#catching up with my recorded eps of

[thissying]

Ah, a box house with wood cladding. How unique, we sure haven't seen that yet!

[exc-lsior]

“i think i’m going to try to speak to the rats” what a fucking opening line 💀💀 callie you’re incredible

[lesbianseaweed]

it took me 7yrs but I've finally watched every single episode of Adventure Time

[breannacasey]

I'm moving in two weeks and I'm not gonna pay for tv so I'll have to actually remember which shows I watch so I can catch up on them on Fridays.

[incorrectquoteswwdits]

I know we have the Masterpost but an Anon has also sent me this really detailed summary of the episodes!!!

Spoilers follow! WILL spoil you on the background and things that we were missing/any gaps in Episode 1 or 2. Big thanks to Anon! Thanks for typing this out!

@azirafuck if you’d like to add this to the masterpost feel free!

“Spoiler that I haven't seen mentioned yet and you might be interested in: The reason Crowley and Aziraphale are involved in Nina and Maggie's love life is because Aziraphale lies to Michael, Uriel, and Saraqael.

Long babbling explanation with lots of background on Maggie/Nina:

Aziraphale is Maggie's landlord because her record shop used to be part of Aziraphale's bookshop and he still owns that part of the building. Maggie is super behind on rent but Aziraphale doesn't care and has to convince her to let him forgive her debt in exchange for an £8 record. They seem to be pretty friendly and she special orders records for him. She is infatuated with Nina but they barely know each other.

Early in the day of ep 1, Maggie goes to Nina's for a coffee, they talk briefly about the record shop (Nina thinks it's dumb because no one buys records anymore). They're interrupted by the naked man in the street.

Gabriel goes to the bookshop and talks with Aziraphale. Aziraphale invites Crowley to the coffee shop to try and tell him (insert the sneak peek).

Crowley doesn't want to be involved and doesn't want Aziraphale to be involved. He tries to convince Aziraphale to just drop Gabriel off somewhere and when Aziraphale says no he gets mad and storms out. (Other sneak peek) He smokes it the street and then shoots out lighting that cuts power and cell service in Nina's shop.

Meanwhile, Maggie has gone back to the shop to gift Nina a Nina Simone record, but Nina just says she doesn't have anything to play it on. Nina also at this point mentions she has an overbearing partner at home who will be upset if she's home late so she's trying to hurry Maggie out. But when the power goes out Nina's security system automatically engages and locks them in. They're stuck in there a few hours, Nina pulls out some wine and Maggie admits that she's never really drank or partied, wasn't ever wild as a teenager, etc. Eventually Crowley comes back, they're able to get his attention, and he fixes the power. Nina's partner has sent her many texts and voicemails angry and anxious that she's late.

That night, Aziraphale and Crowley perform a miracle to hide Gabriel that they think is small and unnoticeable (if we each do half a miracle neither side will notice) but it ends up being massive and heaven notices.

The next day, Gabriel, despite not being able to remember anything, starts singing Everyday. Aziraphale doesn't know the song so he goes to Maggie to ask her about it. She starts gushing to him about how embarrassed she is for trying to give Nina the record and everything she admit the night before and how in love she is but it's stupid because Nina has a partner anyway. Aziraphale kind of brushes it off, saying they will discuss later because he needs to know about the song. She gives him the record and tells him about the pub. (She keeps sending them records for their juke box, they keep sending them back because they all just end up playing Everyday)

Almost immediately after, Michael, Uriel, and Saraqael show up at the bookshop to question him about the miracle. He lies and says the miracle was to make Nina and Maggie fall in love. Michael says they're going to send someone to check on that. Aziraphale tells Crowley and they decide that they need to make Maggie and Nina actually fall in love before heaven finds out about the lie. Crowley says they need to catch them in the rain so they get wet and huddle under an awning and Aziraphale says they need to throw a grand ball like in a Jane Austen novel. (They seem to settle on trying both, but neither happens in ep 1 or 2)”

(MY NOTES: AHHH??? NINA AND MAGGIE??? MAGGIE IN LOVE WITH NINA WITHOUT HER EVEN KNOWING HER?!! NINA ALREDY HAS A PARTNER?!! A BALL OMG WE ARE GOING TO SEE A GRAND BALL IN THAT EPISODE PLANNED FOR N AND M, BUT CROWLEY AND AZIRAPHALE WILL JUST LOOK AT EACH OTHER I STG

[coniangray]

St5 teaser breakdown

(cus im bored) (spoilers, duh....i think)

All these clips are from the first 2 eps cus ofc they wont wanna spoil more that early into production. Like imagine if this felt too much of a sneak peak, the season is gonna be HUGE and this will feel like the 0.00001% of what it actually is lmao.

The school scenes:

i think first scenes, all from episode one.

The boys will catch a signal from the radio the night prior, paralleling s2e1

but this time either will lives with the wheelers or hes at the radio station and they contact from there.

the signal might be near a military base OR

its henrys signal that needs decoding excactly like the scoop troops did in st3.

So, the dynamics here are gonna be reminicent of both s2 and s3e2.

some quotes like "what are you doing on this channel again" and ''I cracked it", "cracked what?","I cracked the code" are also gonna make the cut. This scene will be paralelled with either mike or dustin, since these two were the brain of the party.

BONUS:

And what did robin also figure out in s4? Oh, wait-

I dont actually know what this code is, but i know it needs all four of them to solve it. And what if, in the background of the signal they catch up on little dream of me playing in the background?

The daisy song being broadcasted was accidental; the russians werent planning on including it there or they just did it as a distraction (they might have recorded the code within the crowd of the mall in brought daylight.) So what if the music, even if there is one at the background, is accidental too? After all, this song is mentioned as victors safe space because he called ella fitzgerald an angel, not henrys.

It all has to do with vecna at the end of the day, given how will touches his neck and feels him. This is an early sign of the symptoms, given how later, after school, they grow bigger and wider, giving will his first vision of the day:

And i dont even need to tell yall what this scene paralels lol

same table, but not same tree.

The code solving talk still continues here, because of how convenient it is to have will see the clock, zone out, walk towards it while the rest of the group talks about vecna and him capturing his victims in manipulative ways. In this scene they will bring up metaphors and allegories, just like they did with chrissy and eddie "do you ever feel like youre losing your mind?","i feel like im going crazy right now, doing a deal with the queen of hawkins high".

Also, like eddie said, this place promises safety because no o ne ever goes out there. SO, my bet is, mike chose they go there since eddie mustve told him right before he died.

bet hell say sth between the lines of "We have to go somewhere private. Somewhere no one can hear us." and thatll be most likely during lunch.

And thats where the bullies come in.

In order to continue their scenes out there, they mustve been interrupted by andy and jasons squad, and teased as to what they were doing with the radio on the table, given the leaks we got back in january or mike and dustin being followed by them.

no i have a feeling that during this arguement (after lunch and before the table scene), andy will attack mike and dustin and will will hopefully give a punch, paraleling el and angela in s4 and joyce in s3. This is my guess here, but i hope its true cus poor boy needs to throw hands with sb.

Spoiler alert it might not happen that day cus all of them are safe and sound without a scratch in the table woods scene.

After the woods scene, dustin visits eddied grave with his bike, which vandalized to the gods and guess who did it; thats right the bullies.

which will probably paralel maxs scene on billys grave

I wanna believe we get a heartfelt speech about his and mikes relationship with eddie, warming the ground for more eddie flashbacks to come. No, he wont get vecnad here, but rather found and beaten up by andi and the bullies, cus he was seen with a bruised face later on

and yes, the projector scene is also from the same day.

Another interesting thing to point out here is how the duffers said that our characters will start the season in action, so all the el scenes fighting vecna in the upside down and all the lights flickering, theyre all from the first 2 episodes.

After school and after the graveyard, with propably a few new scenes taking place in the middle, they all go to the new station set, and as it seems the byers are doing a presentation??

Probably from their experience in the uspide down, or most likely explaining sth about vecnas connection.

Orrr its a group thing, idk.

The thing is, dustin is beaten up standing next to steve. My bets are that hell notice dustin is hurt and make a huge deal about it, argue with the party on why he was found like that in the first place.

This would also be a chance to bring up the dynamics from the previous seasons and their flaws, aka dustin being with steve more time than he was with the party or others.

The thing is, in the same scene we see this;

M4tt showing n0ah how to choke.

Things most likely get heated in this scene, and that triggers wills connection with vecna. The mindflayer activates, and he becomes like billy.

And who else flayed choked sb else prior to this?

LETS GO BABY WE ROLL !!

Will will attack someone, most likely steve, cus he was also shown beaten up later in the teaser, especially in the car scene with nancy n johnathan.

Which leads us to this leak;

Its night, right outside the radio station. My guess is that steve tries to escape but part of him stays cus hell its will that attacks, that boy is harmless, right? While will is just there, chocking him and bagginf him to run.

Its the perfect lead up imo; first he feels the mf getting closer, then he has the vision and then he gets activated.

i feel like this is the cliffhanger between e1 and e2, since it would be perfect to have us waiting for steves safety and wills sanity for the next episode.

Bonus bonus;

Nancys Candy striper outfit

Going undercover in ep 1 was not on mybingo card, so im guessing shes an actual vollunteer at the hospital, because shed have to gain trust in order to sneak in and steal files.

but then again, why from tyhe hospital? all this place has ws maxs condition, which was already known to her and the rest of the team.

Involving her with such type of environment is simply to create more paraelels from the hmh scenes in s3.

Now, we also got this leak from april, and its most likely for ep4

the vollunteer is obviously nancy, but for her to return to that outfit, shell have to wear it again. So that means what i said, she became a vollunteer to gain trust and steal the proper files from the turnbows mansion thats connected to the lab.

Wills outfit also indicates its from a later episode.

As for the hopper scenes, idk a lot to break it down. And for el, this must be in ep 1 since this is unfinished bussiness from the piggyback if u nthink abt it

Thats it, hope you enjoyed my brain fart and i hope im right.

[cure-orchid]

So I know the show recently ended, but I ended up binging through TGAMM and loved it! The Ghost Friends are all mood and the Mollie ship is adorable. Then I learned about the Chairman Ollie arc for the scrapped third season and IT WOULD HAVE BEEN SO COOL TO SEE!

I ended up writing down how I would imagine the story arc going down, and I headcanon that several of the planned season 3 eps (minus the ones that would clash with the finale) happened between JVTHM and The End (Ollie knowing about the wraith memory loss and how he says it could have hinted that it already occurred.)

My Chairman Ollie plotline: It starts with what was outlined in the already written scripts, and Ollie keeps spending more and more time in the Ghost World rather than on Earth. He’s becoming a little more forgetful as the episodes pass and has noticeable headaches. Things like his parents having a Root Beer Bar or the plot of the latest Country Pumpkin movie seem to surprise him when he should already know about them.

He’s missed a few dates with Molly and slipping on schoolwork so she takes an episode trying to talk to him at school but he keeps getting pulled away to fix something as the Chairman. The episode would really drive in how his human memories are failing even when he reconnects with his body and there’s a whole musical number on how Molly feels he’s growing distant. She finally catches up to him in the end and he looks partway between normal and being an empty shell(his hair is even losing the swoop!). She asks him out for ice cream but then we get a wham line “Sure, but… who are you?” Molly’s heart literally breaks as she discovers Ollie has lost all memory of her. He excuses himself and leaves Molly crying with Scratch and Libby coming to console her.

Next episode the remaining Ghost Friends are trying to figure out what’s wrong with him when June comes to Molly’s house trying not to panic. Ollie’s shell came home yesterday but not his wraith and he’s still not back. Molly, Libby and Darryl go to the Chen’s while Scratch goes to the Ghost World to see what’s keeping him. He finds Ollie still obsessively trying to engoodify the Ghost World and his orange glow is much more faded. Worse, when Scratch calls him by his name he asks who Ollie is. Libby manages to discover a page in her pop-up book that was stuck to another and reveals wraiths can lose their memories the longer they spend away from their body and without the will to live they cannot fully rejoin the two halves. Scratch arrives and with all they know they make a plan. Molly, Scratch and the Chen’s go to the Ghost World while Darryl and Libby keep an eye on their bodies. They get to Ollie and he doesn’t recognize anyone but Scratch, but has no emotional attachment to him. Big musical number as they all try to help Ollie remember but it doesn’t work. Everyone is devastated and it seems like Ollie might be gone forever.

Molly doesn’t give up, she pulls down his hood and cups his face, (this is where the drawing is) telling Ollie that she loves him and gives him their first kiss. Her yellow sparks course through him and his orange glow regains it’s color… and he regains his memories. When they pull away, Olly says her name and he’s pulled into a group hug as he says everyone’s names. He leaves the robe and hurries back into his body. A few hours later it’s just him, Molly and Scratch when the ghost council arrives. I haven’t come up with what happens to the robe but Ollie does relinquish his title as chairman and Scratch pulls the council away. Now alone, Ollie didn’t get to say it back in the ghost world, but he loves Molly too. They have another kiss and lean their foreheads together afterwards… and then Scratch comes back complaining that they already sucked faces once today already.

Update 5/27: Yep, I’m turning this into a fanfic. I said I wouldn’t but I got the inspiration on how to do it! It’s called ‘Record of an Engoodifier’

Also bonus doodles:

[rosewaterandivy]

a light on in chicago - I. winning looks like losing (and i'm winning every time)

summary: so it begins, Warped Tour ‘05 baby!

WC: 1550k

a/n: no, I did not forget about this little daydream. it’s coming on summer soon, which means nostalgia and concert going. pop-punk steve is alive and well, my friends!

masterlist || playlist

"She never meant a thing to me, 'cept putting idealists in a body bag" - "Growing Up" // Fall Out Boy

Steve has his Motorola Razr in hand before he reaches the top step of the bus, thumb pressing down on the keypad until 'ace' is selected and holds it to his ear. Tosses his snapback onto the table and sliding onto the banquet seat.

Hearing someone come up the steps behind him, he sees that Nancy has drawn the short-straw and now has to play babysitter.

Typical.

“What are you doing?” It’s not a question so much as a reprimand.

“What do you think I’m doing? I’m calling her.”

“Like we haven’t tried that already, oh about a dozen times.”

Steve scoffs, kicking his feet up on the table. “Then I’ll keep calling until she answers or shows the fuck up.”

Nancy’s eyes roll to the back of her head, “You’re an idiot, Steve Harrington.”

Steve glowers at Nancy as the automated voicemail message recording fill his ears. He grumbles and hits redial just as he hears someone tramping up the stairs.

“I got her!” Eddie bellows, pausing at the top step to catch his breath, “I got her, s’fine Steve. You can calm your tits now.”

He falls onto the couch opposite of Steve and moves to light the cigarette between his lips. Nancy, quick as ever, snatches the cigarette from his mouth and snaps it in half. Eddie squawks indignantly, too caught up in Nancy’s flagrant disrespect to pay attention as a duffle bag is thrown toward him.

It lands with a pained grunt against his chest, “The fuck?” He coughs out, zippo falling between the seat cushions in the chaos.

“Shit Ed,” You huff, falling alongside him on the sofa, “Thought you were gonna catch that, my bad.”

He’s quick to accept your apology with a smile, arm thrown over your shoulders as the duffle bag falls to the ground.

“Steve,” You greet with a tilt of your head.

He snaps the phone shut and fixes you with a look.

“Ooh,” Eddie tsks. “Think mom’s mad.”

Showing up to Warped Tour after releasing a debut album that’s barley a month old in a brand new tour bus and the (mostly) full confidence of their record label has Steve stressed, for lack of a better term. Under the Gun had received generally positive reviews, despite the back and forth with the label over song titles and “overly loquacious” choruses.

While the label didn’t give you all carte blanche to do whatever you wanted on the record, there was the advantage of time this go ‘round. Honorable Mention’s first two releases, an EP and LP respectively, were recorded quickly due to lack of funds for more studio time, and after signing with Island Records, the four of you plus Nance had hauled out to California for three months to write and record.

It wasn’t easy, not by a long shot, composing as a band was rough, as was co-writing lyrics with Eddie, the both of you having vastly different styles. Add to that Steve’s penchant for vetoing things like hooks, verses, choruses, and song titles after hearing them just once while being fiercely protective over his own work— well, let’s just say everyone was happier once the album was locked and management had signed off on it.

So glad, in fact, that you’d actually booked it back to Chicago just to put some distance between you and Steve. Too much tension, all things considered, especially after the incident.

Robin pushes her obnoxious heart-shaped sunglasses into her hair and screeches upon seeing you in the tour bus.

“Babe!”

She falls onto your and Eddie’s legs while Nancy looks on with a shake of her head and a fond smile.

“Glad to see that the three musketeers are back together,” Hop greets, hand affixed to the railing by the font steps. “Er, uh, four musketeers, I guess. Sorry Steve.” He nods to Steve and Nance, kisses his teeth before saying, “You rascals ready to go?”

“Now that we have our lead singer, yeah.” Steve grouses with a cross of his arms. Nance smacks the back of his head.

“So sorry Steven,” You say, voice laden with malice. “But in the event that I hadn’t shown up, I know that you could easily carry the burden of being frontman,” Eddie elbows you warningly. “As you have told me, many, many times.”

“Whatever.”

Hopper quirks a brow at you, unaccustomed to vitriol between the pair of you. “Okaaay,” He drawls, “Ignoring whatever the fuck that was, the first stop is Columbus.”

