He was British. You knew him. “Hi, pleasure to meet you.”, you smiled too. Jamie waved his hand to show you both to sit down with him. Joe took your hand right away when you placed it on the table. Jamie looked at you and created a face expression which probably should tell Joe and you that he was happy for you. “Joe, finally!”, he said. “Yes, Jamie, finally!!!” They burst into laughter.

“Let me get us something to drink, I invite you! What do you want?” “Oh, I don’t know. What do you get?” “Probably just some water, I don’t know why I chose this place, they basically don’t have anything else.” You looked through the menu: “Well, Brandy must be good at a Brandy Library Bar.” “Jamie doesn’t drink, love.” “Oh, I´m sorry. Is it okay if I get something alcoholic?” You made a side eye to Joe, who thought back to your date at Sky Garden just like you did. Joe smiled. “Yes, I´m sober for 9 years now, I can deal with alcohol near me.”

You ordered your drinks which came really fast to your table. Joe and Jamie started to chat a bit, why they were in New York right now, how Jamies girlfriend Jess was and some more stuff. “So what do you think about Joe, y/n.” That was a surprising and direct question. “Eeehm.”, you could feel the heat rising in your head, your cheeks blushing. “He´s the best.” Joe pressed your hand a little tighter. “I had the best week of my life with him, not because he took me to New York. Just…” You looked at Joe, he looked at you. “A week? When you told me about her earlier on the phone I could have sworn you know her for at least half a year.”, Jamie chuckled. You still looked at each other, with pure love in your eyes, both of you.

“Oh, damn, Joe, you´re in love.” That teared you out of that little moment between you and Joe. “Yes, I am, pretty madly.”, Joe said to Jamie. “That’s great, I´m happy for you.”, he truly meant that. “So, y/n. You love him too?” “Yes, I really do.” “Did you know him before?” “Yes, to be honest. Heard of him before, but couldn’t figure out from where. It was more his name, than his face.” “Stranger Things?” “Yes.” “So you know me too.” “I think so. You were in Stranger Things too?” Joe interrupted your chat: “He´s Vecna. You should definitely recognize him, they basically have the same face.” Jamie laughed, it was a loud and heart warming laugh like Joe had. “Oh yeah. I did not have to sit in make up for 7 hours to get that face, it was all natural!” Joe burst into laughter.

You loved him even more like this, he seemed really happy. “Oh, Jamie, I missed you so fucking much. How long have we not met now, like at least half a year.” “Well, Mr. Quinn, Man of the year 2022, you´re kind of busy!” “But I don’t understand why we don’t get booked for the same conventions anymore.” “I don’t know, sucks, really, sucks. Give the people what they want I’d say!” “Where are you from, Jamie?” “London, like Joe, that bonds.” “But why can´t you meet some time in London?” Joe explained: “So Jamie´s working in the states a lot, the only times he was in London in the past few months, I was in the states at that time.

“Oh.” , realising that you probably had to go through this at one point in your relationship as well. “But it’s the same every time we meet. It´s like we see each other every day.”, Joe says. “Yeah, we keep in touch over our phones too. But it’s not the same.” Yes, its not the same. How would being intimate look like in a long-distance relationship. Not just the sex, but the cuddles, the kisses, the hugs… Joes love language was physical touch. Would he miss it and fall out of love with you? Again, anxiety creeped up in your stomach, creating a knot in your throat. Joe noticed your nervous face expression and squeezed your knee under the table.

You weren’t able to follow most of the conversation, Joe and Jamie wallowed in memories: the stranger things promo in Brazil, spending time in Tokyo together, and some conventions they did together, but also, some more private stuff, Jamie talked a lot about his relationship. After some drinks and finger food, you three left the bar and said goodbye in front of it on the sidewalk. “It was lovely to meet you, y/n.”, he smiled at you with a wide grin and hugged Joseph. Jamie whispered into his ear, Joe had to chuckle loudly. “Oh, shut the fuck up.”, Joe said while laughing. Jamie left with a taxi and waved out of the car window. “Should we go for a walk, love?” “Yes.”, you replied. He grabbed your hand and started walking. “What did he just say to you, Joe?” Joe grinned again: “I´m sorry, I can´t tell you.”

