#contractor!zach

[fuckyeahpedropascal]

Pedro boys fashion matrix

* Click for higher resolution

• Masterlist •

This one took me ages to make, and it's probably one of my favourites I've made so far. Which is your favourite category?

Commentary below the cut:

Survival chic

Joel, Frankie, Ezra, Mario

These boys have it tough. Be it an apocalyptic world, somewhere in the Colombian jungle, or on another planet entirely. And yes, I had to add Mario.

Fun fact: all four survival boys wore gloves in the show/movie.

Office basic

Dave, Max P, Javier, Mr. Ben

I do love a shirt and pants ensemble sans suit jacket. I might be biased, but Mr. Ben might have stolen the show with his sexy specs.

Office chic

Whiskey, Javier, Max Lord, Marcus Pike

These are some sharply dressed boys. The tailoring on Whiskey's suit in particular is *chef's kiss*.

Military chic

Javier, Dave, Veracruz, Pero

Pedro boys look good in fatigues, huh? Although Pero does steal the show with his medieval armour.

Extra AF

Oberyn, Din, The Thief, Meemaw

These guys (and meemaw) need no introduction, am I right? Neither does meemaw, with her rip-off Anna Wintour bob and fancy frames.

Comfortcore

Javi G, Dieter, Joel, Charlie

These are the guys you know would be so soft to cuddle with. Except Joel, who's definitely all contractor™ muscle underneath that tshirt he keeps wearing inside out.

Leather mavens

Marcus Moreno, Dio, Zach, Oberyn

The people have spoken - they want Moreno in this matrix, and I’m not complaining! We know these boys look good in leather, but Oberyn’s head-to-toe leather fight look is something else (tragically it proved to be fashion over form).

Related posts:

Pedro boys hair matrix

Pedro boys facial hair matrix

How long will Pedro boys survive the apocalypse

Pedro boys chattiness matrix

[greenapplebling]

Songs that reminds me of Twst characters:

Note: I haven't played the game myself bc it's not available in my region so everything I know about it steams from fandom

Jamil Viper

Everytime I see/think about Jamil the song "What else can I do?" from Encanto plays in my head bc?? It fits him so well?? Like, the song is about Isabela realizing not only that she's been holding back her true self but also the potential of her magic to appease her family, and it just screams Jamil for me? Though I know they have different reasons for holding back (Isabela as a golden child and Jamil as a scapegoat) but I still think it'll resonate with him

Lilia Vanrouge/Silver/Sebek Zigvolt

I think this one is pretty self-explanatory if you listen to the full song. Makes me think of Silver and Sebek's childhood under Lilia's tutelage/parenting since I think Lilia talks about teaching them to be soldiers bc he didn't know what was okay to teach children

Vil Schoenheit

I think this one is also pretty self-explanatory, I just think it fits him really well

Bonus: the line "eras como un muñeco porque no tenías alma" (you were like a doll because you had no soul) from "Ojalá" by María Becerra also reminds me of him bc 1) is similar to what the contractors use to tell him as to why he's never chosen as the hero but always as the villain and 2) it's kinda the first impression we all get of him, like, him being described as beauty obsessed surely means he's really vain, right? (Nope). But anyway, I didn't include the song bc that line is the only thing that reminds me of Vil

[sleepykittypaws]

2024 TV Holiday Premieres

No Longer Being Regularly Updated As Of June 14, 2023

ABC

The Wonderful World of Disney: Magical Holiday Celebration (musical performances and holiday celebrations from various Disney properties) - Nov. 30

Disney Parks Magical Christmas Day Parade (annual holiday parade/musical showcase taped in Disney World, Disneyland and other Disney Parks worldwide) - Dec. 25

Dick Clark’s New Year’s Rockin’ Eve with Ryan Seacrest 2025 (LIVE annual Times Square ball drop celebration hosted by Seacrest) - Dec. 31

CMA Country Christmas (annual holiday concert special) - TBA (Website)

The Great Christmas Light Fight (season 12 of the reality competition featuring outrageous holiday displays) - TBA (Facebook)

NBC

135th Rose Parade (Annual New Year’s parade LIVE from Pasadena, Calif., hosted by Hoda Kotb and Al Roker.) - Jan. 1

A Saturday Night Live Thanksgiving Special (highlights from SNL’s best Thanksgiving sketches) - Nov. 27

Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (official parade coverage, LIVE)  - Nov. 28

The National Dog Show (taped coverage of the 2024 National Dog Show from Oaks, Pennsylvania, hosted by John O’Hurley) - Nov. 28

101st Annual Christmas in Rockefeller Center (annual New York City tree lighting, LIVE) - Dec. 4

A Saturday Night Live Christmas Special (highlights from SNL’s best Christmas sketches) - Dec. TBA

CBS

The Thanksgiving Day Parade on CBS (unofficial coverage of the Macy’s parade, LIVE)  - Nov. 28

Byron Allen Presents a Merry Soulful Christmas (musical special hosted by Byron Allen; originally announced for December 2023 but delayed) - TBA

PBS

Call the Midwife Christmas Special 2024 (special holiday episode of the 13th season of the long-running BBC series, airing same day as in the UK) - Dec. 25

Hallmark

Holidazed (limited holiday series starring Erin Cahill, Ian Harding, Nansen Contractor, Giles Panton, Noemi Gonzalez, Sarah-Jane Redmond, Loretta Devine, Lillian Lim, Tim Perez, Barry Levy and Jacob Insley; written by Claudia Grazioso; Six Oregon families living in the same cul-de-sac deal with the highs and lows of the holidays; filmed in Victoria and Duncan, B.C.) - TBA

Lifetime

Merry Liddle Christmas Vacation (holiday sequel to 2019′s  Merry Liddle Christmas, 2020′s Merry Liddle Christmas Wedding and 2021′s Merry Liddle Christmas Baby; starring Kelly Rowland, LaTonya Williams, Bresha Webb, Jaime M Callica, Nathan Witte, Thomas Cadrot and Debbi Morgan; written by Andrea Stevens and King Hassan; The Liddle family goes on a holiday vacation to celebrate Tyler and Jacquie’s birthday and their toddler twins birthdays; announced in 2022 but delayed due to the strikes; filmed in B.C.) - TBA

Great American Family (formerly GAC)

⚠️ Want all to be aware there is more to GA Family, née GAC, than G-rated Christmas movies. Though I’m including dates and details here in the spirit of being a completist, worth noting the funding and founding of this channel, which comes from the Donald Trump-aligned Hicks Equity Group, brings with it an explicit anti-diversity agenda, hiding under guise of harmless sounding words like “family-friendly” and “safe” programming. More detailed explanation here (bottom of page), and additional more recent thoughts, for those who want it. And if you’re looking for outside sources on GAF’s political affiliations and lack of inclusion, see these stories from The Daily Beast, Vulture, the L.A. Times and Bloomberg.

A Sound of Music Christmas (holiday movie inspired by the Sound of Music; written and directed by Michael and Janeen Damian; filmed in Austria) - TBA

TV One

In the Kitchen with Tamar & Evelyn Braxton (holiday cooking special featuring the mother-daughter duo’s own recipes from every holiday) - TBA

Max

The Naughty One (action-comedy written by Zach Helm and produced by Greg Berlanti and Sarah Schechter, announced in 2021) - TBA

Britbox

Mrs. Brown’s Boys New Year’s Special (one-off holiday episode of the series; available same day as UK) - Jan. 1

The Jonathan Ross Show Christmas Special (U.S. premiere of the 2023 special holiday episode of the chat show) - Jan. 24

Death in Paradise Christmas 2024 (holiday movie based on the BBC series starring Sara Martins and Ralf Little about a British detective sent to a Caribbean island; filmed in Guadeloupe; available same day as UK) - TBA

The King’s Christmas Address (annual holiday speech delivered by King Charles III via the BBC) - Dec. 25

Disney+

Emmet Otter’s Jug Band Christmas (Bret McKenzie-produced remake of the 1977 Muppet ABC special in conjunction with the Jim Henson company; announced in 2019) - TBA

Twas’ The Night (musical anthology holiday series written and produced by David E. Talbert; Santa tells his grandchildren stories of his holiday adventures; announced in 2023) - TBA

Apple TV+

Wolfs (at least partially holiday-set thriller starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt and Amy Ryan; written and directed by Jon Watts; A pair of lone wolf fixers are forced to team up; filmed in New York and L.A.) - TBA

Lady in the Lake (at least partially holiday-set series starring Natalie Portman; based on the book by Laura Lippman; A 1960s housewife who dreams of becoming a journalist, investigates two seemingly unconnected, unsolved murders; set and filmed in Baltimore) - TBA 

Paramount+

Winter Spring Summer or Fall (holiday romance starring Jenna Ortega, Percy Hynes White and Adam Rodriguez; directed by Tiffany Paulsen; written by Dan Schoffer and Paulsen; Two teens fall in love over four days across different seasons; filmed in Utah) - TBA

Prime Video

One Fine Morning (a.k.a. Un Beau Matin; French-language, partially holiday-set movie starring Pascal Lea-Seydoux, Melvil Greggory, Nicole Poupaud and Garcia; written and directed by Mia Hansen-Love; A widow and single mom juggles caring for her family, including her father with dementia, and a new affair with an old friend of her late husband’s) - Jan. 1 (Trailer)

Ex-Mas (holiday teen rom-com based on the book by Kate Brian; Two teen exes go on a road trip to rescue their little brothers, who have set on a quest to save Santa from global warming; announced in 2020) - TBA

Red One (big-budget holiday action movie starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Chris Evans, Lucy Liu, Kiernan Shipka, Nick Kroll, Kristofer Hivju, Wesley Kimmel and Mary Elizabeth Ellis; directed by Jake Kasdan; written by Chris Morgan; The leader of an elite force named the E.L.F must protect Santa and Christmas from those who seek to destroy it) - TBA

Suddenly It’s Christmas (English-language remake of 2022 Italian family film Improvvisamente Natale, directed by Peter Chelsom; adapted by Chelsom and Tinker Lindsay; When a young girl learns that a summer trip to her beloved grandfather’s hotel, where they usually spend the holidays, is cover for her parents telling her they’re getting divorced, she and her grandfather plan to recreate a perfect Christmas in hopes of reuniting her parents; filmed in Italy) - TBA