He goes over the details of what to expect, even though he’ll be there in person for the duration of the two-month tour. Nancy nods taking notes, because of course she does. Steve continues to glower at you because he’s got a stick up his ass. Meanwhile, you initiate a slap fight with Robin and Eddie out of sheer boredom.

“Hey, hey, hey,” Hop scolds you, “Would you cut that out? I already have one teenager to deal with, and I don’t need your bullshit on top of that.”

You perk up at the mention of his daughter, “Is El here yet?”

“She’s coming up with Joyce tomorrow to help with the merch tent.”

Momentarily dejected, you sit back against the cushions, legs in serious danger of going numb from Robin’s squirming. Murray climbs onto the bus during Hop’s little speech, settling in the driver’s seat with a deep sigh.

“Murray,” You say, “I’m so pissed you won’t be with us for the Canadian legs.”

You can feel Rob’s stomach contract in barely repressed laughter.

“Damn mounties,” Murray mutters under his breath, checking the mirrors and adjusting his seat.

“Yeah,” You continue, “It’s a real shame that they banned you from the country. And over what? A simple misunderstanding of—”

“I’m not a drug mule!”

Eddie snorts.

“What an unfounded accusation,” You say with a slow shake of your head. “I mean, what right do they have to do that? So you had some prescriptions, we’ve all been there.”

“Well, it’s a shit country, anyway.”

“Tell ‘em man!”

Steve lobs a water bottle toward Eddie’s head, he moves to avoid it and artfully flips him off.

“Y’done Ace?” Hop asks with a tap of his shoe. “We gotta get this show on the road and you know riling him up only makes his driving worse.”

“Oh,” You smirk, “I’m counting on it.”

Hopper ends the team meeting and says he’ll see everyone tomorrow for sound-check. As he leaves the bus, Steve grabs his phone and hat and heads to the lounge at the back of the bus. Robin scrambles off your lap to follow after him, but not before giving you a hug and kiss.

“Missed you babe!”

“Likewise!” You call after her and grab your bag from Eddie’s feet. “Shall we?” You inquire with an arched brow, offering him your arm.

“Sure thing, sweets.”

Leaving Nance and Murray to their own devices, you follow Eddie down the cramped hallway.

“So I’m over here,” He gestures to the right. “Nance and Rob are just there,” He points to the left. “Which leaves you and—”

“Don’t finish that sentence Edward.”

He turns with an impish grin, “What? Not looking forward to bunking with Steve?”

You roll your eyes in exasperation, “Clearly not.”

He’s already claimed the top bunk and throw his crap in it, like some rabid raccoon. You reluctantly toss your bag to the bunk underneath his.

“Why can’t I just bunk with you Ed?”

“C’mon Ace,” He wraps an arm around you, “Y’know I’ve gotta have space for my Sweetheart.”

You gag, earning a swat to the arm from him.

“How was California? Haven’t seen you in ages.”

He settles back against the sofa with you in the front lounge. Murray closes the bus door and pulls out of the parking lot. Nancy has made herself scarce, probably in the back with Rob and Steve, leaving you and Eddie to your own devices.

“Yeah, you high-tailed it outta there pretty fast.” Eddie says carefully, watchful as you tense up and begin to rifle through your purse. He lets you do that for a minute or two before continuing in the same carefree tone. “Wanna tell me why I found your Calvins in Stevie boy’s room after you left?”

You head moves so fast, he’s nearly worried about whiplash. In a flash, your eyes shrink back from their wide, shocked state as you try to school your features into a semblance of calm.

“Oh, he probably just grabbed ‘em by mistake,” You shrug nonchalantly, “We both wear Calvins so.”

“Sorry, let me clarify.” Eddie says with a wicked smirk. “Your thongs, Ace. Why would Steve have those, hmm?”

You scoff. “I don’t know. Maybe he was selling them online or something perverted like that?” You grab your journal and smack it down on the table. “Why were you snooping for my unmentionables, Edward?”

“Ah, you got me.” He laughs, fascinated by how quickly you rose to defense. “Was gonna sell them online. Guess Harrington beat me to it.”

He watched as you saunter toward the back of the bus, on a mission to extricate Rob from Steve’s clutches. Wonders how long the standoff will be this time and who will break first: you or Steve.

It was only a matter of time.

[writingcold]

Hi.  Welcome to the opening chapter of CD&FE.  My plan is to post Wednesdays.  This is a complete story, so I will be faithful to this posting day.  

Pairing: Jake X Female Reader 

Summary: This is an AU that starts with the release of GVF’s first EP, Black Smoke Rising, and follows along life paths over the course of twenty years.  Part One: Y/n is on the verge of a huge change - and on the cusp of a big night of celebration.  The friends head out for the evening, starting with catching a band at a pub, to which the guitarist catches your attention.  

Content warnings: Language, smoking, drinking, sexual situations, oral (m & f rec), anal play, protected sexual encounter.

Word Count: approx. 13K (probably the longest of the parts, promise, maybe)

A tremendously huge thank you to @edgingthedarkness and @takenbythemaddness for all of your help with this.  You’ve both helped me to at least make it not a total shit show.  This is my first full length reader insert, first person narrative, so please be kind and forgive any and all errors.

Celebratory Drinks and Fleeting Embraces, Part 1

     I woke up feeling like I was roasting under the sun, only to find that I was lying in a furnace otherwise known as Patrick.  He was curled around my body, his sour breath in my hair.  My lip twisted as an ‘ew’ passed my lips.  I slid from the bed of my oldest, dearest friend feeling my skin crawl with sibling residue grossness.  I’d known him since we were in second grade.  Patty was always the pretty one in our relationship, but I never could see beyond the awkward childhood and weird puberty phases that we shared, not to mention all the heartbreaks, highs, drunks, and learning that we survived together.  We had tried to kiss way back in fifth grade - just to get that over with, but ew.  No.  

      “Oh, come on,”  his deep voice was still heavy with sleep, “I was enjoying that thick ass of yours, Y/n.  Come on back and snuggle for a while.”

      “Fuck you,”  I grumbled as he laughed.  “You promised me a record if I put up with your little dinner party last night.  Why are you trying so hard to impress those pretentious idiots?  They are not your tribe, Patty.”

      I didn’t bother with modesty.  The man was the first one to see me naked, and he looked at me like I was sheathed in 12” armor plating that was slathered with poison, set on fire with a NO GO ZONE etched across it.  He was wrapped in goo and toxic sludge that kept me at bay.  And that's how we liked it.  I dug through my suitcase to drag out a cropped tee and cutoff shorts.

      “I know,”  he howled into his pillow.  “I hate it.  I do.  But I’ve got to start making headway with this stupid job so I can get to the next step.”

      I rolled my eyes as I started dressing.  He slid his tall, rail thin body out of the sheets to reveal he was clad only in his boxer briefs.  I frowned.  “God damn it, you could’ve at least worn shorts when sleeping with me.  I do not need to feel that beast under the hood.”

      “Just because your last three guys didn’t have horse cocks, doesn’t mean you have to discriminate against mine, doll,”  he teased as he started to fish out clothes for himself.

     I rushed around him for the bathroom, bag in hand.  Damn if I was going to have to wait for his ass to get through his thirty minute wake up routine in the only bathroom of the apartment.  I heard his protest, but I knew that I’d be through in less than 15 minutes if left alone.

      I emerged ready to his raised eyebrow and sideways grin.  I pulled him down and kissed his cheek with a platonic whisper of love against his face before ducking into the kitchen.  Visits to Ann Arbor were getting harder to make.  I moved to Lansing right after graduating.  Pat had remained behind, working on his master’s degree while toiling away in the university system as a TA.  I finished my graduate work while killing myself on sixty hour work weeks and had earned a job in St. Paul that was to start in a week.  Patty was the first one I called when I got the news.  Not my family.  Not other friends. It had to be Patrick because he had been the only one that could understand that I just needed someone to tell me I wasn’t nuts for trying this route in life.  Everyone else either didn’t understand what I wanted to accomplish, or they simply said I would fail.  Fuckers.

     A tour through the kitchen revealed that he had purchased real food for my stay.  With a chirp of happiness, I settled into a bright sounding playlist before making us a feast while he showered.  By the time he was out, dried and all sorts of gorgeous, I had quite the meal prepared.  He pecked me on the mouth and yanked me in a tight hug.

      “Mornin’, punkin,”  he cooed as I started to push him away.

      We laughed over food.  He did the dishes and we strolled out the door.  

      “Did you call everyone?”  I asked as we walked from his apartment to the main drag of town.  

      “The only one not able to come is Aaron.  Bitch couldn’t get out of work,”  he answered, stopping to look into the window of a thrift boutique.  “That skirt would make your legs look amazing.  Y/n, my treat.  Let me get you an outfit for tonight.”

      “I’d rather have the record,”  I grimaced and whined.

      He screwed his mouth to the side with a diminutive grumble as I yanked him towards the music store.  It was already early afternoon, and the place seemed swamped with people.  I was never really one for big, chaotic crowds.  The sight brought me up short for a moment, until Patrick steered me to the side door.  I slipped inside, finding the crowd gathered more outside the building and a few at the front of the store, around the cashier.  It would be okay - I could handle it.  

      Pat, of course, was totally the opposite of me.  He glibly ran at any and all kinds of action, and this being no different, I lost sight of him almost immediately.  I turned my attention to the bins and displays, allowing myself to relax despite the edge of activity that I was so desperately trying to ignore.  Stoned Jesus was oozing through the air as I moved down towards the more vintage stuff, my eyes landing on a familiar cover.  I reached for it just as sharp, overly feminine laughter struck my ears in the worst way.

     “No, seriously,”  a coarse velvet voice invaded my space while flirting with the girls.  “You’ll be there right?  Tonight?  Come on. Come to our show…”

      I looked up just in time to see two long haired men, one a few inches taller than the other, guiding two very blushed out girls that are probably just wrapping up their freshman year.  The four were giggling and flirty and just way too loud.  I tried to turn my attention back to the album I had between my fingers: Deep Purple’s debut album. One of the girls literally squealed as the two men played along with them - not in a weird way, but just that frat boy manner that demanded their attention.  I watched as they walked with the girls to the door with flyers in their hands and huge smiles and promises of being out that night.  The taller one actually did the little toodles wave as the other retreated quickly.  I caught how he rolled his eyes as if disgusted with his own act.  Those chocolate brown eyes landed on me and he immediately straightened up as if he was caught being out of character.

      I looked back at the crowd in search of Patrick, but couldn’t find him anywhere.  For a moment, my insides flared with panic.  He was still there.  He was amongst the twenty or so people that were packed into the front of the shop.  I knew it, I just couldn’t tell the bubble of anxiousness that had attacked my stomach to back the fuck off.  I took a breath before returning my gaze to the record in my hands.

     “That is a fantastic album,”  a smooth voice, with just a hint of rasp and Michigan sass filled my ears.

      I turned to discover those lush, chocolate eyes were on me and he was standing at an arm's length away.  I nodded and gave him a small grin. “Yeah. I have this at home, just not this edition,”  I said before I set it back in the bin and turned away.

      ELO’s “Evil Woman” started to leak from the speakers.  I sighed upon hearing it - that over the top intro hit something just right, every time.  I didn't expect the pretty eyed man to stick around, but when I reached for another cover, he watched for what I was reaching for.

      “If you have another edition of that one,”  he started with a knowing look, “that means that you have a Gatefold.  The one from Germany, U.K…?”

      I grinned wider as I really looked into his face.  He was pretty.  Between a subtle cleft to his chin and a set of full lips, his expression was warm and welcoming.  There seemed to be a familiarity between him and the taller man, but he seemed to have a more mature quality to him that drew me in almost immediately.  

     “South Africa,”  I answered, watching as his eyes glitter with respect.

     “Nice,”  he said, his voice soft and almost whispered.

     I set the unseen album back in the bin, knowing it was shitty and not worth my time.  I moved down the next row with him tailing behind.  I saw him take interest in a blues album as I spotted another possibility - a Neil Young that had gotten damaged in my last move.  I feel him, though he remains at a distance.  He’s not much taller than myself, but perhaps it’s his personality, or just his presence, that makes him seem much bigger than he actually is.  His hair is almost fluffy as it rests just below his shoulders.  The tip of his nose was sharp and begging to be booped in the best way.  His mouth was sinful and I know I stared at it way too long.

     I tore my eyes away just as he looked up.  I was sure he'd caught me looking, again.   I couldn’t seem to help it.  He was totally magnetic.  His lips stretched into a smile - an honest smile, not like the production bull shit he had been feeding those college girls.  I held my album up just to see his reaction, and was rewarded with a few hummed notes of a deep cut that I knew well.

      “I guess I should ask about those flyers you’re tossing around,”  I said, putting back the Young and turning towards him fully.

      “We just released an EP,”  he said, his attention on another album that was closer to my spot.  He reached close to me, but then seemed to think the better of it.  “We’re playing tonight at Paul’s Pub.  You should come.  I think you may like it.”

      I pursed my lips with thought.  We were no strangers to Paul’s.  The bar was a staple in our group from the time we were all starting out in school.  I nodded, and looked back in search of Patrick once more.  I saw him emerge from the crowd, flier in hand and a look of wickedness in his eyes.  I turned my attention back to him, taking note that he was fingering an Otis Redding album.  

      His attention was snapped to the front of the shop and I saw his shoulders slump a bit as he began to shift back into his work.  “We’re third on the rotation.  Will you be there - about 9:00?”

     I shrugged as he started to move away.  “We’ll have to see.”

     I watched as his tight, dark wash skinny jeans walked away.  I finally let out the breath that I had been holding just as Pat stepped close to me.  

     “He gives big dick vibes, doesn’t he?”  he remarked as I leaned into him.

     “God, you’re such an ass sometimes,”  I scoffed just as I caught the man’s eye as he turned to look back at me over his shoulder.

      “But I’m right,”  Patty said quietly.  “I guess we’ll be starting out at Paul’s tonight.”

      I flashed him my biggest, gooeyest doe eyes possible.  “Please??”

     “Only if I can buy that outfit for you,”  he replied, eyes narrowed down to slits.  “No t-shirt and shitty jeans.  You’re going out in proper attire for a proper fucking celebration!”

      He talked me into the whole shebang.  I marched into Paul’s on Patrick’s arm dressed in the skirt that fell just below the knee with a slit that reached all the way up to my hip bone.  A loose, sleeveless poet shirt with a plunge neck with a shit ton of ruffles that billowed against my breasts made me feel more than whorish in a very pretty girl way.  I had let my hair spill down my back, but pulled up the sides with a jeweled tie.  I looked hot, and I knew it.  I could feel it.  But the moment that we reached the friends, I knew I was by far not the best looking in the room - that was reserved for Jordan with her raven black hair and crystal blue eyes and stupid perfect skin.  I wasn’t even second in our group - second was Sidney with her perfect ash blonde locks that curled at the ends and her doe eyes that made anyone stop and stare.  Bitches.  But I loved them and knew most of it was a ruse because they had intelligence on their side - they just used their looks for good shit.

      It had been months since I had seen the group.  We took our time catching up as the crowd in Paul’s grew.  The pub was old-school cool with its weathered wood and dark lighting, dark atmosphere, and dark decor.  It was the largest of the bars that we would visit on the night, sporting a full stage and enough room to cram in close to two hundred and fifty patrons in the main space, while the patio could hold another hundred souls easily.  

      I noticed that the bar was getting crowded while the stage was being switched over.  I glanced at my phone, but Patty grabbed my wrist in his grip with a hard glare.

      “Better not be working,”  he growled as took my phone away.  

      “Why are we even starting here anyway?”  Joey whined as he was handing out glasses of beer.  “We always start at Benny’s.”

      “Oh,”  Patrick chuckled.  “There’s a guy Y/n wants to fuck in the next band.”

      Suddenly, I had eight sets of eyeballs on me.  I shrugged.  “What?”

      Everyone looked back at Pat and his wicked assed grin that he was beaming at me.  “Come on, punkin.  Just admit that you let me dress you all up because you’re looking to get-”

      “HEY!”  Sidney shoved him in the chest before my dearest friend on the planet could finish.  

      The group laughed and I just sipped at my lovely Tito’s + cranberry like I was the most virginal bitch on the planet.  I watched as the tall one from earlier and another were setting up the drum kit – a white kit with a Greta Van Fleet emblazoned on the kick face.  I caught Pat talking to the rest about meeting the dark haired one and said he was really quite cool.  I turned my attention away from the stage and instead ventured into actual conversation with the friends.  We were, after all, celebrating my accomplishment.  I was going to be a graphic editor for an actual fucking company that was willing to bank on my skills, and pay me quite well.  I was the first of the group to reach their goal.  I was also the only one to actually be done with graduate school and had been working already for nearly 18 months in the real world.  Of course, Sidney wasn’t having it, knowing right well that I was avoiding what Patty had started.

      “Who’s the guy?  What the hell does he play?  Name?”  she grilled across her bottle of beer.

      “Pretty.  Don’t know what he does in the band.  Have no name.”  I summed it up in three tiny sentences and a smile.