To be continued…

taglist: @eviethetheatrefreak @keirasreplies

[messrsbyler]

Okay so I'm probably forgetting about a moment here, but I was thinking about the way Mike comforts people when they need him.

In season 1, ep 1, when we get the first scene of Troy and his friend bullying the party they target all of them with name-calling, but then they shift their attention specifically to Dustin (thank you Em for pointing this put hehe) and they make him do "the arm thing" since both Dustin and Gaten have cleidocranial dysplasia which is a genetic condition affecting bone (particularly the skull and collarbones) and teeth development (basically, Troy and his friend are being a pair of ableist fuckers). Then they leave and Mike turns to Dustin and says:

"I think it's kind of cool. It's like you have superpowers or something. Like... Mister Fantastic!"

To which Dustin replies:

"Yeah, except I can't fight evil with it"

This maybe showing that even though Mike is trying to comfort his friend, the words don't make a huge impact because of how fantastical and out of reach they are.

Then, on episode 6 of the same season we have the moment when Mike jumps off the cliff and El saves him. And then when Troy and his friend run away, El collapses and says to Mike:

"Mike, I'm sorry." "Sorry? What are you sorry for?" "The gate. I opened it. I'm the monster." "No. No, El, you are not the monster. You saved me, do you understand? You saved me."

In this case, Mike says exactly what El needs to hear. She's not the monster and it can be proven by the way El went out of her way to save Mike. But then we see how this idea shifts from "you are not the monster" to "you are a superhero" which instead of comforting El it adds a new weight on her shoulders and a new title that keeps her from finding out who she truly is.

On season 2, when Will gets possessed by the Shadow Monster, Mike comforts him telling him that:

"Think about it Will. You are like a spy now. A super spy. Spying on the Shadow Monster."

Mike uses the word super again, which would make Will the third person (unless I missed another scene) Mike comforts by putting this big word on them. Of course, then we have El and Mike on season 4 during their fight:

"I mean, what is this? You can't let those mouthbreathers ruin you. Ruin us. They are nobody. And you are a superhero."

So, that got me thinking. Why is Mike fixated so much with what's super? And then I remembered something my old therapist told me. And that's that we comfort people the way we want to be comforted, because it's what we think the others might need. Now, I don't know if that's a golden rule, probably not. But what if that's what Mike is doing here?

What if whenever Mike needed to be comforted but found himself alone because his family didn't take the time to check on him, he ached for someone to come and tell him that things would be fine because he had the power to make them fine on his own? What if Mike wanted in his vulnerable moments for someone to make him feel like a superhero, like he will be able to get through whatever is going on no matter what because superheroes never lose, because superheroes can protect the ones they love and as we know Mike is a caretaker (which, uhm, isn't basically that what superheroes are too?).

What if that's what Mike thinks he needs, and that's why he comforts people like that most times? But then, when he allows himself to be vulnerable as well, when he steps down from the caretaker position and levels up with the person he wants to give comfort to, Mike actually understand how to console them. We see this in the crazy together scene. Mike doesn't tell Will that his episodes could be a superpower. He listens to Will, and then feels comfortable enough to be vulnerable himself, and when he says he feels like he is going crazy and Will says he feels the same, instead of going all the way to care for Will, Mike meets him in the middle so instead they take care of each other.

"Well, if we are going crazy then we'll go crazy together."

In this scene Mike isn't Will's caretaker, he's his best friend and is on a one-on-one dynamic with him, so they both can find a balance and find each other there.

And then in season 4 when Mike is in need of being comforted, Will approaches him in a way that isn't how Mike thinks he needs to be supported. Will doesn't tell Mike he's like a superhero, being the leader of the party, saving him from the Upside Down and being on the first line whenever they have to deal with all that bullshit. Will tells Mike something much more human, his words are much more reachable. He tells Mike he's the heart, the one that keeps the Party together, and that without him they would all fall apart. Will doesn't give Mike a new super title, he just reminds Mike what he's been all along. And we get that shot of Mike looking so openly and vulnerable at Will, taking in the words, understanding them and letting them reach him.