Hope (limited series based on the 2019 Oscar-nominated, holiday-set Norwegian movie; adapted by Alice Ball and starring Nicole Kidman; A May-December marriage where the younger half of the couple is diagnosed with a brain tumor which they keep secret from their family at the holidays; announced in 2021) - TBA

12 Days of Christmas (holiday movie produced by and starring Stephen Curry; directed by Charles Stone III; written by Kevin Heffernan and Peter Gaulke; A kid and holiday-hating man wakes up a dad, adding a new child every day until Christmas; announced in 2021) - TBA

The Man with the Bag (holiday movie starring Alan Ritchson; directed by Adam Shankman; written by Allan Rice; Santa enlists the help of a thief after his magic bag is stolen; announced in 2023) - TBA

Santa is Real (musical holiday movie written by Laura Rosann) - TBA

The Truth About Mrs. Claus (holiday movie based on the bestselling book by Meena Harris; adapted by Taylor Chukwu; An elf learns the North Pole’s greatest secret: Mrs. Claus runs it all; announced in 2023) - TBA

Netflix

Boy Swallows Universe (magical-realist series starring Travis Fimmel, Felix Cameron, Simon Baker, Phoebe Tonkin and Lee Tiger Halley; based on the novel by Trent Dalton; adapted by John Collee; A boy who receives a mysterious phone call on Christmas Day, must break his mother out of a feared prison; filmed and set in Brisbane, Australia) - Jan. 11 (Trailer)

Meet Me Next Christmas (holiday rom-com starring Christina Milian, Devale Ellis, Kofi Siriboe, Kalen Allen and Pentatonix; directed by Rusty Cundieff; written by Camilla Cordelia and Molly Halderman; To meet up with the man of her dreams, a woman must somehow find a ticket to a sold out Christmas Eve concert; filmed in Toronto) - TBA

Our Little Secret (holiday movie starring Lindsay Lohan, Ian Harding, Kristin Chenoweth and Tim Meadows; Bitter exes discover they’re currently dating siblings when they all get taken home for the holidays and try to hide their past from everyone) - TBA

The Thanksgiving Text (based-on-a-true-story tale of an accidental holiday invite that led to a lifelong tradition and friendship; written by Abdul Williams; announced in 2021; filmed in Arizona) - TBA

Auntie Claus (Kenny Ortega produced and directed musical based on the children’s book series by Elise Primavera, adapted by Tiffany Paulsen; A materialistic young girl learns the true nature of giving through her adventures at the North Pole with her eccentric aunt; announced in 2019) -TBA

One Day in December (holiday-set series starring Lucy Boynton; directed by Drake Doremus; based on the book by Josie Silver; A chance sighting on a bus leads to star-crossed, complicated love across multiple years and holidays; reported in 2023) - TBA

That Christmas (Richard Curtis working with Locksmith Animation and co-writing script with Peter Souter, based on Curtis’ own children’s holiday book series—The Empty Stocking, Snow Day and That Christmas; directed by Simon Otto; combining the storylines from all three children’s books and setting them simultaneously in one English beach village, Curtis calls the animated movie, “Love Actually for kids.”) - TBA

Carry On (holiday-set action-thriller starring Taron Egerton, Sofia Carson, Danielle Deadwyler and Jason Bateman; directed by Jaume Collet-Serra; written by TJ Fixman and Michael Green; A TSA agent is blackmailed into putting a mysterious package on a Christmas Day flight; filmed in New Orleans) - TBA

Black Doves (holiday-set spy thriller six-episode series starring Ben Whishaw, Sarah Lancashire and Keira Knightley; A politician’s wife/spy seeks to get to the bottom of who killed her lover, and why, with the help of the only friend she can trust; announced in 2023; filmed in London) - TBA

Prentice Penny Project (writer/director Prentice Penny’s “magical” African-American family film based on he and his wife, Tasha’s, original idea; announced in 2020) - TBA

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays (US debut of 2023 Christmas Eve and New Year’s special episodes of the Great British Bake Off, featuring returning Bake Off favorites battling for holiday cake plates) - TBA

The Snow Sister (Norwegian original movie starring Mudit Gupta and Celina Meyer Holland; based on the children’s book, and adapted by author Maja Lunde; The youngest member of a family devastated by grief meets a mysterious Christmas-loving girl named Hedwig) - TBA

MyTime Movie Network

Xmas Clue (original holiday limited series co-produced with France’s TF1) - TBA

Freevee

Mistletoe Mixup 2 (holiday movie sequel to the 2021 film starring  Matthew Lawrence, Danielle C. Ryan  and Joey Lawrence; directed by Andrew Lawrence) - TBA

Digital/DVD/Other

SLEIGH (holiday horror short starring Zoey Luna and Maxwell Almond; written and directed by Stella Alfaro; Pagan artists gather to celebrate the solstice) - Jan. 8, Amazon PVOD (Instagram)

Ghosts Christmas Special: A Christmas Gift (2023 Christmas special and series finale of the BBC series; first time available in the U.S.) - Jan. 16, PVOD

It’s Me, Billy Chapter 2 (holiday movie sequel starring 1974 original actors Olivia Hussey and Lynne Griffin to the 2021 Black Christmas fan-film from Dave McRae bringing the saga “to an unofficial and epic conclusion”) - Oct. 11, YouTube

Saint Nick of Bethlehem (holiday movie starring Daniel Roebuck, Cathy Moriarty and Duane Whitaker; directed by Spencer Folmar and Roebuck; A man who lost his own son finds joy in giving presents to other children; based on a true story and filmed in Bethlehem, Pa.) - Nov. 14

Athena Saves Christmas (holiday comedy starring Cuba Gooding Jr, Joseph Baena, Ludovica Frasca, Paxton Kubitz, Michael Blackson, Robert Costanzo and Glenn Plummer; directed by Josh Webber; written by Greg Crowder and Webber; A group of young adults and their dog must solve a series of riddles to save Christmas in their town from a mob boss; filmed in Big Bear and Lake Arrowhead, Calif.) - Nov. 23

Silent Night Bloody Night 3 (holiday slasher sequel starring Lloyd Kaufman, Julie Anne Prescott and Tina Krause; written and directed by Will Collazo Jr. and Prescott; The final girl wakes up in an asylum and must avoid being murdered by a killer who wants to see her dead for the holidays) - Dec. 25

Santa Claus Conquers the Martians (holiday movie remake/reboot of the 1964 cult classic, directed and produced by Cynthia Webster; Santa tries to save what’s left of humanity by bringing Christmas to Mars for the first time.) - TBA

How to Make Gravy (Australian holiday movie starring Hugo Weaving, Daniel Henshall, Brenton Thwaites, Damon Herriman, Kate Mulvany and Agathe Rouselle; based on the song by Paul Kelly; directed by Nick Waterman; written by Megan Washington and Washington; A prisoner named Joe writes to his brother about his longing to be home for Christmas; announced in 2022) - TBA, Australia on Binge

Dimming Lights (holiday drama starring Laura Mitchell. Heather Fraley, TeriEnna Blanco and Michael Newman; written and directed by Preston Walden; Sisters return home for the holidays and find their estranged mother in the grip of dementia; filmed in Tampa, Fla.) - TBA

A Christmas Cheer (holiday movie written by Clint Ford; What happens to Ebenezer Scrooge, and Jacob Marley’s ghost, after the events of A Christmas Carol?; won a screenplay contest in 2020) - TBA

Four Cousins and a Christmas Wedding (holiday movie sequel to 2021′s  Four Cousins and a Christmas, starring Raffaela Capp, Natasha Capp, Ayla Kell and Lily Gibson; written and directed by Maria Capp) - TBA 

Finding Her Voice for Christmas (faith-based holiday movie based on the stage play Finding Her Voice; starring Don Dusty Phelps, Jessie Tate Jr. and Deandre Griffin; A revealed family secret results in a crisis of faith) - TBA 

A Chinatown Christmas (holiday movie based on the book by Kailin Gow and Nancy Wu; adapted and directed by Gow; An arrogant businessman who always spends Christmas eating alone at a local Chinese restaurant is angry with the owners when they decide to close for the holiday) - TBA

Let it Snow: A Christmas Time Loop (holiday movie where a teen has to help his best friend trapped in a holiday time loop; filmed in New York and New Jersey) - TBA

One Christmas Night in a Toy Store (holiday horror movie starring Simon Phillips and Sayla de Goede; directed by Paul Tanter; the third in the Santa slasher trilogy, this time Santa and Mrs. Claus take Christmas Eve hostages; filmed in Ottawa) - TBA

The Twelve Days After Christmas (holiday movie directed, starring and co-written by Melissa Archer; also featuring Laura Osnes) - TBA

Xmas at Moe’s (holiday movie written and directed by Ray J Pope; Brothers have to put aside their differences in order to save a homeless shelter at the holidays; filmed in Atlanta) - TBA

A Brooklyn Christmas (faith-based holiday movie directed by Shaun Paul Piccinino; co-written by Drew Henriksen and Anthony Mangano; A bookie finds himself forced into being a holiday hero) - TBA (Website)

Hungry Bear Tales to the Pole! (Czech animated holiday special directed by Katerina Karhankova; based on the books by Zbynek Cernik; Two bears travel to the North Pole for the annual popsicle festival, with a little help from some friends) - TBA (YouTube shorts)

Christmas at the St. Nick (holiday movie written by Mark Amato; holiday travelers reluctantly team up to make their holiday plans happen, but find themselves falling in love) - TBA

Ellie and the Christmas Creep (animated movie from Luxembourg-based animation studio Fabrique d'Images; directed by Caroline Origer; An intrepid elf tries to save Santa from his fame obsession she believes is caused by a creep) - TBA (Website)

Aubrey Flint’s Christmas (holiday comedy directed by Jack Spring; written by Chris Boyle-McQuarry; filmed in UK) - TBA

It Happened on Christmas (small-budget holiday movie written, directed and starring LP Green, along with Leandro Somoza and Jonna Devereaux) - TBA (Instagram)