      She looked at me like I had two heads until her eyes moved to the stage and latched onto the tall, lanky one.  “Well, if he’s indicative of those two…”

      I grinned and turned my attention back to the stage.  He was the damn guitarist.  He was plugging into the amp and storming his fingers across the frets.  My eyes were instantly locked on him as he nodded to his bandmates as they all started to warm up.  A fourth prowled between them all, mic in hand shouting a hearty “Good evening!” like it was a damn arena.  I glanced at Pat and he just watched me with a grin and knowing nod.  I whispered a fuck as I looked back at them.  He was dressed all in black - black boots, black, skin tight jeans, black button up that was cropped at his tummy and buttoned only by one button.  His chest was bare save a grouping of necklaces that bounced gently against the tanned skin.  He was seductive to look at.  I sipped at my drink as they slid into a song that made everyone stop what they were doing to take notice of the upstarts on stage.  They had a swagger that made me smile wide.  Fucker was right - I did like it by the end of the first song.

       “Fucking Zeppelin wannabes,”  Joe jabbed with a snarl.

       I rolled my eyes.  Figures.  I knew from the gossip Patrick had told me, Joe was in the middle of a break up with a real twat.  I could extend him some leeway, but only so far.  Pat told him that the next round was on him, since the rest of the crew decided they liked the band.  I was spellbound as they tore through their set.  The whole pub was bouncing and just absorbing everything the band fed them.  The band had something that was endearing, but was rooted in a raw talent that was very clear.  

       I felt the heat of the pub swell around me and the energy that was fostered by them was electric.  They were fun.  They were certainly sexy.  The singer belted across the crowd effortlessly, hitting notes that sent shivers down the spine and elevated the soul a few notches.  There was a guitar solo in every damn song, but he was masterful in how he baited the crowd and kept them with him as he sped through an effortless performance.  The bassist was flawless as he strutted around like on a damn cloud.  Mr. Shoulders at the kit would’ve grabbed my attention, but he oozed - for lack of a better way of saying it - big dick confidence, and it had me by the pussy.

      I barely registered that Joe had taken my empty glass and replaced it with a new one.  He scoffed but Patty just told him to fuck off.  I was enraptured.  It was like he was reaching through my body and taking everything from every cell in me, but filling it with something that just evoked absolute joy, tinged with a heavy dose of heathen thoughts that needed to be quelled.  My core was quivering with need while my brain felt like it was on absolute fire with him.  

      “What the actual fuck was that?”  Sidney remarked as the crowd cheered for more when their set was finished.  “Just…”

      I realized that most of the group was just as blown over as I was.  I took a slow swallow of my drink, closing my ringing and pulsing ears as the friends started to debate our crawl for the night.  I didn't care much - just as long as we had our time together.  I was only here through tomorrow night before I had to head for St. Paul.  I knew in the back of my brain, most of these people I would not see again.  I needed to make it count.

      Twenty minutes of bickering later, I grabbed Patrick by the collar and shouted over the din of people that I needed water and not to leave without me.  He kissed my cheek with a promise to stay until I was back.  Yeah.  I totally believed that one, but I snaked my way through the crowd to the bar.  It was insane that the energy of the show still flowed through the space, leaving the closing act to really bust balls to top their act.  I stood patiently, one hand waiting on the bartop in order to keep my spot amongst those that had far less patience than me.  

      “Beers for the band!”  one of the bartenders called out with a pointed finger a few spots down from me.

      “Thanks man!”  a familiar rasp struck my ear.

      I turned to look over my shoulder to see him; hair plastered to his throat and damp with sweat, still in his show outfit, but his shirt is totally open.  I can feel my chin dip as my eyes widen upon him.  He wiped a towel across his brow before shoving it into his back pocket.  The word ‘sexy’ was not strong enough to describe what he gave off at that moment.  I am not ashamed that I had to wipe at my lip to keep the drool at bay.  His sparkle filled eyes turned in my direction and paused for a moment until it changed to recognition that caught me by surprise.

       “Deep Purple!”  he called, his mouth parting in a smile that knotted my guts painfully.  “Is that you?!”

       I laughed as he had to go around like twenty people to move a few steps to meet me at my side.  His eyes raked across my body, taking me in.  I’m sure it was a far cry from the poorly cut off shorts and shitty top from earlier.  

      “It’s me,”  I cooed as he reached my side.

      For a moment, I lost myself in his gaze.  I was instantly overwhelmed by his appeal.  The spell was broken as the bartender set an icy bottle of water at my fingers along with change.  He let out a soft laugh that almost seemed nervous.

      “Did you catch the show?”

      “I did.  You were right - I liked it.”

      He flashed a cocky smile as his eyes dipped to my outfit once more.  “Celebrating?”

      I nodded as I took a drink of water.

     “Anything in particular?”

     I can’t help the buzz of energy that hits me as I smile huge and trilled, “ME!  We’re celebrating ME tonight.”

     “Oh my,”  he said, his tone dropping into a panty incinerating level.  “Occasion?”  

     “New job, new life, new city, new everything,”  I answered with a happy nod.

     “Amazing…”

     Patrick’s notification blared and my cheeks pink a bit as I fumbled for my phone.  I uttered a sharp ‘Fuck’ as I see they’re at the door and needed to get my ass out of there or be left behind.  “I gotta go,”  I said, disappointment in my voice.

      “Ah, don’t go…”

      “Friends are heading to the next bar.”

      “Are you crawling?”  he asked, his hand on my arm to slow me down.

      I nodded and turned away.  Fuck them.  Why do I have to go…?  Did they not—  Fuck.  Sometimes I hate my cockblocking friends.

     Marklowe’s Tiki Bar banked on its Carribbean themed décor and bright colors that splashed across the walls and floor to the huge tiki covered bar set a super loud atmosphere, while the ginormous umbrella drinks made for a good landing place to just be idiotic.  I ground down on Patrick’s thigh to the worst manufactured music ever, but loved every moment of it.  The friends were bouncing around like it was their last night on the planet.  Because each drink was the size of four, and were the cost of six, we kept our time in the tiki to a minimum.  Jordan dragged me to the ladies room while the others were finishing up their drinks.  As I was fixing my lipstick, she was talking about the job that was drawing her away back home to Houston.  I could hear her stress over leaving Sidney behind.  She was trying to rationalize waiting a year for her closest friend to graduate.  I knew it was just fear talking.  She would take that job and do very well as she worked towards her goal of being a partner in her mother’s law firm.  I watched as she pulled out her phone with a scoff.

     “They are heading for the door,”  she groaned.  “Fuckers.  It’s like they want to sprint across the district tonight.”

     I was the first to push my way out of the restroom, only to stumble over my own toes in my rush, running right against someone.  Looking up, I felt my face blush as I was met with the rich chocolate eyes of the guitarist.  He helped me upright, moving me flush against his frame.  His hands drifted down my arms as all I could do was stare at him as his smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

      Just as Jordan’s hand wrapped around my wrist he asked, “Still having fun?”

      I turned my body back towards his as Jordan started to drag me away.  “Absolutely!”  I called out.

      I could not look away from the smirk that he shot me.  Jordan gave me a look that could melt steel as we passed the bar in a near rush to catch up to the friends.

     “Good god, girl!  That’s the guitar player,”  she said, unable to contain the bomb of her surprise.

     I smiled wide as I looked back behind me once again, just able to see where he had been.  “Pretty, right?”

     Maxie’s Singing Bar continued the stupidity of the evening by adding karaoke to the mix.  Patrick was insisting on singing with Sidney, so we waited.  And waited more.  I nestled into Patrick’s side, trying to avoid the barrage of questions about apartments, and the job, and ‘why the hell are you going to fucking St. Paul?’  I found myself being coy because, seriously?  I was about to start getting some serious chops in my field, with a damn fine salary to boot.  

      “Come on, punkin.  Let’s get another round of drinks,”  Patrick replied as he slid out from the glittery plastic booth.  

      He held my hand all the way up to the bar.  “You can’t let them get the better of you, Y/n,”  he said as we waited.  “They don’t get it.  You’re the first one of us to grow the fuck up.”

     The idea of being on a plan with one of those little paper bags shoved on my face was not appealing.  I was silently begging for no hangover, despite the spin of alcohol in my veins.  I just… Ugh.  I spaced out as he ordered the round.  My brain was fighting lists of stuff that I had packed weeks ago, along with movers and my parents flying in over the following weekend to ensure I was set up right.  I desperately fought off the sudden urge to ask to leave.  Patrick had asked to stop her when we were planning out the night.  I knew it was probably the one time that he could cut loose with the ever lovely Sidney - the object of his eternal pining, although he would never openly admit it to anyone other than me.     

      I was startled as the bartender set a glass of ice water at my elbow.  I smiled up at him.  “Thank you, sweetheart.”

      “You’re so old,”  he teased as I batted my eyelashes at him.

      “Why, just because I refuse to be sick off my ass tomorrow?”  I asked before taking another drink.

      He wrapped me up in a hug, holding onto me for a beat too long.  

      “Ugh, what the fuck is up with you tonight,”  I scoffed as I made a face at him.

      “What?”  he asked, feigning innocence.

      “You’re like extra touchy feely and shit.”  I noticed his gaze turned to Sidney and it’s like watching all of that man’s insides turn to absolute goo.  I sighed deeply.  “I don’t think it’s a good idea, Patty.”

      “Why the fuck not?”  he asked, instantly defensive.

      “I’m not telling you not to, just - she’s more focused than I am,”  I reasoned, tracing figure 8s in the condensation on my glass.  “You want way more than what she’s willing to give to anyone, including you, handsome.”

       He didn’t say anything.  I felt terrible as I realized I had just deflated him completely.  I threaded my fingers through his and gave him a little squeeze.

       “Maybe I just need to take what I can to get the fuck over it,”  he said directly in my ear, the heat of his body matching the pain in his words.

       “You’re better than that, dick,”  I grumbled just as a bartender started to put up our order.

      “Patty!”  Sidney called as she strutted towards the stage and mics.  

      It was a rare moment of stillness that my dearest friend handed to me.  My heart broke for him.  

      He nodded as he reached for a shot that had been set before him and downed it.  “Love you.  You got all this?”

       I watched as he strolled towards her, putting back his persona on like it was his armor.  Looking back at the bartop, I groaned.  “No, I don’t got this, fucker.”

      I tried to get Jordan’s attention, but she was too far up Joe’s ass to bother looking at me waving like a lunatic.  As I’m turning back to the bar to see if I can spy a tray, my eyes caught on the front door as the guitarist and his group walked in.  I froze, taking in what he was wearing - the dark washed skinny jeans, boots and a chopped dark red t-shirt.  His wrists were filled with bracelets and there’s a long necklace that falls just below his pecks.  A soft breath escapes me as his eyes seem to lock right on mine and the cocky smile greets me.  I had no way to actually run, and could only watch as he approached, all full of swagger. 

       “Okay, third run in; time for introductions.  I’m Jake,”  he said as he approached, hand out as if he’s going to shake my hand formally.

       “Well, counting the record store, it’s the fourth run in,”  I remarked with a grin before I gave him my name and my hand.

      Instead of shaking it, however, he turned his palm up, passing the pad of his thumb across my knuckles as he leans in against the bar.  He had me so distracted that I did not see Pat reach across my blindside for his and Sidney’s drinks.

       “We’re up!”  he nearly squealed, retreating quickly.

       “Make it super slutty!”  I shouted after him.

       Suddenly, because of the shift, I came up nose to nose with the newly introduced Jake.  He tried to back up, but was trapped.  I tried to move back, but there was nowhere to go either.  A deep blush swept across my face as he let out a gentle laugh over our dilemma.  I instantly breathed him in - all tobacco, sandalwood, lavender and him.  His hands caught my arms to steady me and I let out a nervous giggle.  A fucking giggle.  As if it couldn’t get worse - it did.  Patrick and Sidney started belting out “Love in an Elevator” in the most sleazy manner possible.  I let out an absolute cackle before I could catch myself.

        Jake’s eyes popped wide as he took in the scene unfolding behind me and I can only assume Patrick took my ‘slutty’ suggestion to the absolute max.  I looked over my shoulder to find the pair grinding against each other in a nearly illegal manner.

       “Oh my god,”  I breathed, instantly trying to delete the sight from my eyes.  I reached for the closest drink and took it down as fast as I could, only to find that it was my water.  “Fucking figures.”

      I regrouped and grabbed my beer and took a long, soothing swallow.  He was watching me fumble the entire time, a smirk plastered on his mouth and those damn eyes just full of heat.  “Sorry, that whore friend of mine is under the impression he needs to blow my life up at any given moment of every damn day.”

      As if she knew that he was close, Jordan magically realized that I needed help with the drinks.  I was shifting glasses around to make room for Jake’s order of beers and tequila shots as she sauntered up, tits out and hips swaying like she’s walking down a catwalk.  

      “That’s all right,”  Jake replies, downing a shot with barely a grimace.  “I’ve got three like that myself.  At least you’re not related to any of them like I am.”

      My brow furrowed as I set my beer down.  “I was not getting Jonas Brothers vibes from you guys.”

      His laugh was warm and inviting.  “Damn, I hope not.”

      “Hey-”  Jordan called, leaning in close.  “I’ll take what I can.”

      I started handing over drinks, trying not to notice that she was trying to flash her amazing cleavage as she bent slightly into Jake.  I couldn’t help the smug feeling when I realized that his eyes were either directly on me, or his own beer.  She tapped the side of my foot before she made her way back to the table.  

     “Rude to keep us waiting, Jacob.”  Another set of hands were reaching across his chest.

     It was then that I noticed the similar ridge of cheekbones, the jawline, the mouth…  I looked back at Jake and he must’ve seen what I found confusing.

     “Twin,”  he said with a little eye roll.

     “Identical,”  the other said with a little huff.  “Hi, I’m Josh.”

     My eyebrows shot up as the brother started walking off towards their table.  “So not Jonas Brothers, but The Proclaimers?”

     “Oh fuck no,”  he laughed before taking another drink of his beer.  “Are they supposed to be doing that?”

     It was at that second that I realized Sidney and Patrick are no longer singing.  I lock on Jake’s eyes and freeze.  “I don’t know if I want to know…”

     Why had I looked back at the stage?  Why did I have to be a witness to such an event?  I wanted nothing more than to grab hold of the cheapest bottle of behind the bar and douse my eyeballs with it.  

     “Ew,”  I flinched as I turned back towards the guitarist, finding the space even more crammed and my hands were now on his very nice, very firm chest.  I looked up into his face and he had this endearing look like he’s about to…  Yup, he graciously wrapped a hand around my hip holding me close.  My brain was just on the verge of rupture when I heard Jordan chirping about what was happening before them.

      “I take it that’s not a good thing,”  he whispered against my ear.

      “Not really, no,”  I sighed, nearly against his mouth as his lips part.

      I wanted to fall into his mouth and lose myself in his touch.  I was so damn close until I saw Jordan and Sidney fly out past us and the rest of the group straggling behind.  I looked behind me and found a very upset Patrick, collecting their glasses and heading for the bar.  I watched as he set the glasses down on the bartop and headed towards the door without a look at me.

      “I fucking hate drama,”  I sighed.

      His hand tightened on my hip, bringing my attention back to him.  I looked into his handsome face and smiled sadly.  I puffed my cheeks out and shook my head.

      “Just when this was getting interesting,”  I replied, drawing a little squiggle against the skin just under his collar bone.  “I better catch up with them.”

      “You want me to -”

      “Naw,”  I said as I finally stepped away from him, instantly regretting the distance.  “This is probably gonna get messy.”

      “Maybe I’ll see you again,”  he said with a soft grin.

      I shyly tucked a hair behind my ear.  “I hope so.”

      I didn’t bother with a fast walk to try to catch up with them.  Patrick was waiting just outside the door, smoke in hand and a mournful look etched across his features.

      “What the hell, Patrick?”  I scolded as I stole his smoke for a drag.  

      “Fucking Jordan,”  he grumbled, rubbing his hands across his face.  “Why would she do that?”

      “I don’t know, Pat - maybe because you two fucked way back when…”

      “Maybe.  That was a ‘maybe’.  We have no idea if we did or not.”

      “If you wake up naked by each other, it’s pretty likely you did, you whore.”

      I couldn’t stop my anger at that moment.  The night was supposed to be about the friends - it was supposed to celebrate me getting the fucking job that I had dreamed about; the job I had worked my ass off for.  I did not hide my disappointment.

      “They just went into Benny’s,”  I said, seeing Joe waving at us from the corner.

      “I don’t want to be there,”  he said quietly.

      I rolled my eyes like a bad friend.  It wasn’t even Sidney that put him off.  She was…  I didn’t really want to even think about it.  He knew - Pat had to know that it would be short term.  I just didn’t even want to broach that possibility.  Was he willing to hurt himself just to say he had some time with her?  That just broke my heart a little more for him.

      “Fine.  How about we get some coffee and sit out Benny’s,”  I suggested, tugging on his sleeve.  “Come on.  My treat.”

      I sat with my dearest friend on the planet as he processed what had happened.  I listened to him as he knew - he just knew that it would be better to know than to always wonder.  It wasn’t like she was plastered out of her mind.  She had actually leaned in first and he just couldn’t stop the moment she touched him.  

      “It will never be what you want it to be,”  I said quietly, holding the cup tight.  “Sid has such an entrenched idea of what she wants to do, Patty.  She hasn’t had anyone with any permanence ever.  What you have to offer, alluring as it is, it’s not what she’s looking for.  At least not right now.”