What if Mike feels like he needs to be a superhero as well, and Will is there to remind him that he's the heart already, and that that's what they all need. Not another Mr. Fantastic or another Captain America. Just Mike, leading the Party on, and keeping them together.

[spookyswiftie111]

Enchanted - Joe Keery

Warnings: Angst. implied sumt, language.

Author's note: Here is the first part of the Enchanted series with Joe!! Hope you all enjoy. Dress is part two, so watch out for it soon! :)

“There I was again tonight. Forcing laughter, faking smiles. Same old tired, lonely place. Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy, vanished when I saw your face. All I can say is, it was enchanting to meet you. Your eyes whispered, have we met. 'Cross the room your silhouette starts to make its way to me.”

I got my dream job a year ago and met my dream guy, but it’s not the basic happily ever after you hear in the fairytales or see in the Disney Movies. My job created many sleepless nights, and my dream guy may have possibly had a girlfriend. We hit it off as soon as we met and became best friends instantly. He was who I called when I needed comfort and when I needed company. I met Joe when I became a production assistant on his show, Stanger Things. I worked closely with him and the cast, but Joe became my other half. We were always taking lunches together and hanging out in his trailer between takes. I was in love with him, but he had no clue and after seeing him with some brunette for over six months, I felt it was best to keep it that way. Tonight, was the premiere for the new season and I was beyond excited to see him all cleaned up and classically handsome. I wore my favorite red sparkly dress, curled my hair, and finished the look with a classic red lip. I felt like I was Marilyn Monroe attending a Hollywood premiere, but I was going alone. I walked the red carpet with some of my coworkers and chatted with all their dates. I tried to seem happy and like I was truly enjoying myself, but I only wanted to be here with one person, Joe.

“Hey kiddo, have you seen Joe yet?” I ask walking up to Gaten before he grabs me into a hug.

“Y/N! You look beautiful tonight. I believe he just arrived; he should be at the front of the carpet.” Gaten says smiling and pointing to the front of the carpet.

I turned around and seen Joe looking more handsome than I could ever imagined. He was in a basic black suit, with a red tie that matched my dress, almost like he read my mind. But the most surprising (and exciting part) was that he arrived alone. His usual brunette arm candy was nowhere to be seen. Me and Joe finally locked eyes and as if he knew I needed him, he came running to me, by passing all the reporters yelling his name for pictures or interviews.

“My girl! Holy smokes, you look amazing.” Joe says finally reaching me and wrapping me in a hug that makes my stomach erupt with butterflies. He holds my shoulders and admires my dress, before locking eyes with me again and smiling.

“Joey! You look dang handsome yourself.” I say placing a kiss on his cheek and accidentally leaving a bright red lip mark on his cheek.

“Shit! I’m sorry, I forgot about my lipstick.” I say laughing as I wipe it away and notice my cheeks becoming red.

“I don’t mind at all having proof a pretty girl gave me a kiss.” Joe says, his cheeks turning equally as red. My stomach turned at the flirting he was putting off tonight. Was I just playing tricks on myself, or did I finally have a chance with the boy I have been in love with since I first met him over a year ago. I felt every inch of insecurity and hopelessness leave my body now that I was with Joe.

“I think I pissed some reporters off by finding you. Want to come with me and walk the carpet properly?” He asked grabbing my hand and squeezing it. Joe could always read my mind. Its like he knew when I was feeling down or alone, and tonight was no exception.

“I would love to, Joey.” I said squeezing his hand back in reassurance. We walked the red carpet and Joe made sure I was on his arm for every picture. I felt like I was getting a glimpse of what it would be like to be Joe’s girl for real. I was brought back to reality when a reporter yelled, “Look! It’s our favorite set of best friends!” as Joe and I were walking past. Of course, Joe was my best friend and I never wanted to lose him, but I wish he knew how much I had fallen in love with him and how much I wanted to be everyone’s favorite couple.

“The playful conversation starts. Counter all your quick remarks, like passing notes in secrecy. And it was enchanting to meet you. All I can say is, I was enchanted to meet you. This night is sparkling, don't you let it go. I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home. I'll spend forever wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you.”