Family Christmas (holiday movie starring Rían Sheehy Kelly, Jeremy Holm, John Pirruccello and Emma Jo Boyden; directed and co-written by Michael Moreci; A holiday heist collides with stranded travelers trying to get home in time for Christmas; filmed in Champaign, Ill.) - TBA

The Santa Assist (holiday movie starring Eric Roberts; directed by Ross Marks; Santa goes to New Mexico to fix a relative’s problem and ends up falling in love; filmed in Las Cruces, N.M.) - TBA

Manuscript (holiday-set thriller about a trio of friends who find an unpublished work that could bring fame and fortune and slowly turn on one another during a Christmas pre-party; filmed in Pennsylvania) - TBA 

The McNamara Brothers Christmas Story (holiday movie written and directed by Marc Alan Solomon; A group of friends and family come together for a Christmas Eve game night where secrets are revealed; filmed in Claxton, Ga.) - TBA

It’s Christmas! (holiday movie starring Brittany Snow, Lucas Bravo,Simon Callow, Chloé Jouannet, Elektra Kilbey, Richard Elis and Ben McGregor; written and directed by Jamie Adams; Hoping to bring her husband’s dysfunctional family closer in the wake of his mother’s death, a wife invents list of holiday tasks she claims her mother-in-law wanted them all to do; filmed in Wales) - TBA

We Wish You a Dairy Christmas (holiday movie starring Aeon Cruz and Brit Ellerman; directed and co-written by Elgin Cahill; A woman reluctantly returns home to help save her family’s farm) - TBA

Feather Christmas (holiday movie starring Ocean M Harris, Tom Machell and Teresa Dawn Taylor; directed by Lucy Turner, written by Dan William O’Leary; filmed in the UK) - TBA (Instagram)

Niko: Beyond the Northern Lights (international animated movie sequel to 2008′s The Flight Before Christmas and 2012′s Little Brother, Big Trouble: A Christmas Adventure; co-directed by Kari Juusonen and Jørgen Lerdam; Niko dreams of being a member of Santa’s flying forces, but faces stiff competition for the job) - TBA

A Very Bavarian Christmas (holiday movie based on the novel by Katie M Reid; A single woman who feels stuck in her small, holiday-themed town and dead-end job at a Christmas store, unexpectedly finds love as she regains her holiday spirit) - TBA

Date for Christmas (holiday movie directed by Louise Alston; written by Stephen Vagg; A women invents a fake fiancee to comfort her dying mother, but when mom unexpectedly recovers she has to keep the con going for the holidays) - TBA

Last Christmas on Walden St (small-budget holiday movie written, directed and starring Tyler Cole, along with Roni Weissman; filmed in Georgia) - TBA

Carnage for Christmas (partially crowd-funded holiday horror film starring Jeremy Moineau, Joe Romeo, Dominique Booth, Cassie Hamilton, Toshiro Glenn and Olivia Deeble; written and directed by teen filmmaker Alice Maio Mackay; When a trans true-crime podcaster returns home for the holidays for the first time since transitioning, she’s drawn into a murderous ghost story that might just be real) - TBA (IndieGoGo)

Pastor Sue’s Christmas (right-wing holiday movie starring Rebecca Grant and Joy Villa; co-directed by Chris Johnson and Villa; filmed in California) - TBA

Tinsel (holiday short starring Maja Bloom and Nathan J Lloyd; written and directed by Davey Ezra; An actor working as a mall elf becomes an '80s action-movie hero when he diffuses a holiday hostage situation; filmed in Portsmouth, England) - TBA (Instagram)

Hot Mom (holiday-set comedy written and directed by Jimmy Kustes; A college student and his girlfriend spend the holidays with his mom and her new boyfriend; filmed in Tampa, Fla.) - TBA

Lumia (six-episode holiday series created by Created by Anastasia Heinzl and Pöllä; A Parisian teen is forced to spend the holidays in rural Finland with her mother, where she starts seeing strange lights in forest) - TBA

Mr. Santa the Musical Christmas Extravaganza (holiday movie starring Geoffrey Owens, Tommy Davidson, Peter Donald Badalamenti II and Paul Kevins; written and directed by Noel Calloway; With Christmas spirit at an all-time low, Santa goes undercover as a high school teacher to try and convince teens to believe in holiday magic again; filmed in New York City) - TBA

I’ll Be Dead for Christmas (holiday horror movie starring, written and directed by Geordy Skolnick; along with J.C. Hoffman, Jilly Kent, Joshua R. Pangborn, Ximena Zavala, and Heth Weinstein; A mentally disturbed patient blackmails a hospital employee into telling horrifying stories on Christmas Eve) - TBA

A Very Elevated Christmas (holiday movie starring Frank Powers, Michelle Martinez and J.D. Hernandez; directed by Luis Perez) - TBA (Facebook) 

Christmas with Buddy (faith-based drama starring Joseph Gray and Brian Biggers; directed by Cameron Arnett and Cornelius Muller; written by Michael D Acosta; A young man with cerebral palsy tries to figure out what God’s purpose for him is; filmed in North Carolina) - TBA

A Carolina Christmas (holiday movie starring Kelly Lynn Reiter, Melissa Reeves and Matthew Ashford; written by David Michael Ross; A snowstorm traps a divorced couple together at the holidays as their daughter schemes to reunite them) - TBA

The Town of Tails (a.k.a  Kruuna; four-episode Finnish holiday series from creator Minna Panjanen; A professor who years ago found his parents murdered on Christmas Eve investigates another mysterious death in Tails, with the help of a Christmas spirit only he can see) - TBA

Family Christmas (holiday movie produced by Kenneth Van Camp; A woman giving up hope on true love has to decide whether to settle for an old flame or take a chance on a new, holiday romance; filmed in Detroit) - TBA

An Emerald Coast Christmas (small-budget holiday movie written, directed and starring Elesia Marie, along with Shannon Williams and Teance Blackburn; A big city culinary school grad heads home for the holidays; filmed in Florida) - TBA (Website)

How to Kill Your Family and Get Away with It (holiday horror movie starring Eden Shea Beck; directed by Robbie Dias; written by Marc Gottlieb; An extremely dysfunctional family gathers in a secluded cabin for the holidays, hiding dark secrets that lead to murder; filmed in Big Bear, Calif.) - TBA

Christmas Kennel (holiday movie starring Tatyana Ali, RaéVen Kelly, Marla Gibbs, Angela Gibbs and Malcolm-Jamal Warner; directed by Sean Dinwoodie; filmed in Rhode Island and Connecticut) - TBA

Christmas Eve in Miller’s Point (holiday movie starring Michael Cera, Ben Shenkman, Francesca Scorsese, Sawyer Spielberg and Gregory Falatek; directed by Tyler Taormina; written by Eric Berger and Taormina; A family gathers for a final Christmas in their childhood home and a teenager looks to make her mark on the neighborhood; filmed in Smithtown, NY) - TBA

Holiday Holdup (holiday-set crime drama starring Jeremy Holm, John Pirruccello and Agnes Albright; written by Michael Moreci; Restaurant employees get revenge on their mob-tied employer) - TBA

Xmas in July (small budget black comedy take on Dickens’ A Christmas Carol starring, written and directed by Joel Clark, along with Crichton Atkinson and Daniel Martin Berkey; Ebenzer and Cratchitt experience multiple alternate realities, each more horrifying than the last; filmed in Brooklyn, N.Y.) - TBA (Website)

Ebenezer the Traveler (six-episode mini-series starring Jerry Parisi, Amanda Rae Dodson and Michael Bertolini; directed by Joe Valenti; written by Leland Prater; A look at what happened to Scrooge after the events of Dickens’ A Christmas Carol) - TBA (Website)

Once Upon a Christmas (faith-based holiday movie starring Garry Nation and Melissa Nunnally; directed by Nathan Blair; A Scrooge-like old man is turned back into a teenager by an angel, who warns him he must repair his family relationships by Christmas or be doomed; filmed in Denver) - TBA (Website)

Breakup Season (holiday movie starring Chandler Riggs and Samantha Isler; written and directed by H. Nelson Tracey; A man takes his girlfriend home for the holidays to meet his parents and things don’t go as planned; filmed in La Grande, Oregon) - TBA (Instagram)

Switched Up Christmas (holiday comedy starring Ava Torres, Levi Smith, Ella Fraley, Brian Villalobos and Van Quattro; directed and co-written by Zane Nixon; A dysfunctional family who has lost their Christmas spirit, finds themselves regaining their love of the season through a holiday body swap; filmed in Houston, Texas) - TBA

Oh Christmas Tree (holiday movie starring Mason Gillett, Kay Barnes, Rachel Petsiavas and Christopher Long; directed by Paul Duncan; filmed in North Carolina) - TBA (Website)

Dead for the Holidays (holiday horror movie starring Tifani Winkfield, Allen Yates and Carter Bratton; directed by Thomas Martin and Lawrence Sara) - TBA

Our Christmas House (holiday movie starring Michael Dumas, Whitney Bacon, Sabrina Orro, Precious Ugbodu and Andrew C. English Jr; directed by Annabel White; written by Jaron Lanier; A news anchor must choose between a big holiday story and the man she’s falling in love with) - TBA (IndieGoGo)

Our Church Thinks We’re Dating (holiday movie starring Ashley LaRae, Burke Brown, Megan Alexander and Mark Christopher Lawrence; directed and co-written by Tim Nolte; The last two unmarried people in a church group spend a holiday weekend pretending to date in order to stop others from constantly trying to set them up; filmed in Denver) - TBA (Facebook, Website, Trailer)

Christmas Crashers (small-budget holiday movie starring Christine Traversa, Bridget Nine, Steve Boress, Leanne Johnson and Zaine Bray; written and directed by Kevin L Mounce; A couple decide to step off the holiday fast track and recommit to each other, but not everyone is on board with their pared-down holiday plans; shot in central Illinois) - TBA (Website)

Little Miracles (small budget movie written and directed by Pat Denson; film version of her off-Broadway musical, Little Christmas Miracles; based on a true story tale of two recently widowed moms who take their kids on a holiday road trip) - TBA

The Christmas Forest (small budget movie from faith-based Wright Family Films; directed, written and starring Ashley Hays Wright) - TBA, YouTube