      He let out a long breath.  “I love the way she fucking tastes.  How can I-”

      “Stop.”

      He nodded, getting my drift.  He fiddled with the handle of his empty mug.  I could feel him returning to normal, even though I knew he was hurting.  I reached across the table and took his hand in mine to give a little squeeze.

      I flipped my phone over to discover that Joe had sent a text that they were moving onto the pool hall.  I loved playing pool.  I sucked at playing pool, but I loved playing it.  I put on my doe eyes with every intention of yanking my friend along with me if I had to.  He smiled and seemed to find his resolve.  We walked hand in hand to the end of the drag, finding everyone seemed to have the same idea.  The pool hall was packed and I knew it was going to be impossible to get a table.  Joe shouted out from a high top table that they had crowded around.  

     I saw Jordan and Sidney were already at the bar.  I texted Sid our arrival and kept my eyes on her when she looked at her phone.  Her eyes immediately move over to us, specifically Patrick.  Hmm.  Interesting.  Perhaps her lack of steady company was not necessarily due to a singular focus on finishing college with a 4.0.  What more, Pat’s gaze on her and it just feels - good.  I smiled as Joe offered me his seat in order to stand.  His voice was loud and liquor happy.  No doubt he would be sobbing about the ex soon enough.  

     We fell into being normal once again.  Jordan and Sidney returned with the round and we got back to our celebratory vibe.  My ear caught the music across the room - someone had actually taken time to curate something good from the jukebox as some more obscure Black Sabbath worked across the din of the packed house.  I sipped at my Tito’s + cranberry, trying to pay attention to those with me instead of the idea of being rudely interrupted from having time with the luscious Jake.  The frustration of it made me squeeze my thighs just a bit as my long neglected core wept for attention.

      We must’ve been in the hall for about an hour when we started getting antsy.  No tables were opening up - at all.  Sidney was leaning into Patrick’s shoulder and their hands were tightly together.  Jordan was talking rapidly, Joe had his eyes on the ceiling.  Things felt like they would spiral out of control at any moment.

      “Hey, Y/n - isn’t that guy in that other guy’s band?”  Sidney asked, her brows raised like she was trying hard to put her thoughts together.  “I mean, isn’t that the singer of that band?”

      I followed where she’s pointing, and sure enough, there was Josh with the tall drummer right behind him, carrying a couple of empty pitchers.  I felt a little stutter in my chest as I looked around the room.  

      “Hey, punkin,”  Patrick called to me, capturing my attention once more.  “Help me at the bar, yeah?”

      I knew what he was doing.  Fucker.  I slid out of the tall chair and held his hand as we made our way out for another round.  I couldn’t help the little flutter of possibility that Jake would be in the room somewhere.  If his hands on me earlier was an indicator, I had a glimmer of a chance of something to finish out the celebration - maybe?  Patty got us to the bar, close enough to the two but far enough away to not appear like I was trolling them or anything weird like that.  

      We watched as the bartenders flew around that bar space.  They were beyond busy.  From the corner of my eye, I saw that Josh and the drummer were reaching for fresh pitchers.  Just as they were moving away, Josh stopped.  

      “Shit come on,”  I heard him say sharply.  “You can’t stay just a little longer?”

       I turned to look at the pair to see Jake had joined them.  Was he leaving?  Fuck.  No.  Okay.  I could be totally smooth about this, right?  Pat was leaned over the bar to give our order and was totally unaware of my awkwardness to give me any help at all.  I was a big girl.  I could do this.  Just one foot in front of the other.  Just move the damn feet…

       I ducked in between the crowd and started in his general direction, hoping that he’d catch my eye before I’m right on top of them.  Just as I was about to chicken out, those searing brown eyes touched my face and stopped.  The other two glanced over and Josh patted Jake's chest before walking away with beer filled pitchers towards the pool tables.

       “Fifth time charm?”  he asked as he closed the space.  “Drama over?  You look to have survived.”

        I smiled wide as he drew so close I could breathe him in.  My brain caught fire with all of him as he reached out, his fingers brushed against my arm until he took my hand in his.  “Yes,”  I answered, trying not to shout over the loudness of the space.  “Drama over.  Last stop of the night, but we’ve already been waiting on a table for over an hour.”

      “We’ve got a table,”  he said, brows pulling together as he looked back in the direction of the far back corner.  “We don’t mind sharing.  Wanna join in?”

      I glanced around at Pat at the bar and the friends at the high top.  Just to get away from the crowded singular table would be nice.  I see Patrick step away from the bar with another pitcher and in need of help with glasses held in his paw of a hand.  I raise a finger to Jake and try to help the best I can.

      “Oh, look who you found,”  he remarked as Jake moved towards us.

      “We’ve got a table.  Tell this friend of yours we are more than happy to share,”  Jake said, taking a couple of the drinks from Pat.

       “Yeah, friend.  If he wants to share and all…”  

       Jake tightened his hold on my hand with a little tug, as if I would say ‘no’.  Jake took off in one direction, Pat in the other to retrieve the group.  I’m being guided along, eyes planted on the ass encased in denim that leaves me knowing that I’m a terrible person for the thoughts that are suddenly raging through my skull.  The man’s thighs were making me drool as he turned to the side to slide between people, making sure that I was still with him, even though he held my hand tight.  I grinned at him, careful not to drop my own drink as we bobbled through the crowd.

        Their table was at the very back of the pool hall - the farthest from the bar, but took advantage of a bartop that followed the corner and provided plenty of space to accommodate everyone.  I quietly hoped that Joey would be polite and keep his sour take on their music to himself.  Patrick was in the lead with the others trailing behind.  Introductions were fast, with Sam and Josh and Danny blending in right away.  A new game was racked and underway within moments.  I stood to the side, watching Pat and Sidney on the other side of the table just stay close to each other.  There was a vibe there that was hard to not see.

        “After that last place, I thought for sure my chance was used up,”  Jake remarked, eyes on me with a smile in place.  “Looks like whatever drama there was, love prevailed, huh?”

        I felt my smile spread as I tilted my head.  It was hard not to feel a bit squishy over how he put the soon to be very brief love affair between friends.  “Yeah,”  I said quietly.  “For now at least.”

       It was just fun to drink and play pool and be stupid with these four men.  Jake and Pat teamed up against Sidney and Joey.  I sat back as I watched that man look very sexy sprawled on the pool table, ass and thighs on display and I just couldn’t look away.  And he knew it.  He so knew that I was blazing holes into his flesh with my eyes in the most disrespectful manner possible.  What more, the way his eyes passed across my skin etched paths that I so wanted him to explore.

       The next game, Jake was looped into playing with Sam against Jordan and Joe.  Pat asked me to join him for a smoke, and the guitarist watched as I blew him a kiss and followed my friend.  The clock was edging closer to two as he handed me a cigarette and waited for me to light it.

      “That man wants to tear you up, love,”  he said calmly, with a face that fought to keep straight.  “I think I’ve lost count how many times Jordan has tried to get his attention, but he only has eyes for you, Y/n.”

       I got a grin that I cannot hide, so I don’t bother.  I let out a tight breath before taking a long drag.  “Yeah and you and Sid are looking pretty damn cozy.”

       “It just feels good,”  he replied, eyes falling down on the sidewalk.

       “You’re going to have to have a serious conversation before you lose in this, Patrick,”  I said firmly.  “I won’t be here to pick up your pieces.  I can’t handle thinking that you’re hurting on your own.”

       “I know.  You’re right.”

       I flipped my hair over my shoulder as a warm summer breeze struck my frame.  I was going to miss it in Ann Arbor.  I had been missing it terribly, already.  Lansing was…  well.  It was Lansing.  

       “So, what are you going to do?  I don’t think I can watch you flirt with that man without any kind of outcome,”  he said with a silly grin.  “I mean it’s so obvious he’s interested.”

       I shrugged.  “Not sure.”

      “Bull shit.”

      I looked up at my friend, finding support.  He’d never judge me for what I wanted to do, even if it were to be a one night stand with the most gorgeous man.  Hell, even if that man was okay looking, I could count on Pat to just respect the fact I was doing something to make myself happy.  

      “Look, if I were you - hell, if you don’t, maybe I will - but,”  he started, letting out a laugh that filled me with confidence, “I think you need to march that ass in there and tell that man exactly what you want from him and see what happens.  I bet you he runs you out of here in ten seconds flat.”

      I rolled my eyes and took the last drag of my smoke.  Following Patty back inside, I was trying to think about how to sugar coat what I was going to say to Jake.  By the time we got all the way to the back of the room, and my eyes fell onto him leaned up against the bartop, feet crossed at the ankles, face relaxed, eyes on fire, I just knew I needed to be as direct as possible.  I walked right up to him and he slid a hand across the small of my back as I leaned against his body.  I stared into his eyes, finding them welcoming.  His lips parted as I brush mine against his as I push past to land next to his ear.

       “I’m getting my ass out of here - new town, new life,”  I whispered, fighting the urge to lap at his earlobe.  “Will you be the end of my night?  Help me celebrate?”

       I feel his body shift fractionally as he brings his other hand up to rest between my shoulder blades, nearly locking me in place against him.  Our mouths were not touching anything, but just passing along as if mapping out where to kiss, where to taste, where to…  His tongue passed across his bottom lip as he stood up fully, threading his fingers with mine.

       “Danny,”  he called out.  “You’re good bunking with them other two?”

      He didn’t even wait for an answer, just started walking out with me in tow.  I could hear Patty’s cackle behind us.  The exhilaration that had begun to pump through my chest nearly made me choke.  We reached outside and he paused, eyes trailing up and down the street.

      “Where are you staying?”  I asked as we started to cross the street.

      He points at an older hotel that is just down the way and I am thankful I will not have to wait too much longer.  He held the door open for me and we crossed the abandoned lobby towards the elevator.  After a minute of waiting, he shook his head, the tell of his own impatience.  He chuckled as he spun us to the stairs.

      “I’m just on the second floor anyway,”  he said, once again holding the door for me.  

      Before my foot landed on the stair, he held me back, turning me to face him.  God, he was pretty as he crashed into me, his mouth hard as he nearly consumed me in our kiss.  Our hands were everywhere all at once as we fumbled up the stairs.  I gasped as my back met the wall at the landing.  His hands were on my face and in my hair and on my hips, and on my…  FUCK this man seemed to be as thirsty for touch as I was.  His mouth on my throat made me moan a bit too loud.  It was enough to make us move up the stairs once more, but two steps up, we were searching for touch again.  I nearly tumbled as I yanked him towards me so I could start to rip at his belt.  He caught me, crashing his mouth into mine, fingers pressed into my hair with a soft groan as I released the leather bind of his jeans.

       There was no hiding intent.  We banged down the hall, bumping into walls, furniture; unable to break from each other’s touch.  He held me close as he slid the key card into the room’s lock.  I sucked on his ear lobe, laughing as he couldn’t get the timing right to push down the door handle when the lock unlatched.  It took two tries before he finally grumbled and had to push me back just a bit to get us inside.  

       The room was not remarkable, even though the only thing in my head was him.  His fingers caught the slit of the skirt and tucked inside as I feasted on his tongue.  He barely brushed the boyshorts I was wearing and growled wickedly when he found I was drenched through the cotton of the garment.  

       “Ready for this, aren’t you?”  he asked as I nearly ripped off his shirt to reveal miles of his skin for me to mark and explore.

       “Honestly, if you don’t get that monster in you pants in me right now, I may have to-”

       He grabbed my hips and spun my ass around and bent me over the desk chair, forcing my hands down onto the seat.  “You think I’ve got a monster dick?”

       I whined a bit as he jacked up my skirt and slid down my panties, giving me a hearty pinch across my bottom.  He was humming as he planted a kiss directly on the dip of the small of my back.  I felt him lean back and hear the tear of something.  I looked back to see him taking out a condom and rolling across what I had suspected all along - fucking monster sized cock was about to send me into orbit.

     �� “Like that, do you?”  he asked, voice husky as he rolled the latex across his length.  “Big enough?”

       I didn’t hide it, I licked the drool from the corner of my mouth with a pitiful moan.  “You gonna fuck me good with that, aren’t you…”

       A sound between a moan and a chirp pounds itself from my throat as he lines himself up against me.  “Be a good girl now.  This is all for you.”

       He had me clenching around him on the first thrust.  He was playing me like his cherry red guitar, eliciting sounds from me that I had never made before.  The stretch and sting was top tier as he set a pace that was like one of his guitar solos.  He had one hand on my clit while the other pressed against my spine, dipping under the thin fabric of my shirt and pushing it up, as if relishing each bump and twist of my bones until my shirt was pushed up and over my head to pool at my wrists.  I was full on panting as he stood me up, still buried deep within me.  I shoved the chair aside as he bit into my ear and throat.  I was pressed to the desk, cheek down on the laminate with my feet kicked wide so he could have even better access to my pussy.  He brought one hand down to palm my ass and he ruthlessly pinched at my breast as he plowed forward.  I looked back at him to find his eyes hard on me, his mouth open with a feral breath.

       “I will suck that cock tonight,”  I demanded, pushing my ass back on him.

       “Holy fuck you will,”  he concurred, digging his hands into my hips.

       He reached out, taking hold of my shoulder, slowing down to press into me so deep I thought for sure he would split me in half.  My face fell forward as I sighed over the new rhythm.  My skin became drenched in flame as he bent over me, lips on my bare shoulder.

       “Cum hard, pretty girl,”  he whispered before he flicked my earlobe with his tongue.

       My chest exploded as I collapsed forward fully on the desk as I sprayed my climax out onto him.  He let out a low groan as he came right after, pulsing into me a few more times before coming to a stop.  We both struggled to catch our breath.  He twitched and shuttered before he gently pulled himself from me.  His palm came down on my back with a whispered ‘stay here’.  

      By the time he returned, my breathing had gone from ‘holy shit I can’t breathe’ down to ‘I just finished power walking after that lush ass, sir’.   

      “This is going to be a little cold,”  he said before pressing a washcloth against my swollen cunt.  I barely flinched as he cleaned me up gently.  I started to reach for my panties, but he stopped me.  “I’m not done celebrating yet.  Are you?”

        I grinned as he shyly pressed a kiss to my forehead.  I watched as he moved back to the bathroom to clean up further.  

      “Why don’t you get out of that skirt and meet me on the bed, Y/n,”  he said when the water was turned off.

      “Which one is yours?”  I asked as I draped my clothes over the chair.

      “Uh…”  He strolled out of the bathroom, his own clothes over his arm, his cock flaccid but still impressive against his thigh.  He tossed his clothes on top of the now forgotten desk and steered me towards the bed by the window.  He pressed every inch of skin to mine as he kissed me, backing me up until we both fell onto the mattress.  

      To say we made out is an understatement.  I lost myself in his touch: his mouth, his hands, fuck his body.  Every press against me made me quiver with anticipation.

      “So,”  he said in between kisses to my mouth.  “New city?”

      “St. Paul,”  I answered before dragging his lip in between my teeth.

      “Job?”  

      “I’m joining a graphic arts company who contracts with venues for entertainment and corporate events,”  I said quietly.

      He paused and looked me in my face.  “I wouldn’t even know what you do, but it sounds like you’re going to work with the big talent in my field.”

      I shrugged.  “I will sometimes.”

      He kissed me hard once more, his hands sliding down my back.  I threaded my fingers in his hair as he kissed down my body.  I was already flooding between my thighs as he parted them to make room for himself.  He passed a callused finger across the stripe of downy curls, planting kisses to my hip and the top of my thigh.

      “I wasn’t planning on being close up ready,”  I whisper, blushing over the idea that I had not totally groomed down there for the night.  “Sorry…”

      He hummed, kissing down in between the curls.  “I like it,”  he sighed as he breathed in.  

      I watched as he placed a chaste kiss to each side of where my thighs met my labia.  I sucked in a breath as he brushed his lips against the delicate skin, his nose ghosting over the hair.  He smiled wickedly as he tongued my clit after pressing me open for his whim.  He rolled his eyes up on me, taking in how my breasts bounced a bit as my breath came a little faster.  He made eye contact as he sucked me in, circling my nub as he did so.  I squeaked.  I fucking squeaked and I am not ashamed that I squeaked.  He settled in and I had the bed cover knotted in my hand on the right, and tugging at his hair on the left.  He blew across the curls before rising up a bit, taking a moment to really look across my body.  I felt like a beautiful mess that he was laying claim to.  

       “Good?”  Jake asked, leaning his head against my thigh.

       “Yes,”  I sighed, unclenching my fingers against his scalp.  “So good.”

      The corner of his mouth tugged before he lowered down, sliding in one finger as he pushed his tongue against my entrance.  I released a gasp as he went into work.  My words got filthier the longer he worked my pussy.  He hummed, cooed, whispered against my flesh and I begged him for more.  I will not say that he was edging, but he would bring me to a high, only to gently let me down a bit before taking me higher than before.  It was a beautiful thing that this man was doing to me - it was worship and I accepted it wholeheartedly.

       “How about we shift to 69?”  I asked as he licked my slit.  

       He grinned as he pulled himself up and turned around to slide his arms under my thighs to yank me wide open for him.  I rolled his balls between my fingers as I nibbled on his thick tip before sinking him down my throat in a hard thrust.  

       “Holy fuck,”  he gasped, as I tugged him while hollowing out my cheeks to let him go with a pop.  