After we finally got to our seats for the showing, we were both exhausted from all the questions. Joe and I had a secret language that only the both of us understood. We spent many days on set joking and making fun of each other so much that it became second nature. Joe grabbed my hand midway through the screening when he could tell I was getting tired.

“Remember this scene? We could not film it for laughing so much at me having to take my shirt off.” Joe leans over and whispers in my ear. I start laughing remembering my cat calling and whistles that caused everyone in the scene to laugh and join along, which caused the whole scene to take way longer than we wanted.

“What can I say, Mr. Keery, I was just saying what we were all thinking.” I say as I nudged my head into his neck. He settles his head on top of mine while we finish watching the showing.

“You look beautiful tonight” Joe says placing a kiss on my head. My heart dropped into my stomach as my thoughts raced. Was I dreaming all his flirty remarks, or have we become so comfortable together that we say things without thinking. I grabbed his hand and squeezed it as my way of saying thank you.

The after party followed the showing and I mingled around the room without Joe for a bit. I was becoming anxious with the crowd and began to worry where Joe was or who he was with.

“Hey, pretty girl, you thirsty?” I heard someone say behind me and all my worries were gone once I noticed the familiar voice.

“I. Am. Dying” I say laughing and grabbing the wine glass from Joe, then taking a large swig.

“Slow down there hot stuff” he says grabbing me by my waist and pulling me in. My heart caught in my throat at his pet name and the way his hand fit perfectly on my curves.

“Can I be serious for a moment, Joey?” I say lying my head on his shoulder.

“Always” He says laying his head on top of mine.

“You always make me feel so comfortable at these types of things and I would not want to go anywhere without you” I say taking another swig of my wine.

“Ditto. You’re my absolute best friend”. He says placing a small kiss on my head. My heart dropped when he said best friend. Of course, we were but I yearned so badly to be more. Did he not want to? Maya sees us cuddled up by the bar and comes over with the biggest smile.

“Is it finally official?” She says giving me a hug once I released from Joe’s grasp.

“Is what official?” Joe says with a slight chuckle.

“You two! We have had bets on how long it would take, since apparently you two are the only ones who don’t know you are in love” she says. Joe clears his throat and I notice his mood shift.

“What? Us? Nope. Just best friends” I say forcing a smile.

“Yep, nothing to see here. Excuse me for a minute” Joe says running his hands through his hair. I watch as he walks away to the back.

“What was that all about?” Maya says, a concerned look forming on her face.

“I honestly have no idea. Maybe it’s just him who isn’t in love” I say, feeling tears forming in my eyes.

“Hey, hey, what’s wrong?” Maya says taking me to sit at one of the tables.

“Can I be honest with you?” I say, wiping my tears

“Of course!” Maya says, leaning to grab my hands

“I am so in love with that man and all he wants to be is best friends. I’m surprised his arm candy didn’t come tonight” I say looking to the ground.

“She has nothing on you. You have that man’s heart, he just has to admit it to himself” Maya says. I notice Joe emerge from the back and head over to us.

“The lingering question kept me up, 2 AM, who do you love? I wonder 'til I'm wide awake and now I'm pacing back and forth, wishing you were at my door. I'd open up and you would say, "Hey" It was enchanting to meet you”. All I know is, I was enchanted to meet you. This night is sparkling, don't you let it go, I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home. I'll spend forever wondering if you knew that this night is flawless, don't you let it go. I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone. I'll spend forever wondering if you knew, I was enchanted to meet you. This is me praying that this was the very first page. Not where the story line ends. My thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again. These are the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon. I was enchanted to meet you. Please don't be in love with someone else, please don't have somebody waiting on you.”

“I think I’m going to head home, I am exhausted” I say as Joe returns to the table. He can tell something is on my mind, but this time he doesn’t ask what.

“Do you need any company on the ride home? I can call us a cab” Joe asks, grabbing my hand and squeezing it in his knowing way.

“I’m okay, I can just call a cab and call it a night. Thank you, handsome” I say, kissing Joe’s cheek.