Kid Santa (Italian holiday movie, live-action/animation hybrid starring real-life brothers Alec and William Baldwin and Elva Trill; directed by Francesco Cinquemani; filmed in Rome) - TBA

Once Upon a Christmas Eve (faith-based holiday movie starring Najee De-Tiege, Hector David Jr., Michael Franklin, Alicia Tomasko, Sofia Lauren, Alexa Ketchum, Gabriella Estabrook and Gianna Angela; written and directed by Dominic Giannetti; Estranged siblings struggle to hold their family together at the holidays) - TBA

A Queer Christmas Carol (LGBTQ take on Charles Dickens’ classic starring Daniel Bainelebeau, Qiana Camille and Larry B. Carter II; written and directed by Henderson Maddox) - TBA

Needle Little Christmas (holiday movie starring Sara Waisglass, Jonathan Kite and Thomas Lennon; directed by Jason DeVan; When she dies just before Christmas, a woman gets the chance to return to earth in the form of a Christmas tree in hopes of and restoring her friends’ spirits; filmed in El Reno, Okla.) - TBA

Chicken Coop (holiday movie starring Monica Moore Smith, Eric Wood and Mark Bracich; written and directed by Joseph DeGolyer; Family secrets are revealed during a holiday trip home when an estranged father and son attempt to repair a broken pipe in a chicken coop; filmed in Utah) - TBA (Facebook)

Christmas at the Frat House (holiday movie starring Karon Riley, Lem Collins, Jared Wofford, Kevin Savage, Amber Reign Smith, Kelsi Lee and Jael Roberson; directed by Charmin Lee; written by Lem Collins; Four frat brothers make, and break, a pact not to marry for 10 years after college. The last man standing is set to propose at Christmas when secrets emerge from his friends’ relationships and his girlfriend’s past that could make him reconsider; filmed in Atlanta.) - TBA

A Screenshot to Santa (holiday movie starring Essence Atkins, Tony Rock, Torrei Hart, Kennedy Stephens, Shai Moss, Jacob Gaines and Ray Buffer; written and directed by Monica Floyd; While their parents are at a conference, a teenager sick of caring for her much younger sister sneaks out to see her boyfriend on Christmas Eve; filmed in L.A.) - TBA

(Once Upon a) Philly Christmas (faith-based holiday movie starring Robert Clohessy, Bridget White, Brian Anthony Wilson, Myles Clohessy, Shannon Wilson, Julianna Layne, Gabi Faye, Rich Enkels, Dominic Costa, Bridget White and Brian Anthony Wilson; directed by Bridget Smith and written by Mike Walsh; A teenage gamer accidentally travels back in time to Bethlehem, to make it home he needs to discover the true meaning of Christmas; filmed in Philadelphia) - TBA (Website)

Love After Holidays (holiday movie starring Darin D Barron, Jennifer Figuereo, Gabi Faye, Taral Hicks Dawson, Jeremy Meeks, Shari Ellis and Angela Perymon; directed by Antoine Allen; written by Maurice McCallum; based on the self-help book Love After by Jacinth Headlam; The rise and fall of a talk show host who loses everything; filmed in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) - TBA (Instagram)

A Kismet Holiday (holiday movie starring Karen Obilom, Joyful Drake, Lamman Rucker and Javon Johnson; co-written and directed by Chazitear; filmed in Washington, D.C.) - TBA

A Christmas in New Hope (holiday movie starring Adrianne Palicki, Malcolm Goodwin, Katrina Bowden, David Anders, Ryan Cooper and Mia Armstrong directed by Julia Barnett; co-written by Barnett and Kathleen Estes; A single mom of a special needs child enters a home renovation contest focused on saving her home from foreclosure, but things get complicated when she falls for her musician neighbor; filmed in Waco, Texas) - TBA

Gingersnap Christmas (holiday movie starring Desirée Ross, Jake Lockett, Natalie Buck, Réka Lukács and Obum Éji; directed by Julia Jay Pierrepont; written by Matt Lindenburg and Eva & Frank Myer; A grieving woman finds love and her Christmas spirit, while visiting her Caribbean grandmother for the holidays; filmed in L.A.) - TBA

Christmas on the North Pole Express (holiday movie starring Brian Boynton, Marla Moore, Riley Rose Downey and Sam Broome; written by Cody LaRue; Two people meet on the famed Christmas train while traveling to a wedding; filmed in Owosso, Michigan) - TBA

The Holiday Exchange (holiday movie starring Taylor Frey, Rick Cosnett, Samer Salem, Daniel Garcia, Blake Cooper Griffin, Joe Aaron Reid, Camila Banus, Nick Adams, Ashley Fink, Kyle Dean Massey and Kyle Richards; directed by Jake Helgren; written by Frey; A successful businessman enters into a holiday house swap and both he and the man he swapped with find new love; filmed in California) - TBA

Royal Runaways (a.k.a. A Little Faith; holiday movie starring Mark Cuban, Ashley Brinkman, Alex Day, Eliza Roberts, Naomi Matsuda, Mario Silva and Faysal Shafaat; written and directed by Candy Cain; When his father, the king, dies, a European prince flees to America and hides his identity by working in a winery) - TBA 

Holiday in the Hamptons (holiday movie starring Naomi Matsuda, Ashley Brinkman, Paulie Calafiore, Eve Kroh and Eric Roberts; written and directed by Candy Cain; A woman inherits her grandmother’s house at the holidays.) - TBA

A Jar Full of Christmas (holiday movie starring Brooke Burfitt, Cara Maria Sorbello and Jason Frederick; written and directed by Candy Cain; When a woman inherits her mom’s home, sparks fly with a childhood friend; filmed and set in Lake Placid, NY) - TBA

Christmas Overtime (holiday movie starring Meghan Carrasquillo, Jadon Cal and Laura Ault; directed by Ann Deborah Fishman; co-written by Fishman and Simon Parker; A holiday-hating actress must convince a Christmas-obsessed group she’s one of them in order to land a commercial) - TBA

Xmas Gamble (holiday movie starring Tom Arnold, Michael Madsen, Fernanda Romero and Waymond Lee; directed by Kenny Yates; written by Jerry Artukovich; A recovering gambling addict needs cash to save his mom’s home, realizing he’s never lost on Christmas, he rationalizes one last bet) - TBA

An Elliot and Friends Christmas Carol (puppet holiday special, based on featuring original characters created by Jeffrey Ault; starring Dana Anderwald, Alana Phillips and Dean Napolitano) -TBA (Trailer, Facebook)

Bring Back Christmas (holiday movie starring Ricardo Ortiz, Josh Zaharia, Casey James and Neil Charlesworth; directed by Rafael Nani; written by Marcelo Ricardo Ortiz; A materialistic teen wishes Christmas out of existence, making him the only one in the world who remembers the holiday; filmed in Vancouver, B.C.) - TBA (Website)

Christmas at the Mistletoe Inn (holiday movie directed by Lexi Giovagnoli; written by Vicki Vass; A jaded Christmas movie scout finds herself in a town straight out of one of her holiday movies; filmed in North Carolina) - TBA

Christmas Cover Up (holiday movie starring Ray Cunningham, Skye Griffin, Trina and Towanda Braxton; filmed in Houston) - TBA

Christmas Carole (a.k.a. Noël au Balcon; French-language holiday comedy starring Didier Bourdon, Noemie Lvovsky, Jules Sagot, Christophe Montenez, Alice Daubelcour and Janaïna Halloy-Fokan; directed by Jeanne Gottesdiener; A small-town mayor tries to coordinate her town’s holiday festivities while her husband holds down the holiday prep at home, until their adult children arrive and everything falls apart) - TBA, France

Christmas Licc (holiday movie short starring Taylor T-Dawg Da Don Butler, MW Maniak and Kea White; directed by Kimberly Latrice Jones; Friends attempt a misguided Christmas robbery to get out of a financial jam) - TBA (Twitter)

Winters’ Garden (a.k.a. The Christmas Garden; holiday movie starring Madeline Coughlan, Lior Selve, Federico Dordei, Peter Jason, Farah Merani and Chuck Marra; directed by Shari Hamrick Grewal; written by Joany Kane; A New York City cooking show host travels to lay the remains of a World War II nurse to rest in an English castle garden, and becomes enchanted by the site’s holiday charms; filmed in Lake Arrowhead, Calif.) - TBA  (Trailer)

Blended Christmas (holiday movie starring Jennifer Freeman, Anthony Dalton II, Victoria Rowell, Dream Doll, Carlee Elston and Charles Baston, written and directed by Tamala Baldwin; A new bride cancels her honeymoon to care for her husband’s ex after a freak accident; filmed in Atlanta) - TBA

Mississippi Christmas (holiday movie starring Darrin D Henson, Clifton Powell, Terri J Vaughn and Valarie Pettiford; written and directed by Christel Gibson; filmed in Atlanta) - TBA

Filthy Animals (written and directed by James T North IV; starring Raymond J Barry, Layla Louise, Hal Dion and Austin Wheeler; A pair of petty criminals stumble into a very dark Christmas) - Dec. TBA (Instagram, Website)

Civil Christmas (holiday musical starring Sophie Bolen and Kyle Patrick; A Southern belle shelters a wounded Union soldier on Christmas Eve; co-written and directed by Joel Paul Reisig; filmed in Michigan) - TBA

Christmas with the Pups (holiday movie starring Danielle Scott, Simon Ellis, Lila Lasso and Kitty Sudbery; directed by Louisa Warren; written by Tom Jolliffe; A ranch-owning family finds a Pomeranian at the holidays, unaware she already belongs to an influencer) - TBA (Trailer)

Meet Me at the Christmas Train Parade (holiday movie featuring Ryan Northcott, Emma Johnson, Maureen Rooney, Sue Huff, Michelle Todd, and Will Brisbin; directed by Dylan Pearce; written by Nathan Usher; To stave off a developer that will destroy their charming town square, a single mom enlists the help of nearby villages to revive a Christmas tree-lighting tradition; filmed in Edmonton, Alberta; aired in Canada in 2023) - TBA