       “Good?”  I asked, trying to look around the heavy cock that was immediately growing hard against my hold.

       He nodded as he watched me do it all again.  I raised an eyebrow at him before I let him go again.

       “I need your words, cupcake,”  I said with sass in my tone.

       “You’re going to fucking kill me, aren’t you, Y/n?”  he muttered before pushing two fingers deep inside me with a firm curl to make me buck my hips.

       “No more than what you are doing to me,”  I gurgled the words before I began to love on him.

        The sounds I was able to draw out of him pulsed into my core and radiated up through my entire body.  Fuck this man was better than the little deaths he shot through me.  I drew his balls down before tucking a finger to the space behind them.  He jolted against me before settling back down.  I sucked him down hard before pressing into the spot again with purpose.  He let out a startled moan.  I let him fall out of my mouth, giving the base of his length little kitten licks to soothe him for a moment.

       “Don’t tell me no one has ever done this for you?”  I whispered, looking through my own tits at him.

       “No,”  he said quietly.

       “I can reward you so good for the head you just gave me,”  I said gently, tickling my finger across the space once more.  “But only if you want me to, Jake.”

       He lifts his frame a bit higher to come to rest his forehead on my pubic bone.  “You’d do that?”

       “Oh hell yes,”  I answered with a confident smile.  “But only if you want it.”

      His eyes narrowed a bit, watching as I continued to lick and lap at his shaft and base.  His breath was spiking with anticipation as he licked at his lips.  “Do it,”  he said, his voice filled with rasp.

      I took him back into my mouth hard, plunging him in and out quickly to cause the spit to build on my tongue.  He’s grinding into me until I hold his hips still, letting him fall from my lips and I scoot back a bit to spit into his already spread cheeks.  He gasped out a string of curses as I swirled my middle finger into his velvet.  I planted kisses to his thigh as I pumped his cock the best I can at the weird angle.  I watched his face as he relaxed, allowing me to sink my finger in slowly.  His jaw dropped as I blew across his balls.  He groaned as his cheek came back down on my thigh.  Both hands were gripping the bed cover tightly.  His eyes were shimmering with pleasure as I began to stroke in and out.  He sounded beautiful as I tried to see his face, but he’s angled so that I really couldn’t see him, like he was afraid he was going to crush me if he laid down flat.  

       “Jake?”  I asked, before pooling more spit in my mouth to blow it to his hole for more lube.

      “Oh my ever loving fuck…”  he ground out.

      I grinned before I leaned in a fraction, just close enough to lick at the base and his balls once more.  Suddenly, he came all over my chest - hard and loud.  In his surprise, he lifted himself, my finger still deep within him as if he just realized what had happened.  I withdrew and he hissed as he climbed away, cheeks blazing red.

       “Jake?”  I asked, afraid to move for fear of making a mess.  

      “Just stay right there,”  he said loudly.  “I’ll be right back!”

      I heard the water at the sink turn on and him deep breathing like he was in a panic.  He kept repeating himself,  “Come on, come on, come on, come on…”  

      I awkwardly crossed my legs and tried to be modest, but it was rather difficult with cum that was pooling and dripping off my chest.  He rushed back, and I could see he was absolutely flustered and more than a little embarrassed.

      “Hey,”  I said gently, trying to get his attention as he began to wipe at the mess.

      “Oh my god,”  he sighed as his cheeks reddened all the more.  “I’m so sorry I did that.  I - fuck…”

      “Hey, Jake,”  I repeated, reaching out and touching his arm to stop him.  “Why would you be sorry for that?  That was something beautiful.”

      “Well I fucking cummed on your tits like a two pump chump, Y/n,”  he remarked as he went back to wiping me off.  “What the hell…”

       “No,”  I said, catching his hand once again.  “Did it feel good?”

       “Well, obviously,”  he said sharply. “Maybe a little too good.”

       “No one’s done that for you.  You didn’t know what to expect.  Did you like it?”

       He stood up as I took his hand.  Finally, he made eye contact and the redness of his cheeks began to fade.  It was like he was realizing that I was not scolding him for cumming so fast.  He grinned before setting back into wiping himself off me.

       “I liked it,”  he admitted.  “I’m pissed that I couldn’t hold on for more.”

       I watched as he finished his part and I pushed myself up on my elbows.  “Well, is the celebration done yet?”

       He laughed.  Like threw his head back and laughed as I used his words.  He shook his head.  He said he’d be right back and took off back towards the bathroom.  I will admit, watching that ass sway was a sight to behold.  He returned with a couple bottles of water.  He opened one before handing it to me.  

     I waited for him to settle in up against the headboard to lay back against him.  I listened to him breathing for a long while.  He drew little pictures into my arm as we just collected ourselves and the time we have shared.  I was nearly on the verge of dozing when he shifted, drawing my attention back to him.

     “I want to make out more,”  he whispered against my mouth.  “It’s like I can’t get enough of you.”

     It’s my turn to laugh a bit.  I kissed him deeply before heading to the bathroom for a moment.  I took my time in cleaning myself up.  I swore I could still feel the heat of his mouth against my skin.  It made me smile as I made my way back to him.  I paused, finding him sitting up against the headboard, eyes closed and fully relaxed.  He was really breathtakingly handsome.  He took his hand from his hair that he had been holding and it swished down around his shoulders.  He held his hand out for me to join him and I slid in.  He rolled me onto my back and brushed my hair back away from my face.  

      “You’re so pretty,”  he whispered before placing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth.  

      His body flooded me with warmth and need once more.  This kiss was slow and unhurried.  We trailed caresses across each other as if relishing the moment so as to not forget it.  We were literally moving in two opposite directions - no matter what.  This was going to be it, and it was like we were both very aware of that fact.  I knew I was just going to enjoy my time in this man’s hands for as long as I could.  I rose up against his side, allowing him to wrap his arms around me to bring me in flush.  I absorbed his body heat as he stuck his tongue deep within me.  I could get used to the way this man kissed me.  Damn.

       I straddled his middle and brought myself up enough for him to drag those magical fingers back through me once more.  Jake hooked his arms under mine and rose up to flip me back so that I was back on my back.

      “Hold on,”  he replied as he slid off the bed and went to a duffle bag.  He returned, tearing open a condom.  His eyes flicked to mine as he set the open package on the nightstand.  “Sorry.  Just needed one of those things.”

      “Thank you,”  I said as he sunk down against me with a searing kiss.

      It did not take long for him to have me panting once more.  He tugged and sucked at my breasts.  He pushed my legs wide and placed my hands on my knees to hold close to my sides.  I watched as he quickly rolled the thin piece of latex onto his shaft, all the while, he encouraged me to keep myself going.  He gave a little laugh as he lifted my hips and slowly entered me.  We moaned in unison.  My head fell back, chin pointed at the ceiling.  He was inching in and out, ensuring every point within me was being stimulated.  He would pause, buried so deep and give his hips a little grind to make me whimper with joy.  He watched my face so closely, so attentively that I wanted to weep.  Each strike he soothed and kissed at my skin, soaking me and wringing me out like I was his doll.  

         He gathered my body up and held on to me tight as he began to move with purpose.  I took his place in grinding against him, staying with his body each time he withdrew only to return with force.  I held onto him with all that I had.  I knew my sounds were filling the air all around us, mixing and melting with his own.  It was beautiful and fleeting and mind altering as he fucked into me.  I lowered my hand, grabbing his hand firmly and he sucked a deep breath.

        “Try that again?”  I whispered my question with his face buried in my neck.

        “Yes…”  he answered back, scraping his teeth against my shoulder.  

        I pushed my thumb into my mouth, putting as much slick as possible onto it.  I pushed on his thigh to get him to open a bit more as he continued to work me.  Gently, I pressed the tip of my thumb against his entrance once more.  He groaned and I paused, just giving him a little swirl, a little time to adjust to my touch.  He whispered he was ready and I pressed as he buried himself to his hilt.  We gasped out over the sensation.  I had no intention of giving traction to my touch, just to give him this bit.  I hooked my digit back and forth, turned it back and forth as he fucked into me harder.  I could feel my body tightening, sprinting towards my high.  I looked up at him.  Sweat formed on his brow as his teeth were sunk into his bottom lip.  I was struck by his absolute beauty and nearly cried out because of it. 

       He looked me right in the eye and slammed into me.  I gasped out.  I couldn’t hold out any longer.  He repeated the move until I was near screaming his name with my thumb in his ass.  Satisfied that he had gotten to me, he dropped his chin to his chest and ground into me hard until he came hard.  I let my hand drift back to my side.  He held tight, planting little kisses across my collar bones.  I wiped his hair back from his forehead, trying hard to catch my breath once more.

      “Fuck I don’t want to move,”  I sighed as he kissed the top of each breast.

      “I got it,”  he said softly, letting me go.

      He stopped and grabbed his boxer briefs on his way to the bathroom this time.  I held myself steady as he cleaned himself up before coming back with a fresh wash cloth.  He started to wipe me up, but I took over, sitting up and heading towards the bathroom.  I took hold of my clothes and shut the door behind me.  

      I looked fucked out.  It was the only thought that struck me as I glanced in the mirror before I sat to pee.  That man had just fucked me and I admit I loved every moment of it.  I could smell him on my skin.  I could feel his heat still in my skin.  I wiped up and put myself slowly back together.  I gathered my hair up into a messy ponytail and tied it up with the flimsy jeweled tie.  I washed most of the smeared makeup off and stood back with glimpses of the memory of what had just happened dancing through my thoughts.  

      I stepped out of the bathroom to find him scrolling through his phone, the pile of his clothes next to him.  He looked up with a sleepy grin.

      “I have bus call in about ninety minutes,”  he said as he stood up.  “Everyone is meeting downstairs at six to head out.  There’s a diner that’s open.  You want some breakfast?  I have a bit of time.”

      I shrug as I reach for my own bag.  “Maybe.”

      I caught sight of myself once more in the mirror over the desk.  Fuck.  I had never done something like this before.  Short term, benefits only hook ups, sure.  But one night stands with essentially a stranger?  Never.  A bubble of panic formed in my chest over not knowing how to handle the situation.  But it’s exactly what I wanted from him.  One night.  A night of celebration.  He ducked into the bathroom to take care of himself with a hesitant smile.  I glanced out the window.  It was fucking four thirty in the morning.  Bars were closed.  I was two blocks from Patrick’s apartment…

     Silently, I tucked my purse under my arm and paused at the bathroom door.  My chest felt like it was on fire.  I was going to just say ‘I’m heading out’, but instead, I found my hand on the door handle.  I walked quickly down the hall to the stairs and down into the still abandoned lobby and out the door.  My heart was pounding so fast that I was afraid I was doing something wrong by just leaving.  It was awkward and I didn’t do ‘awkward’.

      I didn’t stop until I got to Patty’s place.  I could hear his voice in his room calling out.

     “Y/n?  What are you doing back?  I’m…”  he called from behind his door.

     “Just keep fucking her, Patrick.  I’m just getting into the shower,”  I said loudly, much to the shrill chirp of embarrassment by Sidney.  “I’m just gonna crash on the couch.”

      And that was it.  My night of celebration was over, washed down the drain of the shower.  I hoped that Jake was smiling as he headed out from Ann Arbor.  I knew I’d be wearing this fucking smile for weeks to come…

(banner cred to @ saradika and mdni divider by @ cafekitsune)

And away we go!  I hope you liked this first part of the story!  I do have a tag list, let me know if you want to be added, or fill out the form here.  See you next Wednesday! @lvnterninthenight @doodle417 @luverleaver @jakesgrapejuice @fictional-duchess @milkgemini @positivegvfthings @songbirds-sweet @gretavanbitches @gardensgatedaisy @babyhoneygvfarchive @myownparadise96 @josh-iamyour-mama @starcatcherc @loveisonaroll @jakesstarlight @reesetrippingthelight @builtby-gvf @ignite-my-fire @wetkleenex-gvf @gold-mines-melting @starsasone @mysticalstarcatcher @montenegroisr @takenbythemadness @way-to-go-lad @cal-a-bungaa @thewritingbeforesunrise @leftjudgeempathsuitcase @brokenbells11 @imborrowedshesblue @vanfleeter @sammysvanfeet @jakekiszkasbuttsweat @jaketlove @gvfmarge @becinabubblegvf @wildbluesorbit @sinarainbows @thetroublegetssoloud71 @gracev0609 @gretavangroupie @fleet-of-fiction @edgingthedarkness @itsafullmoon @anythingforjtk @seenoversundown @klarxtr @hollyco @lyndz2names

[lesbicosmos]

rewatching s1 of broadchurch even tho im halfway through my first watch of s3 because i have an obsession with rewatching things and DAMN there are way more hints at who ended up being the killer than i originally thought, and a bunch of moments that are really ironic in hindsight

spoilers under the cut (yes it came out like 10 years ago but im still putting a spoiler warning)

ep1 - joe and ellie talk in the kitchen after hardy makes the statement to the media

joe: do you know what happened? i mean should we be worried for other kids?

on first watch, his tone of voice and body language here just seem like confused and worried parent, but on second, there's definitely a hint of panic in his voice

ep2 - joe, tom and fred in the cafe

joe: this is a terrible, unspeakable thing thats happened. but nothing like it will ever happen again here

tom: you cant know that though can you? you cant be sure

then after this joe's facial expression looks SO guilty like he can't think how to respond

ep3 - hardy questioning tom with joe in the room

hardy: can you think of anyone who would want to hurt danny?

THEN THE CAMERA IMMEDIATELY CUTS TO JOE. ik near the end joe swears he never wanted to hurt him but this is still a rly clever piece of editing, i love when shows do this. also the fact that in every scene where he's questioning tom, joe's in the room and occasionally talks but he's never in the frame of the camera hardys using to record it. he was literally right under their noses the entire time and they never suspected because they were focused on other people too much

ep4 hardy goes to the millers" for dinner

this scene hits so much different on second viewing holy shit. at one point they're talking about marriage and work and how hardy's divorce was partially work-related and:

hardy: this job, it does it to you

ellie: well, not to us

ellie actually makes me sob she loves her life so much then it all just comes crashing down on her

joe: do you think you're gonna solve this case?

hardy: certain.

joe: good :)

joe's reply itself here makes sense but there's a few seconds before he says it where his face is just blank and mildly panicked. he's genuinely worrying about being caught at this point.

now this one isn't a direct hint or anything but just if you think about the dialogue in a different context...yeah it fits

hardy: you bloody liar

joe: ive said nothing

hardy: and yet-

joe said nothing to the police or ellie and yet was lying the WHOLE time.

ep5 - brian asks ellie out

ellie: sorry, im married

brian: and thats an issue is it?

ellie: happily married, brian

brian: oh. okay, fair enough. only lots of people aren't though, are they?

ellie: i am.

THE IRONY OH ELLIE LET ME GIVE YOU A HUG PLEASE

ep6 - jack's wake

ellie spends the whole scene looking around to see if anyone looks worried, at one point she looks into a room (seemingly at nige but joe is stood nearby having a different conversation) and she makes eye contact with joe RIGHT as the camera cuts away

ep 6 - joe takes tom to the skate park and ellie arrives

ellie: i was just looking round that bar at the wake thinking "its someone here, why cant i see it?" the longer this goes on, im starting to suspect everyone

joe: when you say everyone...

ellie: well, nearly everyone

this is probably the most obvious hint that i can't believe i didn't catch on to. of COURSE they're gonna make a point for the killer to be the ONE person ellie LITERALLY SAYS she isn't suspicious of.

ep7 - ellie lets susan leave the police station

ellie (about susan's past with her husband and daughters): in your own house, how could you not know?

just ow. the irony of it all. fucking ow.

[dateamonster]

catching up on monster high notes!

spell the beans

looooove clawdeens dad joining the parents association he is involved in his childrens education :3 he is making cookies and making friends :3

momdusa is so milfy i could die the gays stay winning once again

dracula is soooo silly hes winning me over i fear

!! momdusa never moved on from high school and falls over so much and loves her wife wow she is the perfect woman actually

its not my dream dad its YOURS

obsessed w everyone wanting to eat clawdeens dad

THANK YOU for explaining the camera/mirror thing with vampires i was wondering abt that

mr wolf and dracula friendship moment 🥺

EXPELBEAST!! i love when they do something fun and goofy with the mh lore

idk if those were lagoonas parents in the mpa but i wish we got more of them there looked so cute

growing up ghoulia

mothman!!!!!!!!!!!

some of these side characters have such interesting designs the purple dragon girl sitting in front of ghoulia was soo cute

MONSTER GSA LETS GOOO

i loove when mh does some classic monster movie stuff. ghoulia clone zombie attack rules.

not to be a broken record but i feel like ghoulias ep here would be more meaningful if she was still more noticeably zombie-like. like she says she moves slower than other monsters but i dont like. see that. let her lurch!

casketball jinx

im so happy to see howleen!!

kaiju girlie is such a queen we love to see it

tbqh i think howleen was right for this one

clawdeen both being on the team and being a cheerleader seems like soo much take a rest bestie 😭

do u think clawdeen had a wolf fursona before she found out she was a werewolf? i think so.

[upslapmeal]

The Devil's Chord

For context going into this episode, I can name off the top of my head.....3 Beatles songs? idk I'd probably recognise more but I was v much hoping this episode didn't hinge on having any actual emotional attachment to them lol

that kid is excellently cast, really looks the part

RIP Henry your great casting was cut short too soon

very chaotic vibes from Maestro!

the theme on the piano!!

the theme on the jukebox!!