“Anything for my girl” he says wrapping me in one final hug. I look over to Maya who is smiling at the exchange with an I told you so look to me. Joe walks me to the cab.

“Listen, about what Maya said…” He begins.

“No, it’s all okay. Don’t worry about it. I’ll see you tomorrow for our movie night?” I say smiling and squeezing his shoulder.

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world” Joe says opening the car door for me. I climb in as Joe shuts the door and I smile at tonight’s events. All of the flirting Joe did and how clingy he was to my body. All of the looks exchanged across the room between the two of us. I began to blush and smile at how lucky I am to have Joe in my life, even if it is just as a best friend. I begin to wonder if I take up as much space in his mind when we aren’t together as he does mine. I get home to my empty apartment that overlooks New York City. I texted Joe to let him know I made it home. I grab a glass of wine and sit down to read a book by the window illuminating my apartment with the lights of NYC, still in tonight’s dress, too exhausted to take it off. I checked my phone and Joe never replied, which is not like him, but my guess was his lady showed up after I left the party. My heart sank at this thought, and I hoped I wasn’t right. The thought of him taking her home and touching her body the way I dreamed of at night made my stomach turn. I hear a knock at my door that breaks my train of thought. I wasn’t expecting anyone, so I get up and open the door.

“Listen to me and don’t say a word” It was Joe pushing past me into my apartment.

“About what Maya said…” He began

“Joe, I said it’s fine….” But he shuts me up with his lips crashing onto mine. I feel like I am in a dream as my head spins.

“I said don’t say a word, damn it.” Joe says breaking the kiss. I blush and suddenly cower in his now dominate presence.

“I am so in love with you, Y/N. I have been since the moment we met. I never admitted this to you for the fear I would lose you as a friend and I could not bear the thought of my life without you” Joe says pulling me in close, touching his forehead to mine.

“But I don’t care anymore. I am so damn in love with you, Y/N and no other girl compares to you.” He says staring deep into my eyes with those big hazel puppy dog eyes.

“Can I talk now?” I say giggling as Joe wraps his hands around my waist, causing me to shiver at his touch.

“The floor is all yours, beautiful” He says smiling down at me.

“I am so damn in love with you too, Joesph David Keery. I always have been. You are not only my best friend, but the absolute love of my life. It has been a tortuous 6 months watching you with another girl” I say, grabbing his hands to lead him to the couch.

“You have no idea how magical you have made my night. You looked like a princess tonight you know that? My princess” He says crashing his lips onto mine again. This time it’s more aggressive and needy. I know exactly what Joe wants and so do I.

“Joey, Baby?” I say breaking our kiss.

“Mhmmmhm?” He says pushing me further down on the couch, his hands becoming more and more needy and roaming every inch of my body.

“Take me to my bedroom and make up for every moment you never confessed your love to me” I say taking his hand to lead him to my corner bedroom.

“I’d love you for the rest of our lives if you asked me to, baby girl” Joe says following in behind me.

To be continued…..

[booradleysgf]

i saw a poll abt Gaten Matarazzo and Joe Locke’s Toby the other day and even though I haven’t found a full recording of Joe’s performance I think that Gaten is the better Toby AND I HAVE MY REASONS!!!!! this has nothing to do with either of them as people, but i do just think that Gaten having experience in theater definitely shows throughout his performance. while Joe is incredibly sympathetic in the way he approaches Toby, I feel as though he’s just sort of scampering around the stage with a really good singing voice. he’s not really making choices, and if he is, they don’t translate well from the stage. Gaten’s performance is so good because he’s making choices that you can see. his comedy is the result of the way he delivers his performance, whereas Joe’s comedy comes from the lines themselves and the situations. there’s a moment in act i where Sweeney reaches over to tap his leg and—probably because of his experience with Pirelli—he immediately moves out of the way so as not to be so close to him. at the end of act ii when Toby and Sweeney have their scene, it’s very clear that Gaten is making choices with his inflections and movements and the way he goes about things. the way he sings the nursery rhyme, the way he moves into his spot for the light cue, the seamless transition with the blood whereas—in the performance I saw Joe you can tell he’s holding something in his hands until it goes in his pocket. now, to be fair I’ve only seen one performance of each, but then again that’s what you have to go off in theater. the biggest thing is the difference between their “Not While I’m Around” performances. again, they’re both super duper talented and I’m not comparing their singing abilities or anything like that, merely just the way they both embody the same character. Joe delivers a really touching and simple performance, very little movement and what movement he makes feels very necessary to moving the scene along. nothing wrong with that!! in Gaten’s version he uses his body the entire time, taking up space, moving around, really showing the kind of desperation that is needed for this song. he’s incredibly deliberate with everything, but not in a way that’s difficult to watch or clunky. that’s all I have for you folks… this is just my little rant, i thought I’d share. if anyone has any other thoughts or opinions I’d love to hear them :))