Creating Christmas (holiday movie starring Greer Grammer, Jason Cermak and Briana Buckmaster; directed by Jason James; A children’s book author enlists an artistic teacher to help him out of a creative rut at Christmas; filmed in Vancouver, B.C.; aired on Paramount+ UK in 2023) - TBA

Royally Yours, This Christmas (holiday movie starring Cindy Sampson, Steve Byers, Holly De Barros, Bukola Ayoka, Michael S. Morrone and Darrin Baker; directed by Don McBrearty; written by Jessica L. Randall; A single mom is mistaken for a wealthy do-gooder and finds herself romanced by a royal; filmed in Toronto; aired on Paramount+ UK in 2023) - TBA

A Perfect Christmas Carol (holiday movie starring Stephanie Bennett and Preston Vanderslice; directed by Wendy Ord; A chef heads home for the holidays with her boyfriend, only to battle with his mother for his love; filmed in Kelowna, B.C.; aired on Binge in Australia in 2023) - TBA

Sincerely Truly Christmas (holiday movie starring Jake Epstein, Paula Brancati, Richard Waugh and  Tom Hearn; directed by Sean Cisterna; written by Matthew Thaler; Holiday magic gives an event planner the ability to hear what everyone else wants for Christmas; filmed in Toronto; aired on Binge in Australia in 2023) - TBA

Me and Mr. Christmas (holiday movie starring Sara Garcia, Blair Penner, Michael Lazarovitch and Jocelyn Chugg; directed by Dylan Pearce; written by Jenny M Krick; A woman looks to boost her new PR firm by fielding a winning contestant in a holiday bachelor contest; filmed in Edmonton, Alberta; aired on STAN in Australia in 2023) - TBA

The Heiress of Christmas (holiday movie starring David Pinard, Katerina Maria Vitkoff and Alys Crocker; directed by Meeshelle Neal; An heiress is forced to work in her family’s department store for the holidays; filmed in Toronto; aired on TF1 in France and Binge in Australia in 2023) - TBA (Trailer)

Christmas on the Alpaca Farm (holiday movie starring Kirsten Comerford, Matt Wells and Diana Diaz; directed by Michael Kennedy; A Christmas sweater designer clashes with a local alpaca farmer; filmed in Hamilton, Ont.; aired on TV24 and Channel 5 in the UK in 2023) - TBA

Christmas at Carbell Family Farm (holiday movie starring Tamara Almeida and Cody Ray Thompson; A developer has designs on a Christmas tree and must track down a long list of owners to secure the site) - TBA

Holiday for Hire (holiday movie starring Andrew Rogers, Casey Waller, Christie Leverette, Michael Deni and Mark Valeriano; directed by Jared Cohn; written by Julia Terranova; When her boyfriend dumps her just before Christmas, a desperate woman hires an actor to play him for her family; filmed in Simi Valley, Calif.) - TBA

Holly Jolly Christmas (a.k.a. Untitled Christmas Movie Project; holiday movie starring Allison Bailey, Rebecca De Mornay, Chris Elliott, Jordan Doww, Teo Rapp-Olsson, Pete Ploszek, Neal Davidson; directed by Christine Luby; When siblings come home for the holidays, they are shocked to learn their parents have sold the family home and plan to move overseas; set and filmed in Danbury and New Haven, Connecticut) - TBA

Christmas Telethon (holiday comedy starring Patrick Warburton, Matt Nease and Leslie Talley; directed by Doug Henderson; written by Henderson, B. Harrison Smith and Nease; Local anchors try to save their struggling TV station with a telethon that goes terribly wrong; filmed in Millersville, Pa.) - TBA

Cape Holly Christmas (holiday movie starring Sebastian Stewart, Anna Marie Dobbins, Brian Austin Green, Celeste Desjardins, Barbara Mitchell, Rae Farrer, Neil Enock, and Laura Yenga; directed by John Bradshaw;  written by Erica McKenzie and Mark Mungo; A woman hopes to win a baking contest to save her home and small-town bakery, but falls for a guy who turns out to be related to the bank trying to foreclose on both;  filmed in Leduc, Alberta, Canada) - TBA

S’up, Xmas! (a.k.a. Jae, Natal!; Brazilian animated holiday movie directed by Camila Padilha; A princess tries to introduce a traditional Christmas to her island home, only to see them twist it into a unique tropical holiday festival) - TBA

A Christmas Heart (faith-based holiday movie starring Kevin Sorbo and Sarah Reeves; written and directed by Bill McAdams, Jr; A widowed firefighter gets a DUI and is assigned community service where he meets someone who helps him recover from tragedy; filmed in Granbury, Texas ) - TBA

Operation Nutcracker (holiday movie starring Ashley Newbrough and Christopher Russell; An event planner and wayward son have to work together to find a missing nutcracker in time for a wealthy family's high profile charity auction; filmed in Ontario) - TBA

Jingle Bell Heist (holiday movie starring Olivia Holt, Connor Swindells, Peter Serafinowicz and Lucy Punch; directed by Michael Fimognari; written by Abby McDonald; Two thieves casing the same Christmas Eve job, team up and fall for each other; announced in 2023; filmed in the UK) - TBA

Mr. Christmas (holiday movie starring Tom McLaren, Charlie Schlatter, Casey Burke, Lynda Day George and Nicholle Tom; A man hatches a Christmas movie-inspired to win back his estranged family.) - TBA

The Christmas Letter (holiday movie starring Chevy Chase, Randy Quaid and Angus Benfield; directed by Tori Hunter; written by Michael Cunningham; Spurred on by a wealthy friend’s annual Christmas letter, a man makes it his mission to perfect his life before the next holiday; filmed in Utica, New York) - TBA (Facebook)

[terramythos]

God at work yesterday me and a coworker had to deal with this nightmare vendor in Seattle. Literally wasted an entire afternoon of like half a dozen people including our own contractor for no apparent reason except as like. A power trip I guess? Anyway me and the other coworker rant about the guy (Zach) a bit. Another coworker pops in and drops the bombshell "yeah I went to high school with that guy. Total dick". We are in a completely different part of the country

[ecsundance]

Winner Film Review

There is something wrong with our government and society when being idealistic and truthful becomes a crime. The film Winner directed by Susanna Fogel is a true story about an Air Force veteran and National Security Agency (NSA) contractor who as a translator becomes disillusioned with the government and the lies they tell the public and decides to act upon her beliefs.

The story is about Reality Winner (Emilia Jones), a woman who is unyieldingly idealistic, a trait she gets from her father Ron (Zach Galifianakis). This film which premiered at Sundance demonstrates this characteristic in a flashback of her at the age of nine. Here she frees all the dogs from a pet store which in her mind was saving them from death if they were not sold in time. Winner has very definitive beliefs about right and wrong and follows her own moral compass whether it be freeing puppy mill dogs to stealing a dog that is being neglected by its owner.

That same year 9/11 occurred and while watching it unfold with her family, she learns through her father that violence can be avoided. You just have to work to understand each other. After that, she teaches herself Arabic hoping that she can help with the initiative of understanding each other.

Later, after meeting a recruiter at her high school, she is pursued by the Air Force to enlist promising her many things like her dream of going to Afghanistan to help translate for convoy missions providing aid. Winner becomes convinced that joining the Air Force will enable her to help people in other countries.

After joining the Air Force, she discovers that her real job was not to help people in these countries, but rather, through her translations to identify terrorists who were then assassinated by means of drone strikes. As stated in the film, Winner never met the people she was saving but instead she only saw the people killed.

She eventually realizes that her hope of going to Afghanistan with the Air Force where she could meet and help the locals was not going to happen. As a result, she becomes disillusioned with the military and on finding an opportunity to work in Afghanistan, she decides to leave the military. This did not go in her favor either because the organization would not accept her experience in lieu of a college education.

Since she was unable to get a job requiring a degree, she went to work as an NSA contractor which although did not fulfill her dream, was at least a lucrative job. Here, she translates data related to Iran. However, through the continuously running television at work, Winner ends up watching President Trump deny that Russia was involved in election interference in the 2016 election.

Questioning whether that was indeed true, Winner decides to access classified information on the 2016 election discovering that the government indeed knew that Russia had tampered in the election. With that knowledge, she decides the people need to know the truth. She prints the material and mails it to a media outlet. She does this knowing that leaking information is a federal offense. Winner is quickly discovered by the FBI and the government decides to make an example of her. This offense carries up to a ten-year prison sentence.

The film raises an interesting question. Why is Winner’s punishment harsher than others such as Paul Manafort and Maria Butina who receive minimal punishments for acts that are much less altruistic than Winner. Her mother Billie (Connie Britton), a social worker, championed this idea by promoting it through the press. She was able to go on national television and state this information showing the disparities. This pressure eventually led to a reduction in Winner’s sentence.

The story is less about whether she commits a crime, or if she will get away with it. It is really about her personal journey and how her internal rigid compass conflicts with society. The film is more philosophical. There is no doubt that she has committed a crime. There is no doubt that she knows she committed a crime. It begs multiple questions. The questions to be answered are threefold. First, is Winner going to be punished for her lawlessness? Second, why is she punished for telling the truth? Third, what would you do if you were faced with making a decision that put your own moral compass competing against what the law says? Would you have the stomach to step up to what you believe should be done?

We will all face these questions at some degree in our lives. The questions become: Are you willing to stand up for your beliefs? Will you sacrifice anything for them? This is seen through Winner’s father when he says, “We all need a hill to die on.” This is the theme throughout the story. Winner takes it to heart as she stands up for multiple causes she believes in.

This film does a great job of setting us up for making this decision. It also does a wonderful job of keeping the subject matter light through dark humor. Lots of comedy is included and it helps to emphasize various points. For example, every so often images would appear of a military plane. At the same time there were voice overs that would state that Winner was finally going to Afghanistan. Almost immediately after, the voice over would state that was not true.

I give this film five stars as I thought it was thought provoking on the difference between what is right and wrong in that situation and what you should do. That is to stand up and take action for what you believe in.