‘I want to see the Beatles’ followed by the most cute serious face <3

sure Doctor you've never been to see them but you've had the space time visualiser!

lmao Ruby and Fifteen are so much fun

pure vibes and here for a good time!

1963!!

meanwhile One is busy kidnapping Ian and Babs lol

so. gonna guess from their faces it’s not an actual Beatles song

poor Fifteen dying at the orchestra and Ruby just 😐😐 *pat on the back*

hey it’s that lady again!

do these people look like the Beatles? I feel like they don't but again. I don't really know what they did look like

so my question with all this is.. why still make music if music isn't a thing any more?

why are the Beatles formed as a group and recording with someone encouraging them in the control room?

why even set up a recording studio at all?? I guess it speaks to the underlying human-ness of music

that even when musicality is gone, people are still forcing themselves to make some sort of music

yeah I feel like I should care more about the Beatles lol

Lennon and McCartney just. immediately baring their souls

feels weird watching this and knowing it's about someone who's still alive

'GEGGC'....ah ~~music~~

'we had bad smog in November ’62' I love how the Doctor speaks like a reminiscing Londoner bc that's what he was!!

Susan mention red alert!!!

‘timelords were murdered. :D I’M FINE’ sure

Ruby's theme!

interesting that in-universe it’s music she wrote for someone else

the giggle!!

‘you never hide’ I get that Fifteen and Ruby were instant besties but she's speaking like someone who's known the Doctor way longer than 3 adventures

the sonic screwdriver being sonic!!

RIP piano granny

‘defeating him took everything*’ * catching a ball

‘you always know’ idk if it's a symptom of the reduced episode count but it does feel like they've skipped over a fair bit of Ruby and Fifteen getting to know each other

‘I was born in 2004’ 👵🏻

oh so it’s been 6 months since the last ep??

again I guess the reduced ep count has meant speeding through but :/

‘where’s my mum’ :(((

I like the un-music that Murray Gold has going on for this bit. v effective.

child of the Toymaker??

‘now time for my ppt presentation about nuclear winter’

'the lost chord' - I feel like they could have done a lil bit more with that at the start bc it didn't feel as though the guy played anything particularly unusual or special?

lol Fifteen kissing the tardis better. I mean it seemed to work

the Doctor leaving Actual Musician Ruby Sunday in the control room while he tries to play a guitar

‘I thought that was non-diegetic’ lmao I guess it makes sense that the whole episode's music is being messed with

‘there’s a hidden song deep inside her soul’ hmmmm

...secret evil power Ruby??

excellent visual of her held up by the music in the snow

they're lucky Maestro doesn't seem interested in just. killing them.

‘music battle’ this is so weird. not sure if it's weird in a way I'm enjoying

this ep has felt a bit....meandering isn't the word but I don't know what is

lmao the nostalgic voiceover…not-Lennon totally unfazed by magical floating notes...reading them even though they absolutely cannot be read because there’s no stave

danse macabre!

it’s just so funny that it's the most boring-ass chord that defeats Maestro

the thing is the ep did v little to establish these guys as Characters To Root For outside them being Beatles and I just. don't care

I'd be interested to know if Beatles fans felt more about them saving the day

musical number!!

that shot of Fifteen vibing in the spotlight is so much fun!

and the one of him and everyone in the control room watching Ruby!

the world has been deprived of music for so long that of course it explodes into a musical number!!

and a certain Mr H Arbinger returns…I imagine that's not the last we'll see of him

what a fun end lol

I dunno about this one, it had good stuff but some of it was a bit all over the place and weird in a way that I didn't enjoy that much. And some of the music-specific stuff just idk. didn't land.

Also I rewatched the ep before editing my notes but I watched it as ep4 which honestly made Fifteen and Ruby's dynamic seem less rushed (and then there wasn't the weirdness in Boom of Ruby not going to a planet for the first 6 months of travelling).

I don't know. Mixed bag this one.

[astrangeraccoon]

1rst watch of tmagp ep 15

Sam is so cute and earnest asking celia on a date

Soooo Alice is definitely trying to seduce both Sam and celia now right?

Alice not knowing about the baby and being confusew😂

Did celia just agree on a raincheck?

Also good question how many band is Alice brother in?

My problem with all voices sound the same continue, for a sec I thought the voicemail voice was gwen's

Who/what is the sentinel?

A caterer going to a hunting party for bigger game and talking about how "his staff didn't deserve what happened to them"? Yeah I can see where that's going...

"the matriarch" oooh I'm interested who is she? How powerful is she?

Aaaaand of course we're hunting human

Oh... This actually didn't go the way I thought it would... This is actually so much worse. So. Much. Worse.

Aaaaand he s still being hunted... And she got him...

How many statemetn have finished with the giver dying right at the end at this point?

Wtf wtf wtf WHAT IS THE MATRIARCH DOING IN THE OFFICE???

Okay but the transcript "they are not fur babies they are what turns up when someone says "release the hounds"" i love it it's so odly specific

She better not hurt celia

What does she mean "different"? Is she talking other universe different? Or something else

I love how much of a badass celia is

"Catch you next time" "no you won't" you go celia!

Cheshire Bouchard? What does it mean?

Yayyyyy we finally meeting Alice brother!

TAPE RECORDER? MY BELOVED IS BACK?

No Alice don't go there!

Only a theory but something about what the victim is talking about makes me 90% sure she is (at least partially) linked to the Deep or was attacked by it

I love the song for keeping cpr ryrhm

Oh shit oh fuck oh shit. Alice found the tape recorder! (her reaction is a bit odd... Does she know what the tape recorder means? Where they come from?)

Okay that episode leaves me genuinely scared for Alice survival chance. I hope this didn't get her marked by the Deep. Or any other fear

I also do not like the implication of celia meeting lady mowbay...

[the-conversation-pod]

Spring 2024 Lagniappe

And we're back! It's been a long production season for us, and we've still got projects to talk about! Join us and @twig-tea once more to answer our inbox questions and do quick takes on a bunch of projects we didn't cover in long form, and then hear Ben and NiNi catch up on a few shows or movies, wrap up the season, award Girl You Tried, and ponder the future.

Timestamps

The timestamps will now correspond with chapters on Spotify for easier navigation.

00:00:00 - Welcome 00:01:15 - Inbox: Comparing Cherry Magic Adaptations 00:10:17 - Inbox: Remaking Het Romances into QL 00:16:04 - Catch Up Corner: Young Royals Season 3 00:21:23 - Catch Up Corner: Man Suang 00:25:12 - Catch Up Corner: DNA Says Love You 00:29:23 - Twig’s Dispatch 00:38:35 - Winter Round Up 00:44:45 - Girl, You Tried 00:47:35 - Look Ahead

The Conversation Transcripts!

Thanks to the continued efforts of @ginnymoonbeam as transcriber, and @lurkingshan as an editor and proofreader, we are able to bring you transcripts of the episodes.

We will endeavor to make the transcripts available when the episodes launch, and it is our goal to make them available for past episodes (Coming soon thanks to @wen-kexing-apologist). When transcripts are available, we will attach them to the episode post (like this one) and put the transcript behind a Read More cut to cut down on scrolling.

Please send our volunteers your thanks!

00:00:00 - Welcome

NiNi

Welcome to The Conversation About BL, aka The Brown Liquor Podcast.

Ben

And there it is. I’m Ben.

NiNi

I’m NiNi.

Ben

And we’re your drunk Caribbean uncle and auntie here sitting on the porch in the rocking chairs.

NiNi

Four times a year we pop in to talk about what’s going on in the BL world.

Ben

We shoot the shit about stories and all the drama going into them. I review from a queer media lens.

NiNi

And I review from a romance and drama lens.

Ben

So if you like cracked-out takes and really intense emotional analysis…

NiNi

If you like talking about artistry, industry, and the discourse…

Ben

And if you generally just love simping…

NiNi

There is a lot of simping on this podcast…

Ben

We are the show for you!

00:01:15 - Inbox: Comparing Cherry Magic Adaptations 

Ben

And we're back. We have finally made it to the end of what feels like our longest production season we have ever been in.

NiNi

I feel like we have been recording this season since last season and we're recording right up to the end of the season. Our first recording for this season was on the 28th of January.

Ben

Oh my God!

NiNi

We've been here forever. We're going to change some things up going forward, and we'll tell you guys more about that when we figure it out. 

But for now, welcome to our spring lagniappe. Let's go into our inbox. We have two great questions from two new names and we also have a very special guest. Say hi, Twig.

Twig

Hi everyone.

NiNi

Twig is back with us, and she's gonna help us answer some of these questions. 

Our first question comes from @hellooobees and hellooobees writes: “I'm sure you plan to discuss something similar to this, but now that we have the Japanese and the Thai adaptations of Cherry Magic with the anime also airing, I would really like to know your opinions about them and the unique flavors they add to the mix.”

Thank you for the question, hellooobees. Ben, you've been tracking all of these adaptations. What are your opinions about the different versions of Cherry Magic now and what parts you enjoyed differently about different versions of the Cherry Magic story?

Ben

I'd say for Cherry Magic, I'm really glad that Akaso Eiji and Keita Machida were the ones who introduced us to Cherry Magic. I think both of those actors are really good, and considering what we now know about how much was changed in Cherry Magic, I think it was good that they had two solid actors who could handle that and bring some pathos to that when they were asked to do that. 

But I gotta be honest, having now seen complete versions of the Cherry Magic story as it was originally written out, I will not be returning to the original Japanese live action. The Thai live action is probably the best version in the sense that it's the most watchable, and I think the most consistently satisfying to watch. I think the cast of the Thai version is extremely good, and I think they're very funny. I think they all play off really well together, and I think the overall set of arcs that all the characters go through are really satisfying in that story.

The anime is probably my favorite. The Thai cast is just so likable. The anime cast is… not? And I think I like them more for that. We talked a lot about the Thai adaptation earlier when we had Shan on the podcast. Let's talk a little bit about anime one specifically. 

Twig, what were some of your standouts and notes you took while we were watching this?

Twig

The anime is my favorite version too, not because it's better, but because I had a little more fun with the way the characters are less perfect. Adachi in the anime… he's a little bit mean! And it's delightful. I love a mean twink, and Adachi in the anime version of Cherry Magic—he's a little sullen and a little mean, and he hates people a little bit. He's got a little bit of a misanthropy thing going on that is missing—from my taste—from the other versions of Adachi. 

My favorite moment is when he's standing on a street corner and he sees a couple canoodling, and he's. Just like, “Ugh, straight people.” [laughs] And it's like, yes! Go off.

Ben

He's always calling people normies in his head. It’s so fucking funny. [laughs]

Twig

It's like, “Fuck normies.” Like, yes, I love you! [NiNi and Twig laugh] He's also, like, a little bit less afraid to use his power for his own benefit. There's multiple times where he's like, “Oh, I'm just gonna find out what this person's thinking just because I wanna know.” And he has does moral qualms about it. I really enjoy that more morally gray character that we get in the anime.

NiNi

I have a question, actually, about the use of the different mediums and cultures. Is there anything that, for example, in the anime version, the medium of anime allows them to do that wouldn't play as well in a live action version, or vice versa even?

Ben

There's a really great example of that around the date episode. The [Thai] episode ends with Achi first having a long conversation with Jinta at their cafe, and then he goes to Karan and they have a really big heart to heart moment. That is probably the best way to do that in live action. The actors only have to build the emotions once. Today we are filming this really big emotional scene about the date, and the actors can be ready for that. 

But what I think anime allows you to do is the story can spread those scenes across multiple locations. In the anime version Adachi and Kurosawa unpack their bad date across a series of interactions, across like one or two days. A little bit at work, a little bit while they’re walking in the street, a little bit hanging out at a bar later, and then walking home.

You can do that in anime because you just can place the recordings at the settings that you want to put them in. And I prefer the way the anime handled the fallout of that bad date, but it's harder to do that in live action because it's hard to get the actors to deliver the right chemistry and mood in eight filming locations for a single overarching conversation.

Twig

I think also there is something about the medium that allows the characters to be a little bit more gray and still be lovable because everybody is in more of an extreme. If actors were trying to portray the level of intensity of emotion the anime characters do, that—it would feel very off putting. But characters are allowed to make giant faces beyond what a human can actually make in reality, [Ben laughs] and so I think it's easier to allow people to be more dislikeable and still be loved.

Ben

Twig and I really like how unlikable the anime cast is. That may seem incredibly weird, but like Rokkaku is so insufferable in the early episodes. And like, Fujisaki as a fujo is way more off-putting. Adachi is such a bitch, and then Kurosawa is intense and also aloof. I understand why Kurosawa is single in this version.

Twig

Yes, yes, exactly. [laughs]

Ben

With Karan it’s like, “Why is this man single?” And with Achi, it's like, “My body’s tofu.” Sir, you are New Thittipoom. [Ben and NiNi laugh] We are looking at them trying to pretend like you don't have these enormous fucking shoulders with the way they cut that shirt. Please. 

That gets a little bit fanciful in Cherry Magic Thailand that these guys are single, because they're both really emotionally available for the most part. Achi is just kind of shy.

Twig

Yeah. I also just really like how much more Adachi as a character makes his own decisions proactively in the anime. In the other two versions, Achi and Adachi, feel very led along by the hand by Kurosawa and Karan.

NiNi

Okay, so I think we have a hierarchy. We have a best, a favorite and an original, I think. If that's a hierarchy.

Ben

If you're asking us in a vacuum, like, what's the best one like to show someone so that they'll be impressed with the Cherry Magic story, they should watch the Thai version.

Twig

Yeah.

Ben

If you're asking us what I think my favorite expression of the story is, I really think it's the anime. I really like this version of the cast, like, I like Tsuge and Minato the most in the anime, too. I don't really wanna recommend the original Japanese live action anymore. And it's not because I think they did a bad job with that one. It's just, they made some changes to the story and ended up kind of spinning around towards the end.

Twig

One of the things I focus on about all of the adaptations is that whatever changes were made to the story, the way the characters are changed to work with that was done really well. The characters feel true in each version of the story, and they feel different in each adaptation as a result.

Ben

For those of you who don't watch a lot of anime, or for those of you who do watch anime, there are some real knocks on Cherry Magic anime. The walk animations are not great, particularly when someone's coming from the background to the foreground. Oh my God. There's a Kurosawa walking towards him moment that will haunt me for the rest of the time. [Twig laughs] 

I feel like I have to make that note because anime fans are very particular about animation and art. This is from a B-tier studio. So, be nice.

00:10:17 - Inbox: Remaking Het Romances into QL

NiNi

Let's move on to our next question that comes from happypotato48. And they write, “With all the recent news about Thai bl remakes and adaptations, it's getting me thinking if the industry is going to do remakes, why only BL, why not remake old hetero dramas or movies into QL/ GL/BL? So my question is, if you could pick one older or more recent non-queer Asian media that you wish to get remade into a QL/GL/BL, which one would you pick?”

I mean, I have my clear answers.

Ben

I really want you to go first because you are far more familiar with het romance than I am.

NiNi

My number one answer to this kind of question is always going to be Twenty-Five Twenty-One, because as far as I'm concerned, Twenty-Five Twenty-One is already a GL, they just got confused about what it was supposed to be. Twenty-Five Twenty-One is a Korean sports drama about fencers, and it has one of the greatest female/female relationships, supposedly a friendship, but I'm sorry, this was a romance to me. As far as I'm concerned, these two girls fell in love and it made me completely hungry for sports GL. That hunger that has not yet been appropriately fulfilled.

My other answer, which is an interesting one ‘cause I've been trying to get Ben to watch this. It's My Country: The New Age, fantastic historical kdrama about the birth of the Joseon era. Very warriors’ bond. And yeah, I would make that BL. I think it would work really, really well. 

What about you Twig? Where’s your head at with this question?

Twig

All right, so I had one immediately come to mind because I'm still mad that it wasn't queer to begin with. It felt like it was supposed to be. Nana. Nana is a Japanese manga, I think they even did a live action. It's about these two women who are both named Nana moving into an apartment together, and they are so queer and the underlying theme of the show is so queer. Everybody in that show is so queer. And then they made them straight, and I'm still mad about it. I'm like, “You were wrong. You're just wrong about who these characters are and who they're in love with.” That one absolutely needs to be made into a GL, please and thank you. Also the aesthetic would make me very happy. [laughs] So I just want to see it. 

The other one that came to mind is partially because I'm watching it now, but Hospital Playlist. It’s right there. It would be so easy to remake as a BL.

NiNi

Who would you put together?

Twig

Oh don't, don't put me on the spot. [laughs]

NiNi

Come on. I'm putting you on the spot. Who would you put together?

Twig

Who would you choose?

NiNi

Ik Jun and Jun Wan, I would absolutely make them a couple. I think they're fantastic. Not that I don't love Hospital Playlist exactly as it is, but if there had been an Ik Jun/Jun Wan romance, I would have also loved that. 

What about you, Ben? Where do you sit with this?

Ben

This one is always a difficult question for me because the reason I'm watching Asian drama is for queer reasons. So like, I don't go out of my way to watch a bunch of that stuff. So unfortunately I do not have a het drama that I would like to see redone as a BL. The ones I've seen were basically BL already, like Coffee Prince is clear. It does not need to be remade to be more BL. And I don't actually think that Goblin would be better if it was a BL. I think it works as it is, and I don't really want to change that. 