[sunnyie-eve]

Celebrity Crush || Interviews Day 1

Paring: Joseph Quinn x Original female costar

Word Count: 2134

Summary: It’s the first day of many for season 4 interviews

Warnings: cute interactions

A/N: For this I’ll be using my OFC in Trouble in Hawkins for this OFC to play her.

Last: Premiere | Next: Theories & More

"Look who's last to show up." Maya says as I walk into the room. "There were some problems with the car." I take my seat between her and Natalia. "Presley is always last to show up." Joe says making me turn to look back at him, "I am not!" I slap his knee. "Sometimes..." Joseph adds making me turn the other way to look back at him. "You know what... I may be last but I'm still always on time. I've never been late." I turn back around to face the front. "That's a fair point." Natalia gives me a pass. Before the long interviews start, the five of us just sit on our phones bored.

Joseph: You just had to wear green pants too.

I look back at him and realized he was wearing green pants as well.

Presley: I look better.

I send him the text and he lets out a chuckle before we're told it's time to get ready. The first question was about Maya and Natalia working together since last season they had no scenes of them together really. "Joe, Steve's storyline in the first few episodes is about him trying to figure out his own love life. I'm curious what you think Steve needs?" The guys asks him so I look back some to look at him. "A swift kick in the butt." He says making us laugh. "He literally has the perfect girl in front of him and he messed it up and needs to fix it." He answers. He then asks Joseph what was it like jumping into the show and he tells him it was great because he felt comfortable with us. "What can you guys tell me about the big bad this season, Vecna?" The asks us. "Sexy." Maya says making me cover my mouth from laughing too loud. "He's not good." Joe adds. "Cruel with how he kills." I add and the others agree.

We have a few minutes before the next person so I get a drink of water. "I think I actually pull off the green pants better." Joseph walks up beside me. "What makes you think that though?" I tilt my head looking at him. "People can actually see my pants on camera not you. So that means I look better." He gives me a smile. "It doesn't work that way." We go back to our seats for the next interview. "Who always nails it in the first take?" The man asks us. "Priah, Gaten and Presley." They all say so I agree with them. "Who is the last one to always leave their trailer?" I point back again the Joe's. "Wig and something else." I say and they agree. "Oh right, yeah." Joe nods his head. Slowly I start to zone out but still listen to the man just nodding my head. "Yeah, we do laugh a lot." I agree with Maya. "Presley, usually starts the fun with Gaten." Joe adds.

The next lady asks on a scale 1-10 how scary the show was and how dark it got. "It was so fun seeing the friendship between Steve and Skylar, then last season the both of them with Robin. Now this season we get Robin and Nancy and Eddie and Skylar." She goes on about the girls being together and not about Sky and Eddie once so I speak up. "I'd like to add I like how the brothers give the viewers some knowledge of that Eddie and Sky already being sort of distant friends so their friendship being close this season wasn't too random." I speak up looking back at Joseph. "Yeah, that knowledge for us made us working together easier." Joseph nods his head.