Ryan McCormick

[airsupportheati]

Zach Jones

Does your home's air conditioner need some help to run? Is your furnace working? Air Support can help get your home back to regular temperatures with our comprehensive repairs, installs, and maintenance. We are an HVAC contractor in Louisville, KY, that is committed to quality service and exceptional care. Our quality materials and experienced team will save you time and stress and restore your peace of mind. We are here to provide the honest and dependable services you nee

air conditioning repair

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[wabashmfginc]

Truck Manufacturing Firm In Henderson, Ky Hercules Manufacturing Firm

Zach and his staff are the premier builders of cell kitchens in Houston. From beginning the project to routine upkeep TCB takes care of their shoppers and their data of each the truck and the industry is second to none. Our state of the art facility allows us to achieve short delivery occasions whereas sustaining the standard you’d expect from a seasoned manufacturer. We supply quite lots of top equipment/appliances, to handle a wide selection of uses in any conditions. Our new line of utility bodies is designed to fit the decrease profile of the 1960 Ford chassis. Made in America Week emphasizes “the significance of American manufacturing, shopping for products made in America and supporting good-paying jobs for American workers,” mentioned the White House.

Located in Birmingham, Alabama, Altec manufacturers a broad range of service our bodies for use in a quantity of industries, together with forestry bodies, crane our bodies, service bodies, enclosures, toppers and capsules, and trailers. Altec has been manufacturing truck bodies for over eighty five years and has 22 Altec service facilities all through the United States and Canada, as well as greater than 100 cellular custom truck manufacturers service technicians. Altec can manufacture custom bodies to your actual specs, together with bodies made with aluminum, fiberglass, and metal. We are leaders in truck physique design and manufacturing, and we will work with you to create a flexible service vehicle to satisfy your everyday wants. We add rugged sturdiness, versatility, and innovation to your truck.

We rent educated professionals, that will work with you every step of the finest way. They have the information and creativity that is important in providing options for your small business. So give us a phone name, come go to us, or try our weblog to be taught more about these hard employees that make Phenix who we are custom truck manufacturers. Off-Roading vs Overlanding If you’re an auto-enthusiast, skilled driver, collector or just in search of the following rush of adrenaline, you might be trying into offroading, or maybe embarking on an overlanding... Always innovating, we increase our body offerings once once more with the all-new Contractor Service Body.

If you're the web site proprietor , please whitelist your IP or should you suppose this block is an error please open a help ticket and ensure to include the block particulars , so we are able to assist you in troubleshooting the problem. Aerodynamic roof design and absolutely integrated custom sleeper for increased fuel effectivity and convenience. Electrical methods are examined and 3rd party custom truck manufacturers certified for efficiency. The automobile steering, suspension alignment and ABS systems are appropriately calibrated. When someone asks ‘how to make a fireplace truck,’ that is the step that may take advantage of sense of their mind—final meeting. Frame-up is the process of bringing collectively the frame rails right into a squaring fixture, putting in cross members, mounting axles and suspension elements, and outfitting the wheels and tires.

To better distribute our truck physique solutions to clients around the country, we purchase Crest Truck Equipment and its 5 areas. We change our name to Reading Truck Body, Inc. in addition to set up Reading Truck Equipment & Distribution, Inc. We take a look at and develop the industry’s first all-aluminum truck physique, in a position to face up to adverse northern climate conditions. As the fireplace truck comes together, the electrical wiring techniques are related, as are the plumbing techniques. If the hearth truck requires an aerial system, the meeting of the required parts is also going down presently.

Hardware is on the market for stake beds, trailers, recreational vehicles, utility automobiles, precision sheet metallic products & other OEM manufacturers. The company will double manufacturing at its operation in Forest, Virginia to fulfill growing demand from its prospects, creating sixty one new jobs. Here at Curry Supply, we will provide you with a heavy-duty dump truck for rugged, heavy-duty applications in an abusive jobsite setting.

[stackhouse13]

StackHouse Container Homes is the brainchild of a long-lasting builder as well as roofer, Zach Hargraves. As an Austin indigenous with over 20 years in the residence building market, Zach understands the ins and outs of what it requires to successfully craft a customized residence while adhering to Texas policies. When you collaborate with the StackHouse group, you have a strong network of contractors, contractors and also developers to make your shipping container house fantasizes a fact. From developing your desire residence to creating a well-known hospitality location, we're your people! If you're creating your very own residence, we also can provide our expertise to aid you in your procedure.

[colonyroofers1]

Colony Roofers

Choosing a Commercial Roofing Company

When it comes to choosing a commercial roofing company in Atlanta, there are many options to consider. Many of them specialise in different types of roofing. For example, some specialise in historic restorations and others specialise in commercial projects.

 Whatever the project, Colony Roofers will have the expertise to get it done well.For a quality roof, look for Colony Roofers commercial roofing contractors with experience. The contractor uses modern tools to detect roof leaks. These include Thermal and Capacitance testing equipment. They use a professional team to install the roof.

The Colony Roofers Company was founded. Since then, it has grown roof repairs in atlanta to be one of the biggest names in commercial roofing in Atlanta. They specialise in commercial and industrial projects and have installed millions of square feet of high-quality roofing. The company also offers a variety of services for homeowners and businesses, including asset management, preventive maintenance, and professional services.

Choosing the right commercial roofing company Colony Roofers for your business is an important decision. The right roof can protect your business from various types of weather elements. Proper maintenance can prolong the lifespan of a commercial roof. Otherwise, a problem roofing system can cost your business money.

 So, make sure to find Colony Roofers a reliable Atlanta commercial roofing company that will take care of your roof problems and restore its aesthetic appeal.Metal roofs are a popular option for commercial buildings. They are fireproof, lightweight, and relatively low maintenance. They also help you save energy, as they reflect UV rays away from the building. This means you'll have to run your AC unit less often and will last longer. A metal roof will also increase the lifespan of your roof and save you money.

In addition to ensuring the roof is in good condition, Colony Roofers commercial roofing company has a team that is capable of repairing any damage. Colony Roofers company that has experienced workers who will do the job correctly the first time. This way, you will be able to enjoy peace of mind knowing that your roof is in good hands.

Contact us:

Colony RoofersAddress: 715 Peachtree St. NE Suite 100,Atlanta,GA,30308

Phone: 6783653138

Email: zach@colonyroofers.com

for more details:https://goo.gl/maps/3EbBXiFs2tHKkRpFA

[aestheticvoyage2022]

August 2022

A full month with the Finca under construction leaves us just gettin by here at the end of this month, cashed out in every way and ready for a reset here with Fall 2022.  Aside from dust and a parade of contractors, this month was highlighted with completing some important tasks for William including finishing his “Dad Journal” and last year’s special slideshow that including a creative presentation of his birth that I was really proud of.  We also started to capture his heigh in my shop, officially Two Foot Five this August.  While we spent a lot of time in the pool in August, it couldn’t compete with a beautiful day we spent in the fresh water of Lake Tahoe on our way back from Bend.  Standing out in the water, enjoying a beer and some good tunes, was my favorite part of this month.   Hard to say what William’s favorite part would be - his first full month of walking, he was all over the place this month.  Walking, Running, Climbing, Bonking.  He got to see the Redbirds play, started to watch Sesame Street, started to color and talk on the phone, played with the dogs and the contractors tools and his giraffes, and even went to Baby Shower for Alec who will be here later this Fall.   But more than anything - he started to sleep in his own bed for the first time. A true game changer for us - even though Mama and I are still stuck sleeping in the living room until this never ending bathroom project completes.  I sometimes imagine future posts- and that one coming soon where I get to share how we’re putting our life back together and have the Finca back to just ourselves will be a very happy one.  We’ll be doing Happy Feet alongside William when that day in September finally comes.

Best Day: Beach Day at Tahoe - August 2

Best Song: Zach Bryan - Burn,Burn,Burn

Best Quote:  Oriah Mountain Dreamer, The Invitation

“It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for, and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.

It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shriveled and closed from fear of further pain!I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it or fade it, or fix it.I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own, if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, to be realistic, to remember the limitations of being human.It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself; if you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul; if you can be faithlessand therefore trustworthy.I want to know if you can see beauty even when it’s not pretty, every day,and if you can source your own life from its presence.I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand on the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, “Yes!”It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up, after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone, and do what needs to be done to feed the children.It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the center of the fire with me and not shrink back.It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you, from the inside, when all else falls away.I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.”―

[javierpinme]

Inn Over Your Head

Pairing: Contractor!Zach Wellison x f!reader

Word count: 10.3k (I know, I know. Yeesh. 👀)

Rating: Explicit (Anyone under 18 years old, go away)

Warnings: mentioning of loss of parents, slooooowwww burn, oral (f receiving), masturbation (f), existential crisis?, unprotected sex (wrap it in real life but you know fiction), praise kink (are we surprised it’s me), idiots to lovers, use of vibrator, mild angst, brief mention of reader wanting kids, sickeningly sweet fluff (I think this is it but if you see anything let me know)

Summary: “I have all these empty rooms and I’m not a terrible cook so I was thinking w-what if you…stayed here? We wouldn’t even have to see each other unless working on renovations. Not that I don’t like seeing you, but if privacy is an issue.” Jesus christ. You stammer your way to the end of your proposition and avoid staring at his face in fear of rejection. There is a pause and you try to retract what you said before you get interrupted by him gently saying your name.

A/N: I never intended to make this one shot wonder so long, but here we are. And look, before anyone says anything I am very well aware that I said that I was going to cut down which believe me I did. I really did, but I also added more so it kind of balances out. This is my first smut piece, so yeah. That’s it. This is about as self-indulgent as it gets. In my brain contractor is the job I imagine him having post his job in B&S. 🤷🏻‍♀️

AO3

Inn Over Your Head Masterlist

Masterlist

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***

“No, no, no. Ugh!” 

In your haste to move your kettle on the counter and boil some water for tea you accidentally knock one of the screws you had unattached from the vintage sink into the garbage disposal. All you wanted to do was see what kind of screws it would need since the screws that it currently had were a little eroded. You thought you were being proactive since you knew next to nothing about owning an inn. Closing your eyes you take a deep breath and grip the counter trying to ground yourself. You can do this, right?

You were recently single after a long-term relationship that went south. The two of you wanted different things, but it wasn’t until recently when that all came to a head. You’ve always wanted to get married, have a couple kids, and you were vocal about that. You had thought your boyfriend was on the same page as you, but when the topic of marriage came up he told you that he wasn’t on the “same level” as you which absolutely broke you because of how long you were together.