So I'm going to cheat. I'm not using an Asian drama for this. I want to see a gay version of Really Love. Which is like this generation’s Love Jones.

NiNi

This generation has a Love Jones?

Ben

It's really fucking good.

NiNi

Am I gonna have to watch this?

Ben

You really should. You need to go write this down and go watch it. These two people who are vibing at, like, maybe not the right time in their lives and the success that they're starting to get professionally and creatively is getting in the way of their ability to have the romance that is really important to them. 

I think about that film at least once a month. I'd like to see a gay version of that.

NiNi

I have made a note, dear friend.

Ben

And it's about black people. So you should watch it.

NiNi

Always a win.

Ben

One of the reasons why I have really taken to Asian dramas is the west—particularly Americans—really fucking hate romance and I really like how earnestly—particularly Korean dramas—engage with romance. I think it's what makes BL possible. There's a real appreciation for romance itself in this part of the world. 

I wish I had a better answer for this one, because I think it's a fun question.

NiNi

That's gonna wrap us up on the questions this season. Thank you guys so much. We always love hearing from our listeners. Please, don't be a lurker, don't be shy. Please send us questions. We love them so much.

00:16:04 - Catch Up Corner: Young Royals Season 3

NiNi 

So before we get into the things that I actually watched, like way, way behind the curve, like two years behind the curve, let's get into some of the stuff that we actually caught up on this season that was, I suppose, current. There's two things that we had been waiting for. The first one was the third season of Young Royals and the second was finally being able to watch Man Suang. 

Let's talk a little bit about Young Royals 3. I watched the whole thing. Ben still has not finished it. Ben, what did you think of the parts of Young Royals 3 that you have watched so far? How far have you gotten into it? Are you planning to finish it? And what do you think of it? 

Ben 

I got to Simon is grounded, Wille can't really leave the school now because of the curfew. I think that's as far as I got. I'll say this much: I like that this show seems to take the reality of dating a public figure seriously. I like that Simon is struggling with being online because you can't not be online in the modern age, and he is not given any real training for how to deal with it. Wille is given no fucking training either, he's like, “I'll handle it.” Really? Y’all let this impulsive boy who punches people whenever he gets mad and then just says whatever on national TV, he's in charge of teaching him on how to engage with social media? Okay, sure. Whatever. 

But I'm enjoying the struggle they're having with being public. It's different when your whole relationship has been kind of closeted and now you're suddenly out. You have to get used to what that means, and maybe this isn't exactly what you wanted. I like where it feels like the show is going on the front end, but because I know there's a lot of angst ahead for them and I haven’t been in a very high energy mood for a bit to deal with that, I have not been in a hurry to continue it. 

NiNi 

Though we, the show has presented this thing about being in a relationship with a public figure, for me, tying that back to some of the Asian BL that I've seen, I always go back to the Lovely Writer well. Having these stories in the western context is always really interesting. Interesting in the sense of, I haven't seen something like this be done in the queer western space, but also in the fact that I've seen these stories now. I've seen them in the Asian space and so they feel familiar enough that I don't feel like they’re anything new or exciting, necessarily. 

Did I enjoy Young Royals 3? I really did. But in terms of the Simon and Wille stuff, I like them. I enjoy their romance, I always have. But I felt a little bit like it had been done. And that's because I've been seeing these stories play out in Asian media for a while at this point. I thought that they did a great job writing it. I thought that it was fantastically acted. There's a sequence when Wille and Simon go swimming in the lake at sunrise that I think is definitely worth watching the entire season for, but, I feel like it's been done. 

Ben 

I will say on the way out from Young Royals that I want to applaud Omar Rudberg and Edvin Ryding for the execution of BGP over the last three or four years that they've been working together. I think those two have done a great job of managing the public version of their friendship and the professional requirements therein. They seem to have a really good handle on it, and it seems like their team did a really great job preparing them for all of this. They seem surprisingly chill for people who have gone through the BGP gauntlet.

NiNi 

It has been some gauntlet and Edvin is a young actor in his first major role. I am very impressed with how he's handled himself. 

Ben 

It's just not one of the shows that I am most excited to watch, and some of that is me being kind of grumpy politically. When we're trying to advocate for non-English language media people seemingly struggle with having to read subtitles and don't wanna watch foreign content as a result. But had no problem showing up for this show. There's a wider conversation to have about how fandom will do anything for a white man, even read subtitles. 

NiNi 

Say it. 

Ben 

It's frustrating. I feel like I'm pettily not finishing Young Royals because I don't enjoy how people who say they want more queer stories have ignored BL and then bitched that there's no great queer stories and they watch Young Royals and they're like, “Oh my goodness, I've never seen anything like this.”

I will finish Young Royals. But I am frustrated with the Western audience rushing to watch this show, and then snubbing anything Asian immediately afterwards. 

00:21:23 - Catch Up Corner: Man Suang

NiNi 

The next thing we're gonna talk about a little bit is Man Suang. This is finally, finally been made available to those of us in the West and in an English language subtitle version. 

I really enjoyed this—this is not gay. Or to be more clear, it is not obviously gay. But I thought this was a really interesting piece from Be On Cloud. 

Ben 

I did not watch this. I need you to tell me like, what is going on in Man Suang? Like, what's the drama here? [NiNi laughs] What is even the story they're telling? 

NiNi 

Oh, I get to summarize something. Okay, bear with me. 

Man Suang is a story about Khem, played by Apo Nattawin. When Khem is a dancer and after he dances, he basically gets called back by these various men, women, it doesn't matter, to come to their rooms and perform sexually for them. At the beginning of the film, some assassin sneaks into where they are and kills the guy that he's with, who is a very important guy. He tries to save him and can't, and he's then caught and arrested because of course it's assumed that he is the one who tried to assassinate this guy. And so to save his own life, he agrees to go undercover at this very fancy club called Man Suang. He gets a job there as a dancer and he meets this Chinese-Thai guy called Chatra, who is played by Mile Phakphum. It eventually becomes known to him that he and Chatra are basically on the same side, spying at this club, so they form an alliance and a friendship and possibly something more. But whatever more is happening is sort of subsumed by his trauma. 

Basically, it is a spy story. This feels about mid- to late-1800s in Old Siam. There's a lot of Chinese migration, that integral part of the story. Bas plays Khem’s friend, Wan, who is sent to Man Suang with him to join in the spy mission. Tong plays Hong, who is part of the family who owns Man Suang. They don't know whose side he's on. There's a lot of intrigue. There's a lot of drama, there's a lot of very familiar faces. 

I don't know how to describe the movie other than to say it is intriguing. It is gorgeous. I am not entirely sure the story holds together all the way. My understanding as well, which, I don't know if this is correct, its that the version that we have gotten on Netflix is an edited version. It certainly feels that way. I feel like there are bits of the story that are missing that we are expected to fill in. But the acting is fantastic and particularly as we get down to the climax of the story, there is some phenomenal acting from Bas and Tong. 

I have explained this terribly. When I edit this down it is going to be explained even more terribly. I wish that you had watched this so that you could explain it properly for our listeners. What I will say is that it's a gorgeous piece of cinema. It's beautiful to watch. Everybody is operating at a very high level in terms of the acting. It's a good film, it's not a great film. 

Ben 

I'll probably watch it at some point. 

00:25:12 - Catch Up Corner: DNA Says Love You

NiNi 

Our final catch up is, I finally watched DNA Says Love You! Ben, I'm gonna let you remind the listeners of what DNA Says Love You is about.

Ben 

DNA Says Love You is about this group of friends who are, it feels like late college kids, who are trying to make their little ghost hunting YouTube channel function. The guy and his friend had this other friend when they were growing up, who ended up leaving and they've missed her for a long time. This new guy shows up mysteriously and seems to be connected to her. And you spend most of the show wondering what sort of mystery may be going on here. Is there something spooky going on? Is this a trans story? We're not entirely certain what's happening there. 

When we finally get confirmation about what's going on, the reveals are really great and there's a really interesting execution of a… unexpected queer romance here. I'm gonna continue to talk around the reveals around Amber, because while I don't subscribe to spoiler culture, I do think the presumptions you bring to the table are part of the experience of this particular show, and I don't like revealing the full truth about Amber when I describe it to people who may not have seen it. 

NiNi 

Yeah, I think that's the right instinct. The first time we talked about the show, I remember you describing the show and thinking to myself. Okay, well, from that description I know what this is about. And then I go into the show and actually, no, I didn't know what it was about. I think that that experience is the right experience to have with this show. I think allowing the show to take you on the journey is the only way really to watch it? So I also will not be spoiling the show. 

We're gonna continue to talk around what it is, but I do want to say, having watched it now, I am going to echo Ben's praise of Erek Lin, who plays Amber. I think that Erek Lin did an incredible job with this character. I enjoyed the story. I love that this is a story about friendship more than anything else, and about what it is to be a friend and what it means to carry somebody in your heart for a really long time. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this. Is it perfect? No. There are a few things that I wish that the show had done—not differently, but probably given some more time and attention to. And then there's some side characters who I found fun and interesting, but I was a little confused about how they fit overall into the story. 

Ben 

I don't think the connective tissue with all of the romance bits going on was necessarily great in this. But I did appreciate the established gay couple sides who are dealing with a potential separation in their future. There's a whole thing of, like, growing pains and growing up in their story that I really connected to. 

NiNi 

Fair enough, but I wasn't entirely sure how they fit into the story thematically, or really, to be honest, narratively. They seemed to be sort of off to the side in their own little story. But yeah, overall, really good show. If I were in the business of recommending things, I absolutely would recommend it. 

Ben 

You have been recommending things with me for over two years now. Highly recommended, go watch it! 

This show is about a queer experience that very rarely gets depicted in any kind of media. This is worth watching. 

NiNi 

Well said, sir. Well said. 

00:29:23 - Twig’s Dispatch

Ben 

We are going to introduce a new segment to the lagniappe of The Conversation, Twig’s Dispatch. We wanted to make sure we gave airtime to all of the shows that we choose either not to discuss on the show or we didn't think warranted a very long conversation. 

NiNi 

The point of the segment is for Twig to just do a round up of what's out there that we may not have seen, may not have wanted to watch, may not have been able to put effort into at the time to get a sense of the landscape and also for Twig to point out, hey, maybe you should watch this one. 

Ben 

So Twig, why don't you run us down your list of shows? 

Twig 

Dispatch! Hey-o! 

So I've got 12 pieces of media that weren't on the list of stuff you've discussed in the season. My Universe it's on iQIYI, 12 two-part episodes that are only very lightly linked together. It felt like a series of school projects. There was a body swap, mistaken identity, in love with your sibling’s friend, destined lovers, enemies to lovers, love Triangle, a coach and an athlete, fake dating turns real, a twincest episode—it did walk a fine line, it made me very uncomfortable—age gap, paid companionship, and terminal illness. If you love one of those tropes, you can just watch that one miniseries associated with that trope, I guess. 

There was a lot of not very well handled difficult subjects in these, so if you have any need for warnings, I would check for the warnings about the episodes you might wanna watch. If you're curious and wanna try one of them, my favorite one was Right Time, Right You, the destined lovers one, episodes five six. It's a little bit lighter than some of the other ones and has some of the better acting. There's also three or four different directors who, you can try out a bunch of different creators and see how you feel about them, which is kind of fun from a viewer perspective. 

Night Dream is actually one of the ones that I like more. It's a second chance romance. I think it's on YouTube, childhood friends, Night and Dream. meet again after Dream had disappeared from Night's life for years and fall back into this sort of will they, won't they that comes from being closeted. This is one of the ones that I liked because it felt a little more queer and they did some interesting things with flashbacks, so we got a mid-series reveal that I thought was actually pretty well done. If you have time and you're open to a slightly more queer feeling story, it's worth giving a shot. 

Going in with low expectations is a good idea, but it's not a terrible waste of your time. 

NiNi 

Bake Me?

Twig 

The actual show was last season, but the special episode landed this season. My biggest complaint about this show was there wasn't enough baking. It was a really frustrating plot. Special episodes, you just have to have something to give people a chance to be with those characters again and see them be cute, really. Right? But they didn't take that route. 

For Shin’s birthday Peach ignores him for days, so that Shin thinks that Peach is gonna leave him, so that he could surprise Shin on his birthday as like the worst birthday gift ever. I [laughs] was not into it. I don't love a big lie as a plot device for a relationship. 

Ben 

VIP Only? 

Twig 

My biggest note about this show was Liu Li coming into his own, being self assured and exercising his own agency and figuring himself out was actually great, but it came way too late. He was so much more interesting as a character when he actually took control of his life, but he was just so passive for so many episodes. What I love about it was he lets go of what he thought love was, that juvenile understanding of what love looks like, to realize what love really is. I thought that was a really cool arc and I was really sad that it wasn't treated better. 

Love Senior the Series. Oh, I had such high hopes for this one, guys. It is essentially the lesbian version of SOTUS. It's a hazing ritual that happens with engineering. The first seven episodes were so great, we got lesbians who were thirsty for each other and they were actually more successful than their gay male counterparts in overturning the systems. We got a character who had casual sex, and it's fine. Yes, anti-purity culture! And then episode 8 happened and someone got drugged, there was slut shaming, there was a car accident, there was amnesia, and then noble idiocy—literally every one of my least favorite tropes. I guess they felt like they needed to have more for their characters to do, but I was, like, really enjoying them just being lesbians and horny for each other. Like, what was wrong with that?

Ben 

Anyway, what is You and My Stars? 

Twig 

That was just a little micro series of two episodes by Mind Trio. They're like a little indie BL-producing YouTube channel that I like to follow. They did my favorite show that no one heard of, Calculating Love. It's not actually that good, but it makes me happy. [laughs]

This one is a little love triangle—I think it's like 25 minutes total—and it's one of the better ones on this list for sure. There's two friends, Hunter and Win. And Win likes this guy Time, but he finds out that Time likes Hunter and so Win tries to help Time to woo Hunter, but Hunter steps away and then we find out who Hunter likes. But I will not spoil it. It's cute. There's some star folding, hence the name. 

After Sundown: essentially, they took the plot of Cutie Pie, but added ghosts, which sounds like it should be really fun. And so it was really disappointing how boring this movie was. [laughs] A poor kid comes to a large estate and is betrothed to a rich guy who's been cursed because his grandfather was gay. That's the summary. That should be really interesting! It was not. I was so bored. 

NiNi

Twins the Series.

Twig

Of all the sports to get wrong in a gay series. How dare you? So these twins, Zee and Sprite, Zee plays volleyball, Sprite does judo. Zee gets beaten up by guys who were looking for his twin Sprite, so Sprite feels guilty and takes Zee’s place on the volleyball team to make sure that Zee can still qualify to compete for the national team later that year. He has to integrate with the team in order to hide the fact that he's not Zee, but he's first of all really bad at pretending to be his twin, and also it takes until I think it was, like, episode 8 before he actually got volleyball lessons from anyone? I was like, what are you doing? He's pretending to be one of the top athletes in a sport that he doesn't know how to play, and nobody notices for the entire series. I was aghast. 

Sprite, the one pretending to be the volleyball player, falls for a teammate named First who hates Zee, the twin who he's pretending to be. The Big Lie went on for way too long. It doesn't get revealed till the very end. And First does not get to be angry about it for nearly long enough for my taste. The leads did have mad chemistry, and Ryan's waist is fantastic, so you know who, kudos to them for working with what they got. 

Do we talk about For Him? What I kind of wanna say about For Him is: pay your actors, and we'll talk about your show. Give Tor Atagorn another show. That was my takeaway from that show. 

NiNi 

Happy Ending. 

Twig 

My favorite thing about this is all of the lore, because everybody went into it going, “Oh, it's Strongberry, it's going to be good” and then it wasn't. And then Strongberry came out and was like, “It wasn't really us, we distributed it.” I mean, the director said outright, “I wanted to make a sad short with an ambiguous ending.” and that's what we got, and I think now he's realizing that maybe wasn't the best goal. 

NiNi 

Bringing things forward that people may not have heard about, there is a BL that came out from Myanmar called Healing Thingyan. 

Twig 

This is a little YouTube miniseries. It takes place as friends celebrate the Thingyan Festival over a period of a few different years. It's short, it's cute, it's free, and it's the only show from Myanmar that I've seen where nobody died. So [laughs] already it's crossing over the bar into things that I'm happier to send support to. 

One of the things that I feel like has to be said about anything coming out of Myanmar is the political situation. As long as it wasn't really bad, I was going to tell people to watch it because I wanna encourage views on shows where people are struggling against the political climate they're in in order to be able to show this kind of content. This show had to pass a censorship board to be made, so don't expect a kiss, but they're surprisingly cute for what they're allowed to make and in a country where the penalties are severe for making things that could be seen as encouraging quote unquote of queerness, I feel really strongly about sending views towards this thing. 

Support local Burmese shows. Give it a shot. Give Myanmar some love. 

NiNi 

That's our first ever Twig’s dispatch. Thanks for being here with us, Twig. 

Twig 

Thanks for having me again. 

00:38:35 - Winter Round Up

NiNi 

Always a fun time having Twig on the show, new friend of the pod. I like that we're building up this stable of friends of the pod. I like hearing the voices of BL fandom on our show. It's great fun. 