"I actually really love the chemistry between Eddie and Skylar... If you guys were a viewer watching the show who would you pick Skylar to be with?" She asks us. "Wow, that's a tough one... if I was a viewer, I'd probably pick Steve. Only because we've seen their relationship change and grow throughout the last three seasons." Natalia looks at the three of us. "That's true. From the whole enemies to friends to lovers trope." Maya agrees. "Steve, because they've been through a lot. He just needs to man up and fix their relationship. As a viewer you can tell they love each other." Joe answers. "As a viewer Steve but being biased I say Eddie." Joseph laughs. "Great, it's my turn now..." I laugh thinking about it, "I would say I don't care." I answer truthfully. "Really?" The lady asks. "I say that because I see she has chemistry with both. Yeah, there's more history with Steve but one; he cheated on her. Two; he's taking his time trying to fix his mistake and their relationship. With Steve taking his time it lets there be more time where Sky and Eddie think about their feelings for each other. So I don't care because she's good with both."

"Presley, how was it for you playing a character who has boy problems?" The next lady laughs. "Weird because I never have that problem. I've never had so many guys like me one after another." I laugh. "Wait, are you saying guys don't find you attractive?" Joe asks shocked. "My whole like I grew up as the ugly friend and people reminded me daily." I nod my head. "Bet they take it back now." Joseph says making me laugh, "One did apologize." I tell him. She asks if we had all the power and control what would we manifest for our character. "Maya I feel like you would have a great answer for that." Joe puts the spot light on her. "I think I would like to umm, have a powerful love story with Nancy Wheeler but she chooses Jonathan instead of me. Also I die sacrificing myself to the monster just for trauma to being Steve and Skylar back together." She answers the questions. "That's exactly what I was gonna say." Joe jokes. "I'd say for everyone just to have a ending they deserve. Eddie goes through stuff and I feel sorry for the dude. Robin needs to find love, Nancy needs to realize she doesn't need a man, Steve and Skylar need to become best friends again." I answer.

It felt like the interviews got longer and long as time with on because I was getting so tired. "Whose performance blew you away this season?" We're asked. "My baby Sadie Sink and then I'd say this lovely man to behind me to my left." I turn towards Joseph patting his knee." I say happy with my answer. Who has the best taste in music was next. "Me. Because I'm offended when people don't like my music." I laugh. "I think I am sitting with three people who have very distinct very good taste in music." Natalia says then gives me a smile. "I'm joking it's four. Presley listens to like everything so you never know what you get when she shuffles music." She says and the others agree.

"Would you rather rent a movie, play D&D, or hit the roller rink?" We're asked. "Rent a movie. I suck at D&D and I can't roller-skate." I answer. "Your asking a room full of actors if whether or not we're watching a movie or do anything else. I think the answers probably watch movies." Maya answer. "What 80's movie would you rent?" The next question is asked. "Either The Labyrinth or Lost Boys." I smile then Joseph says any by John. "Who makes you laugh the most on set?" He asks us. "We have a lot of laughs in set. That's the best part about this show. That's pretty much all we do." Joe says. "It's very true but picking a person I pick Gaten." I laugh.

Finally when we were done we clap our hands because sitting in these chairs were hell. "I'm starving." I get up stretching my arms. "Do you wanna go out for lunch?" Joseph walks up beside me. "Do I wanna go out for lunch? Like with you?" I ask turning to face him. "Or you can go have it alone. Whatever you prefer." He says with a smile making me laugh. "Do you have anything in mind?" I ask as I get my things together. "Not really. Do you?" He asks as I put my bag over my shoulder. "Anyplace with breadsticks. I really want some breadsticks." I let him know. "I think we can find place with breadsticks for you.” He chuckles. “Yes.” I clap my hands excited.

We find a place to eat at before we leave then go in our separate cars. “Table for two, please.” I tell the hostess and they take us to a table. “You were determined to talk about Skylar and Eddie earlier during that one interviewer.” Joseph speaks as we look through the menu. “Because I didn’t want you left out. She brought it up but only talked to Maya and Natalia. Why bring up our characters if you’re not going to talk to us about them.” I tell him and he just nods his head with a slight smile. As soon as the breadsticks hit the table a huge grin spreads across my face. “Come to mama.” I reach for one as see Joseph laughing at me. “What?” I ask with a slight frown confused.