Which brings you to where you are at the current moment. You adored inns as a child; they always held some of your best memories with your parents before they passed. Every summer as a little girl you would travel to different states and you loved the historic feel that seemed to encompass within them. Whether it was the aroma of fresh pastries wafting in the air traveling to your bedroom in the morning or the fact that there were several generations before you that sat on the very same furniture as you. You felt a little lost and wished you had your parents with you to help you navigate this change in your life, but they never would be and that brought you down even more.

“Well, hardware store it is then.” One last glare at your kettle like it betrayed you and you walk out the door with the faucet in hand.

“How many different screws can one sink have?” You exasperated to no one other than your own ears.

You dig through all types of screws and none of them are fitting correctly causing your annoyance to increase. In the midst of you rolling your eyes at the situation you spot a figure in the front of the store greeting the cashier and fail to remember why you were irritated in the first place. The first feature that comes to your attention is how tall he is and the warmth of his smile when he passes by the employees. Your feet think before your brain does and move of their own accord silently following him through the aisles you definitely didn’t deem necessary to be in on any other day. You start picking up supplies only to put them back down to make yourself look less obvious about your ogling.

You can only see him from behind, but even with being covered by the navy and burnt orange plaid flannel he’s wearing you can tell his shoulders are broad. He rolls up his sleeves while grabbing what he needs and you almost moaned at the sight of the veins on his forearms. His hands are calloused as far as you can tell which means he probably does physical labor. You’ve always loved a man that can work with his hands.

An employee walks up to you asking if you needed any assistance which you politely declined and by the time she comes out of view the target of your attention is also nowhere to be found. You sigh in disappointment and make your way back to the aisle you actually needed something from. Your hands mindlessly grab the first box of screws you can find on the shelf while fantasizing about the size of his hands on how they would feel around your—

You gasp at the intrusion of your beginning to be very filthy thoughts when the subject of that fantasy comes into view from the opposite aisle and smiles at you. You blink subtly shaking your head and thank whoever is up above that there is no such thing as mind readers. The close distance between you even with the separation of shelves permits you to appreciate his prominently curved nose, his ebony eyes, and the dimples that seem to display even deeper as his smile grows when you are silent following his introduction. A chuckle breaks you out of your daydream and you ask him to repeat what he said. Your brain filters back in when he tells you his name is Zach and you return it with yours.

“Working on a home project?” He nods to the box that is sitting in your hand that you conveniently forgot about.

“U-Uh, yeah. I dropped one of the screws that at one point was attached to this faucet in my garbage disposal when trying to make tea so I’m buying replacements for it.” You stutter out holding the faucet in the air when he disappears from your peripheral leaving you confused at the interaction.

The sound of boots filter in and become louder prompting you to turn around and almost knocks the wind out of you when you realize how close he’s standing in front of you; the scent of bergamot and sandalwood overwhelming your senses. God, is this how he always smells?

“Well, let's see what we got here.” He grabs the faucet out of your hand inspecting the hole in it and eyes the box of screws in your hand while yours are focusing on how much bigger his hand is in comparison to what he’s holding. “First of all, these are completely the wrong screws for this. This is vintage. They don’t make these anymore. You’re not going to find those here.” He chuckles out which you misinterpret for teasing when you’re already a little sensitive from the events of the day.

“You know what? I think I’m capable enough that I don’t need a self-righteous know-it-all to tell me what to do.” You huff out in frustration at his picking of your unknown insecurity.

“Just tryin’ to help you out. That’s all, sweetheart. Didn’t mean any disrespect.” Zach raises his eyebrows and lifts his hands up in surrender.

“Thanks for your help, but I’m good from here.” You emphasize none too delicately pulling the faucet out of his hand and walking out the store in embarrassment empty handed.

***

“I have no idea what I’m doing, Kit. I mean I'm way in over my head with thinking that I could even do this with no experience. I can’t even pick the right fucking screws. Something so simple. My parents would be so proud.” You release a self deprecating chuckle and bury your head into your hands ignorant of the fact that there are other tables of customers trying to enjoy their meal. You feel the warmth of your friend’s fingers wrapping around your wrists to bring them back to the table.

“Hey, you’re doing a brave thing and your parents would be so proud of you for creating your own adventure on something you always enjoyed as a family. If I could help you know that I would in a heartbeat, but I might have someone to recommend. He is an absolute sweetheart. He dropped everything to help when my pipes burst. He’s a former marine and was spit out by the VA so he ended up homeless.” Your heart breaks for whoever it is at that moment, but you make a mental note not to meddle since it wasn’t your business.

“He’s not anymore but-speak of the devil. Zach!!” Kit calls out to wave him over and you momentarily freeze hoping it isn’t the same man that you snapped at at the store.

You slowly shift in your chair to face him and you feel heat cascading from your chest to your neck at the confirmation that it is indeed the same man. You spot that same warm smile pointed in your friend’s direction and you see the shift in it the moment he recognizes you, but he never breaks it which brings you an odd comfort. He was attractive in the fluorescent lighting of the store but even more so with the sun settling into night. Kit smiles at you unaware of the predicament you’re in and catches up with him while you’re trying to appear nonchalant about seeing him in front of you again. She introduces you and all you can do is squeak out a hello.

“The reason I called you over here is because she just purchased an inn and she has no idea what she’s doing. She is stressing about being in over her head and I know you have experience with doing that kind of thing so I figured I could hook you guys up.” You can’t stop the wince from forming on your face at the words your friend is repeating to the man that you were so hell bent on showing that you’re capable.

“Well, I wouldn't go that far.” You cover your embarrassment with a laugh, but it comes out unsteady.

“What do you mean? You said it yourself.” Kit narrows her eyes at your reply and repeats your words much to your chagrin.

“I thought you said that you were capable and didn’t need help from a self-righteous know-it-all. I believe those are the exact words you used.” Even with the repeating your stinging words it sounds like honey coming out of his lips. Your eyes meet his with what you now realize was teasing in a different sense than what you assumed it was in the store. Your defensive stance deflates and you can’t help the laugh that comes out. He’s poking fun at you and you start to feel a little ridiculous for your outburst.

“I….deserve that.”

Zach’s smile grows even wider accentuating that dimple again and shrugs his shoulders in mock agreement. Something about you made him want to help you and he’s trying to convince himself that it has nothing to do with how beautiful you are.

“I’ll help you. Here’s my number. Text me the address. We can do a walkthrough and make a list of anything that takes priority.” Zach grabs one of the napkins on the table and pulls a pen out of the pocket of his plaid flannel to write it down. The fragrance of bergamot and sandalwood tickling your nose again and making you yearn to know how that smell would mix with the perspiration of certain activities. An awareness hits you at the last second that has you ungracefully call out his name.

“Wait! I won’t be able to pay you.” Your voice starts wavering as you’re nearing the end of your sentence. I put everything into this.

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing I’m not expecting to get paid. Text me.” He motions to his phone and walks off. You turn around to face Kit again and she has a shit-eating grin on her face with her arms crossed in amusement.

“What was that?” She raises her eyebrows at you and you finally manage to maintain a straight face now that the physical manifestation of your awkwardness has left. “What was what?” You drink your tea to hide the obvious smile you hid behind your mug.

“Uh, that. You had a moment.” Kit points between you and the empty space where a cute brunette had resided a minute ago. You shrug your shoulders and feign innocence which makes her even more suspicious than she was before. “Okay, it was nothing. You’re paying then.” You roll your eyes and release a quiet sigh in relief at the drop of that subject.

***

You pace back and forth over analyzing a text message you had prewritten the night before to send this morning. “Personal or impersonal?” The arm holding your cellphone goes to your side and you laugh at your overthinking of such a simple task. 

So you just crank out a quick message of your address and begrudgingly tap a smiley emoji putting your phone down on the coffee table before you regret it. The ding of an incoming message goes off in the otherwise silent living room if you count the rhythmic pounding in your chest at the anticipation of his answer as silence. You try not to think about the speed at which you walked from the other side of the room to see what he said. Sounds good! I’ll drop by later today and take a look at what we’ve got ahead of us. Saving you from the total embarrassment of being overeager he also included a smiley emoji at the end of his sentence making you slightly more relaxed.

***

Consciously you know that this is not a date, but that doesn’t stop your illogical brain from changing your outfit three times in the last half hour. He’s just here for a tour of the inn and you’re working together now, kind of. This is the first male interaction you’ve had since your breakup and your heart feels like it's in hyperdrive at that. You wring your hands together waiting near the front entrance for his arrival. A knock raps against the door and you take a deep steady breath before opening it to a to-go cup of coffee with that same cute brunette attached to it.

He greets you with a soft smile and a good morning. “That was fast. Were you near the door?” He hands you the coffee and you try to hide your mortification that he noticed.

“No, I was moving some stuff around when you knocked. Thank you. I love that café. They have the best coffee in town.” You open the door wider to allow him to walk inside.

Zach clears his throat and walks inside carrying a clipboard in the opposite hand; the sound of his workman’s boots on the creaking floorboards. “You’re welcome. I wasn’t sure if you liked it since tea seems to be your preference.” You swallow a gasp at him noticing what drink you had during your second meeting. He clicks the pen he had in his pocket and immediately goes into business mode writing out future renovation projects throughout each room.

You both squeeze into the powder room and you mention that you want to replace the toilet. “I don’t want to open up with that one. I want a new one.”

“Why? It’s clearly functioning. I thought you liked historic things.” He grumbles proving his point by flushing it and raising his eyebrows in your direction.

You narrow your eyes and cross your arms bringing his attention to your chest. “Yes...I do. I’m just not comfortable with the hundreds of years of shits that took place in it. We’re getting a new one. Add it to the list.” You walk out of the tight space in defiance and effectively end the debate. You might have imagined the huff he released and you definitely missed him calling you stubborn. You walk through all the rooms within the inn skipping your bedroom since that wasn’t on your list of priorities before guests rooms and you weren’t sure if you could handle the visual of Zach standing in your bedroom with you.

You walk downstairs in silence and make your way back to the front entrance. “Well, we have a shit ton of work cut out for us. It’s not going to be easy, but I might be able to shave some additional costs where we can.” 