Ben 

It's also like inviting friends over to your house, like it's different when you're just hanging out and doing stuff. But every time your friends come over, you have to clean up and shit. [Ben and NiNi laugh] There's a lot more extra effort on the front and back end now. 

NiNi 

Let's talk about the season as was. Ben, I know you have some complex, complicated, mixed moody kinds of thoughts about how this season went. 

Ben 

It's tough. The most obvious thing from our release schedule that stands out this season is this is, I think, the first time Japan has outnumbered Thailand in our number of shows we talked about—oh, wait, nevermind. They caught up because of Twig. 

[Ben and NiNi laugh]

NiNi 

In terms of long form discussion, we talk more about the Japanese this season. That is true. 

Ben 

This is the most we've talked about Japanese content on this podcast since we started, which is a real win for me because that's what I enjoy the most. But it's also a reflection of what's going on. Thailand is still out-producing everyone, but it's less about countries now and more about production teams and studios. We managed to have a really great conversation around Cherry Magic and Cooking Crush about what longevity looks like in BL. Now that there are more players actively engaged in the genre, it's not just us talking about 8 to 10 Thai BLs, the one or two Japanese shows that got released, the maybe Korean project that got released, the maybe Taiwanese project that got released. There's a whole lot more people playing in the space now. 

My own life responsibilities have forced me to cut back on being present for every BL. The gap between a show I really am enjoying and engaged with and a show I'm not but I’m trying to stick with is a lot further than it's ever been, and I find it a lot harder to cross that gap. I'm relieved that we have more friends now because I can ask people what's going on. That's been the big shift for me. Being more cognizant of my own time and how I'm investing myself emotionally in the shows. I don't like showing up grumpy to productions. I don't really like being in a foul mood when I'm watching shows. I don't think that's fair to the shows and I don't think that's good for me emotionally either. 

NiNi 

This is generally where I've been overall, but that's just a function of my life right now. I've been so busy, even this season, I tried to watch as much as possible, but they are definitely things that just did not happen. And going forward they're going to be shows that I don't watch. Ben'll tell you my standard comment now when a new show comes up is, y'all tell me whether I need to watch this. There's some stuff that I'm definitely gonna be watching. That's not a quality bar, trust me, because there is some trash that I fully intend to watch [cough sound] cough We Are. 

But [laughs] yeah, my thing is, as Shan said in the year in review, reclaiming my time a little bit. I don't have the time that I did have and the time that I am spending to do this stuff, I want it to be time that I enjoy. Watching stuff with my friends, talking about that stuff that I enjoyed or at least was bad in an interesting way with my friends, that's what I'm gonna be focused on, not on getting volume. So it's really now question of y'all tell me what I need to watch because you really wanna discuss it, and that's actually in a lot of ways working out really well for us, I think.

So, I'm good to keep that going. I also like us having more friends to have these discussions with now. Ben and I agreed from the beginning that if this stopped being fun, we're gonna stop doing it. We're definitely still having fun with this, but we're having fun in different ways now than we did when we started, and this show is always gonna evolve along those lines. Whatever is fun for us now is what we're gonna be doing. So you would have heard a couple of really fun segments this season. 

One segment that we're not sure is going to keep going is the Catch Up Corner. Going forward, we don't know how much catch up there's gonna be in this show cause we just, we don't really have time to catch up on everything. 

Ben 

All I caught up on this season was two long ass Chinese dramas. [laughs]

NiNi 

Ginny and Shan have gotten Ben into the cdrama space, which is a space, I'm sorry, they're too long. I can't do it. [laughs]

Ben 

Nah nah, NiNi. All of these shows should be longer, 40 episodes, 58 episodes—

NiNi 

Oh my God.

Ben

68 episodes!

NiNi 

I can't do it. I can't do it. I can't do it. 

Ben 

Every single show should go on for half a year, multiple times a week. We should end in the middle of a sentence. 

NiNi 

[laughs] You're terrible. You're really, truly terrible. 

Ben 

In terms of catching up on BL, it isn't our style to show up super duper late to the fandom experience and talk over it. We don't wanna be those people. And so if we didn't engage with a show during the season, we probably won't have an extensive conversation about it. We're probably going to rely on the fact that we have friends now to highlight those shows if we didn't show up for them for whatever reason. So that we get a conversation around the time it released. But if something pops up, like, what happened recently for NiNi when we finally got her to watch something, we’ll try to bring it to you and give you some reactions. 

00:44:45 - Girl, You Tried

NiNi 

Girl, You Tried. Who are our contenders this season? 

Ben 

[funny voice] Oh my God. This is probably the most difficult Girl, You Tried we've ever had because things were either bad and it's like, “Oh, absolutely not.” And then there are things that are like, “What was she even doing?” So I think legit contenders for Girl, You Tried: Chaser Game W, The Sign?

NiNi 

I think it's those two. 

Ben 

Yeah, I was gonna say, I wanna kind of put Sukidoya there, but that feels mean. 

NiNi 

No, I think Sukidoya was better than that. 

Ben 

Exactly. That's the constant problem this season. There are things that didn't necessarily land exactly but they didn't really fail, or there were things that were just like, “Oh, absolutely not. We're not giving you an award for that.” [Ben and NiNi laugh]

I think it's really Chaser Game W and The Sign. 

NiNi 

So between those two, if I had to pick. 

Ben 

You do. That's the bit! 

NiNi 

[laughs] I think The Sign tried harder than Chaser Game W. So for me it's The Sign. 

What do you think? 

Ben 

It is The Sign because Saint really did try. There's a lot of effort that went into The Sign. While we have some real consternation with it as a piece of copaganda, and as a maybe too-watered-down adaptation of its source material and kind of confusing plot threads, I think there's a lot of real effort that went into that. I think the performances are really earnest. It's not a half-assed production in any way. While it doesn't land exactly for me, I think it is probably the best Girl, You Tried [laughs] show we have. 

NiNi 

Going back to the original intent of Girl, You Tried, it was really for something with a good concept, but problematic execution. I think The Sign fits into that. I think that they had the right ideas. I think that maybe they got in the weeds and did not know how to get back out. 

So, dubious congratulations to IdolFactory!

Ben 

I don't want you all to feel bad about Girl, You Tried. I think there's a lot of great stuff in your show. I think the efforts that went into CGI work are really noteworthy. There's technical gains there that are gonna be really beneficial for the Thai media landscape, even well beyond BL. I really thank them for introducing Babe Tanatat to us, because I really like him! [laughs]

NiNi 

And will cosign on Gap Jakarin. I am a fan. 

Ben 

We got to see Yoshi again! I haven't seen Yoshi properly since, like, Love Sick. 

NiNi 

It is the Girl Who Tried. 

00:47:35 - Look Ahead

NiNi 

Let's look ahead to the future. Give me one thing you're looking forward to this season or something that you're watching now that you're looking forward to talkin’ about. 

Ben 

I'm really, really looking forward to talking about Love is Better the Second Time Around. We just finished episode four of six as of this recording and it's still going very strong. I'm excited to talk about Unknown. I'm only two episodes in and it is really intriguing. I'm having a good time with that one, I'm looking forward to discussing that. I am hoping that 23.5 is a really good discussion for us. I would really like to have a positive conversation about Thai GL. I really want Milk and Love’s show to be really good. I love them both a lot, and it's really important to me that the show go over really well. 

NiNi 

My disaster loser lesbian love Ongsa. I want to say so much about what Milk is bringing to this role, so I am also [Ben laughs] looking forward to talking about 23.5. One of the things that I like about it so far is that it does not feel like flipped BL. It feels like a GL. It feels very specific to a lesbian experience and I am excited by that. 

I can't say I'm looking forward to, but I'm gonna watch We Are. I just am. Ben’s on my case already, I'm on Ben’s case already. We both have feelings about New Siwaj, opposite direction feelings. We're both gonna be watching this grumpily, but for different reasons. 

Ben 

I just don't really know what's gonna happen in this. It's gonna be 16 episodes of people vibing. We already went through this with the fuckin’ Star in My Mind Our Skyy episode. 

NiNi 

But you see the difference is that unlike things like Star in My Mind and Hidden Agenda, we are being told upfront that this show is about nothing. 

Ben 

Well, I'm glad you're looking forward to four months of nothing. 

NiNi 

We've already established that right now I'm in a very busy time of my life, so something I can watch mindlessly and enjoy the pretty, I will jump on. I mean, Phuwin’s here? Everybody loves Phuwin. 

Ben 

That's not how I'm built! [Ben and NiNi laugh]

NiNi 

For me this is really simple. Phuwin is here. We love Phuwin. I am looking forward to seeing what Winny and Satang give. I am very interested in seeing AouBoom. I grew to love Boom through the mess that was Hidden Agenda and I am looking forward to seeing what he brings to the table here. There isn't much of a table but they are going to lay it as best as they can. 

I am also looking forward to watching Unknown and Love is Better the Second Time Around. Looking forward to catching up with those once they're complete. 

Ben 

I'm excited for Living With Him. We've got an interesting one from Korea called Gray Shelter. We've got a meta one coming from Japan called At 25:00 in Akasaka, which is about two guys preparing to film a BL and complicated feelings coming in. 

Up Poompat is going to be back with us again in My Stand In. He's gonna be playing across Poom. That one looks like it's gonna be messy as hell, and I think Up is well suited for that kind of messy. 

There is another Korean one on the horizon called Boys Be Brave, and A Man Who Defies the World of BL 3 is supposed to release [laughs] sometime in April. I'm excited to see Inukai again. I'm excited to see Yutaro again. I'm excited to see Idegami Baku again. Very, very happy about this. 

NiNi 

I'm excited to catch up actually with Zettai BL. I have been meaning to watch that for years, so I might take advantage of this opportunity. 

So that's what we're looking forward to coming up. Going forward, we're going to be switching things up a little bit in terms of our schedule of when things come out. We're still going to be seasonal, but probably on a more extended schedule, bring us a little bit closer to real time. So look out for announcements from us, but for now that's going to wrap us up on the lagniappe and going to wrap us up on the spring season. 

We out! Say bye to the people, Ben. 

Ben 

Peace. 

[valentiyne]

𝗅𝗂𝖺𝗋 ❀ 𝗅𝗎𝗄𝖾 𝗁𝖾𝗆𝗆𝗂𝗇𝗀𝗌

Luke Hemmings x Fem!Reader Summary: Requested! Luke goes M.I.A for the second leg of their world tour, sparking a one sided tear in his relationship Warnings: Sappy Luke & happy ending I promise :-) Word Count: 1.3k (not proofread) Copyright © 2023 Valentiyne. All rights reserved. This original work is not allowed to be reposted on any platform in any format.

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Luke Hemmings had a secret.

Not a small one-He didn't eat the last of my leftovers, nor did he use my expensive face wash in the shower. His secret was something his heart couldn't keep any longer. He'd been away on tour for 3 months now, and every night the only updatesI'd recieve about him through the boys.

"Mikey, you gotta tell me what's going on with him", I plead into the phone, biting nervously at my nails.

'Y/n, I have no idea.. I'm sorry." Im met with yet another click and I groan in frustration

I had begged each of them to tell me what's going on, all of them shrugging their shoulders or brushing off my question. I was one phone call away from hopping on the next international flight available and causing a scene at soundcheck.

"Hello?", I crammed my phone into the nook of my neck and shoulder as I heard shuffling on the other line. I stood in front of the coffee table, cleaning up the mess from the cheese and crackers I scarfed down while watching their newest interview. Luke seemed so out of focus- the boys having to nudge him to snap out of it and answer questions thrown his way.

"-oh you know what I mean", I heard a woman giggle from the other side of the phone as well as Luke's wholesome laugh. Pulling my phone away quickly, I scan the screen at the Caller ID to confirm that it indeed was my Luke calling me.

"Luke? Hello?", I try again, ultimately putting the phone on speaker to hear better. I was trying to ignore the uneasiness in my stomach forming, placing the crumby plate back down on the table before I sat down on the couch to steady myself.

"I mean she really has no idea about any of this", he says cooly, his voice speaking a little louder. I heard the woman with him laugh once more before speaking,

"Does she even know you've been in town for a couple weeks now?"

My heart drops, putting the phone on the coffee table in front of me, I bounce my legs up and down before slamming my finger down to end the call. It was one thing for him to be lying to me- but to cheat?

I cross my legs on the couch, ignoring the numerous calls from Luke that started to pour in. I couldn't stop laughing to myself- laughing about the fact I was stupid to think he'd casually be gone three months without contacting me once.

My eyes wander over to the display of rewards that littered the shelves, each one I can name the exact date and album they were granted for. I stood by his side since the release of their very first EP, recorded in his childhood bedroom. I stared at the photographs, a moment in time that was perfectly capturing our happiness. I couldn't tear my eyes away from the walls, not even when the front door swung open and a sweaty Luke stood in the doorway.

"Baby?", his tone is soft and sincere, nothing like the Luke that I overheard on the phone. I don't bat an eye towards him, my jaw clenched as he dropped his bag and moved closer.

"Baby please, look at me?", he steps in front of me now, crouching down to meet my dark eyes. He gives a sheepish smile before putting his large hand against my cheek,

"How much did you hear", sighing as he now pulls his hand to his hair now, waiting for any kind of response from me.

"When did you get back?"

He stares at me for a moment, trying to put on a shocked expression on his face. I stare at him now, my eyes meeting his baby blue ones.

"I got back on the 1st." He replies slowly, almost as if he's catching himself in a lie. Today was now the 13th- of February.

"Were you going to miss Valentine's Day too?", my voice is shaky, mentally beating myself up as I told myself I wasn't going to cry.

He pulls me into a tight hug, inhaling my scent for a moment before hoisting me up and carrying me towards our shared bedroom. The furniture we picked out together, stopping into four different stores before we found the exact materials to make it our home.

"No. Baby listen to me. Im going to make this up to you okay? Tomorrow morning I want you to dress up pretty like you always do and meet me at that resturant you love- the one on 21st street okay?" He whispers into my ear, placing me down on the bed slowly.

"Who is the girl?", I look towards the floor, watching him rub his eyes tiredly with a sigh.

"It'll all make sense tomorrow, okay?"

I give a mere nod before turning away from him and pulling the blankets closer to myself.

-

The resturant appeared closed on the outside, the February air littering my thighs with goosebumps as I look around for any indication that Luke was already here. I spotted what I thought was Michael's Tesla in an alleyway, but I brushed it off thinking it was someone else's. We didn't talk all morning, his side of the bed was empty when I woke and I didn't put up a fight about it this time. He held me all night, not loosing his grip no matter how many times I tried to push him away.

"Are you inside?" My fingers move slowly, having the push harder on the screen to get my cold tips to be detected.

He reads the text, not bothering to respond. I let out a large sigh and push past the revolving doors, spinning around until I'm met with the hostess. She gave me a nervous smile before leading me towards the back of the empty resturant, turning behind her to look me in the eyes numerous times.

The sound of plates clattering and people talking caught my attention, my eyes averting their gaze to the long dinner table. There, sat the boys, their companies and close family friends. I stood in confusion before Michael smacked Luke's arm quickly, causing him to turn around and face me.

"Y/n", He was breathless, staring down at me with a goofy smile on his face before he finally put one foot in front of the other. Reaching down, he grasped my small hand and dragged me to the front of the dinner table, his hands sweaty and body shaking.

"Luke what's going o-"

"Shh, please don't talk or Im going to forget everything I memorized and start crying" He laughs softly and I peer behind him, taking note of the numerous phones pointed towards me. I give his a confused look, my eyebrows raising as he takes my hand again.

"You have the core of my heart beating for you, a love beyond what a metaphor can express. I love you with every fiber of my being", he starts, clearing his throat before fumbling with his pants pocket.

Oh god.

He slowly falls to one knee, keeping one hand in mine as he speaks. I couldn't tear my eyes away from his, it felt like we were the only two people on the entire planet.

"You are my rock, my constant source of strength, and my guiding light. I'm sorry for lying to you for so long, I just wanted it all to be perfect just like you. I needed to make sure the ring fit you perfectly and the sales lady was so excited for us. I want nothing more than to spend every day with you for eternity... Y/n", His eyes meet mine, a shaking hand reaching up holding a small box with a diamond ring in it. I gasp almost immediately, hitting his shoulder softly.

'Luke oh my god! Yes", I laugh and shove him again.

He wipes a tear with the back of his sleeve, smiling up at me with glistening eyes "I didn't even get to ask properly yet! Y/n, will you marry me- please?"

[wheeliescoot]

Finished ok ko last night (my first full watch thru since I would catch the eps on cable as a hyperfixated teen) and tell me why this show didn’t get 5 more seasons and a movie.

I have so many thoughts but I am overwhelmed by the fact that we BARELY got to see voxman get back together in a meaningful way. I mean PV was REALLY shitty to boxman (granted it was shadowy and nothing the real PV would actually do, seeing as shadowy also missed poor finks recorder recital 🥺) but I ended up feeling SO bad for boxman and I wish we got MORE than just the little cameo “I’m sorry” moment in the last ep…

It’s great to see what they were going for! And clearly PV felt so bad after the fact he was willing to FUCKING DIE … but I just wish we could have gotten a proper apology/scene + boxman expressing how much it hurt … sigh…

Manifesting a okko spinoff or movie !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!