“Come to mama and your smile… it’s cute since it’s for breadsticks.” He takes one himself. “Because I love them. Especially the ones with mozzarella cheese in them. Mmm, I love them.” I think about them. “Are you looking forward to sitting in a chair for hours tomorrow again?” He asks as we wait for our food. “I just hope they don’t ask the same questions over and over. It’s so tiring. Then it sucks when people catch on and realize you’re annoyed of the same question because your answer gets flatter and flatter.” I explain with a sigh. “Then they get mad at you for seeming rude when you’re just tried if repeating yourself.” He says making nod my head agreeing.

As we eat we and the restaurant got slightly more crowed a few people started to recognize us but we ignored them. “Oh, back to the topic on interviews tomorrow… what do you plan on wearing so we don’t match. I have to make sure I look better than you.” I joke with him. “Maybe tan colors. I don’t know yet.” He makes a face laughing. “So boring got.” I laugh at him. “What all are you doing tomorrow?” He asks. “I have a friendship test with Sadie, theories and the rest of the interviews with y’all. Then the following day I have a wired autocomplete by myself along with my first. Sadie is doing those tomorrow, I believe. Along with Noah and Gaten for the wired autocomplete.” I give him the run down.

“You’re a very busy person.” He says as we finish up. “I’m not normally. Since the second season that’s when my schedule slowly got longer. Us older ones are never as busy as the kids since the show is mainly about them. Makes me happy I’m not their age.” I laugh then pay for both of our meals. “I could have paid for mine. You didn’t have to do that. Plus I asked if you want to come have lunch.” Joseph gives me a look. “But it was my idea to come eat so that’s why I paid. And I’m just being a good person.” We stand up from our table. “Next time we eat… I’m paying, got that.” He points his finger at me so I laugh at him. “Fine, you can pay next time we have lunch together.” I say as we go outside to our rides. “See you tomorrow at work.” He waves goodbye to me.

As I get into the vehicle I get a text from a friend saying a fan posted a picture of Joseph and I eating and now people think we were on a date. “God. Can two people of the opposite sex not have lunch together without people thinking their on a date?” I ask out loud. “Everyday people can but when you’re a celebrity no. The public will automatically assume things.” My driver speaks up making me look up at him. “I didn’t ask for you input James.” I say with a chuckle. “You spoke out loud Miss Presley. In a form of a question, might I add.” He now chuckles looking at me from the mirror. “Fine, you win.” I put my hands up. “That’s what now? Six to five?” I roll my eyes at him. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You’re ahead by one point.”

[demadogs]

How are the actors reacting to Ronance and Steddie? 😳 compared to Byler?

they just talk about those ships with way more humor and comfortableness and they never attempt to veer the conversation away from the question. actually they often bring it up on their own. for ronance especially, maya and natalia have both made comments about their characters being lovers and dying in each others arms and how they both ship it. we would never see comments like this about any other potential future couple, it would be a spoiler. it’d be as if in season one they talked about jancy this way, or in season two they talked about jopper this way. if they talked about byler like this i genuinely wouldnt believe it would be happening. as for steddie, joseph has said he ships it and when gaten was asked what the next st couple will be he said steddie. again, we’d never see this for real future couples.

the thing is that finn isnt talking about byler like noah at all but that cant just be because he’s not as into it as him because he treats questions about mlvn the same way. noah answers what he can but finn tries to completely steer the conversation which makes sense because his character is in the middle of the love triangle. noah can talk because we all know his characters feelings but if finn talked about byler the way noah does it would be suspicious because right now the audience isnt supposed to know how he feels or at the very least, be questioning his true feelings for el.

i think the way he answers mlvn questions is actually more telling than the byler questions because mlvn in the show has had their big i love you moment but THEYRE STILL NOT TAKING ABOUT IT. now look at that in comparison to winona and david for jopper. jopper finally got together and in interviews we’ve seen them happily talking about it. imagine if we got those happy first kisses and then they were asked whats in store for jopper next season and they were just like “ohh im not sure umm yeah well heres an answer to a completely different question”. thats whats happening to mlvn right now. they had their “big moment” and theyre still not being talked about or celebrated. finn was asked whats next for mlvn and he started talking about who will stay in hawkins and he just wants everyone to be happy when he couldve easily said some mushy thing about mlvn.