He must see a flash of irritation in your eyes and brings his palm up in defense. “Woah--hey. That’s why I’m here. To help you get through this. Together.” The last word a plea to understand he means no harm in his words.

A warmth fills your chest at the last word. Together. You tamp down that feeling as soon as it appears. You nod, shooting an apologetic smile his way before focusing on a scratch on the floor. “On the topic of money since as you know I can’t pay you I was thinking of some alternatives.” Your eyes finally meet his to see him shaking his head telling you it wasn’t necessary, but you insist on letting you finish your words.

“I have all these empty rooms and I’m not a terrible cook so I was thinking w-what if you...stayed here? We wouldn’t even have to see each other unless working on renovations. Not that I don’t like seeing you, but if privacy is an issue.” Jesus christ. You stammer your way to the end of your proposition and avoid staring at his face in fear of rejection. There is a pause and you try to retract what you said before you get interrupted by him gently saying your name.

“Yeah, okay. I’d have to go home and pack, but yeah.” Your heart flutters at the scene of that familiar dimple you’ve come to love directed at you.

“Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow at 7 then?” Your voice picks up volume now that he’s given you his answer. You open the door to let him leave and he turns around saluting you with a grin. You could get used to that.

***

Like clockwork, Zach arrives at 7AM on the dot which you tease him for while helping him bring in his belongings.

"Punctuality is a virtue, sweetheart." 

You remember Kit mentioning he was a former marine, but you keep that information to yourself while directing him to the bedroom he will be sleeping in. You inform him that breakfast is just about ready and leave him to familiarize himself with his new surroundings alone.

Zach appears from the opening of the kitchen while you’re plating the french toast slices with berries. He pours the two of you mugs of coffee and you sit on the stools at the island to dig into your breakfast. At first bite your eyes widen and feel a heat rising to your cheeks at the filthiest groan Zach releases. "Damn, if this is what I get everytime you cook I will be very satisfied." Me too.

***

The both of you start to really pick up a rhythm and tackle your projects room by room. There are even some days he beats you in waking up in the morning, but his idea of a hearty breakfast is toast. You forgive that when he gives you the largest mug you own of coffee to soften the blow of his lackluster cooking skills. 

This morning you’re going to be working on the faucet that continuously haunts you and you change into a worn white t-shirt with leggings in case you’re doing any dirty work at any point in the day. It’s been spraying water erratically since yesterday when you tried to make chamomile tea for you both before going to bed.

“Alright, let's see what we got here.” Zach tinkers with the aerator and it immediately starts spitting out water at him. In the midst of his struggle to turn the faucet off he isn’t fast enough because when he eventually turns it off he is absolutely drenched. There is a silence in the room other than the sound of droplets hitting the floor before you break out in laughter at the sight before you.

“Zach, you look like a wet rat.” You put your hands on your knees and lean in a folded position losing your composure. Your stomach starts cramping and you wipe the tears in your eyes basking in the moment.

He huffs in annoyance and you hear him trying to shake off the excess water on his clothes. “You done?” You’re not even remotely done, but his tone makes you act otherwise.

“Yeah, I’m-ZACH!!” He turns the sink back on and grabs you by the waist to bring you in front of the stream in sweet revenge. You don’t even have time to react before you end up in the same state he’s in drenched to the bone. He finally turns the faucet off and you force yourself out of his arms to slap him repeatedly. 

"Now who's the wet rat?" He grabs a piece of your hair and moves it behind your ear. That tentative touch alone could have made you melt right there and then.

The boyish laugh he lets out has you beam with delight and you take a moment to admire each other before his smile falls. You furrow your brows and follow his line of sight; your first instinct should be to cover your chest but you swear you’re not imagining the swirl of lust filling his eyes. Wearing mesh undergarments today probably wasn’t your most brilliant idea. 

Your breath hitches when you follow where his eyes travel. Your lips, to your neck, and slowly returning his gaze back to your chest causing a heat to pool between your legs. Out of the corner of your eye Zach’s hand that was flat on the counter twitches as if he’s fighting the urge to touch you and he takes a step closer before stepping back to this original spot to your dismay. He shoots his face away from you; cheeks tinted red before clearing his throat and huskily speaks.

“You can go ahead and get changed. I’ll still be here fighting with it.”

You nod your head and sigh in disappointment at the broken moment before making your way back upstairs to change. You can’t figure out why he hesitated when it was clear to both of you what you wanted. You throw on a dry shirt and walk back to the kitchen hoping the awkwardness has faded.

Zach is still in the same spot messing with the faucet, but has the water shut off to avoid any more accidents. 

“We should just buy a new faucet, Zach. It’s hopeless.”

He shoots you a glare startling you when he breaks his reserved nature. “No. It’s part of the history and just because something is broken doesn’t mean they’re disposable. They deserve a second chance.”

You sense a shift in the atmosphere and you know he isn’t talking only about the faucet anymore. You slowly nod while picking at a chip on the counter and your mouth speaks before your brain has time to filter it.

“Like from when you were home-” You shut yourself up as soon as you started. You freeze hoping that he didn’t hear you, but the pause in him working on the faucet confirms that he did.

“How...how do you know about that?” His tone is as quiet as you’ve ever heard it and it breaks your heart even more to know that you’re the cause of it.

Your sharp inhale fills the room and you save yourself some time to come up with an explanation by pushing the flakes into the sink from your frantic picking. Regardless of planning out your words your voice still quivers when you speak.

“Someone told me. I’m so sorry, Zach. I was never going to mention it, but-” You never get to finish your apology when you hear the padding of his bare feet on the tile leaving the room. You turn the knob to the sink—looks like it’s fixed but you royally fucked up.

He avoids you the rest of the day by working on projects on the opposite side of the inn. There's no explosive argument. No demanding an apology for invading his privacy. You would have preferred that over the silent treatment. You deserved that. It only seems fitting to your situation when the cracking of thunder roars outside like the universe has been wronged and its demanding vengeance. I know.

***

You’re cleaning the living room area wallowing in your self pity when the flickering of the lamp catches your eye. Before you can even process the thought you can’t see anything other than the lightning in the distance through the window. Figures. The power must have gone out.

Your line of vision follows the stomping from the floor above you and a deep exhale can be heard from the man that has been avoiding you all day.

“You alright?” You can’t see him through the pitch blackness, but you know if the creaking of the staircase is any consolation he’s on his way down to you.

You blindly feel your way around to the dining room table where the candles you purchased earlier in the day to give Zach some space are located. “Yeah, I’m just going to go grab some candles.” You know he can’t see you, but you hear a grunt in approval. 

You start walking back into the living area extending your arm in the air to avoid ramming into something before you feel a hand gently grab your forearm to direct you back to him. The coffee table screeches from being shoved away and his hand smooths down to your own to pull you to the floor. His hand is so warm around yours prompting your heart to lose its stable rhythm. He lets go way too soon and you fight to shove down the whine that was crawling its way up your throat in protest. The flick of a lighter goes off illuminating the room in a soft orange glow while Zach finishes lighting the other candles. If it wasn’t so awkward it would actually be pretty romantic.

You wonder what would have happened if you had never opened your mouth; so critical of yourself over your word vomit that you don’t hear Zach saying your name. Your attention is brought back to the man in front of you and the dam breaks spilling apology after apology. His hand hovers in front of you and asks if you could politely shut up.

You shift yourself backwards to lean your back against the front of the couch and he mirrors the position next to you taking a deep breath before he speaks. “I was homeless. I was in the marines.” He lifts up the sleeve of his shirt to show you the tattoo on his right arm. 

“When I got back I couldn’t adjust to civilian life. I got diagnosed with PTSD and the VA helped for a little bit until they didn’t. It would have been easier if I had a drug problem, but I had a place to sleep problem which is how I ended up sleeping in a park.” Your heart shatters at the visual and you intertwine your fingers with his rubbing gentle circles on his knuckles in comfort.

“I mean I had to sleep with a pipe at all times because you just never knew when the next threat was going to be. I was scared. Scared of being jumped and scared of when my next meal was going to be. I’m not mad at you for bringing it up. I just...for once wanted to be someone other than that homeless guy. I didn’t want you to think of me like that.” A humorless laugh falls out of his mouth and you scooch closer until your thighs touch, leaning your head on his shoulder. 

“Zach, I would never think of you like that. I can’t even begin to imagine how scared you were. You really want to know how I see you? I see a kind hearted man that makes everyone he talks to smile. I see a man who dropped everything to help a friend with a problem and not to mention a complete stranger who definitely didn’t deserve it after certain rude comments. I see someone really brave and despite the circumstances you overcame it. That’s what I see.” You feel his head move to lay on the crown of your head and with the exhale he releases so does the tension from earlier.

You’re not sure when you closed your eyes or how long but it isn’t until Zach breaks the tranquility of the moment that you open them. “What about you? What’s your story with the inn? Since we’ve established you don’t know what you’re doing.” He flinches in pain when you pinch his side at the remark, but neither of you can stop the smile directed at the other.

“Well. The cliché story is that I’m recently single after being in a relationship for years. I thought we were both on the same page as far as marriage and kids goes, but he either changed his mind or appeased me to get me to shut up about it.” You sigh and the tear in the rug becomes really interesting until you feel Zach squeeze your hand encouraging you to continue.

This memory does actually make you smile unlike the other one. “When I was a little girl I traveled with my parents all over the country, always staying in inns. I mean, really old historic ones like this one. When my parents died I was devastated and I guess I felt like I was holding onto a piece of their memory when I bought this place. That I wasn’t completely alone because I had this.” Zach’s lips press into your head and you melt at the significance of the gesture.

“There’s this one memory I have of being in Cape May with them. I never forgot it because we stayed in what was called the “lavender room” and it was as you can probably figure out all shades of purple. Well, in this particular inn they had a clawfoot tub in the bathroom and I begged my parents to let me use it. I couldn’t get over the fact that I could use the lavender scented bubble bath in the lavender room. They wouldn’t let me and I was devastated so every trip afterwards they would bring lavender body wash to appease me when I would ask. Purple walls or not. I was a brat as a kid.”

“You got a thing for tubs?” You hear more than see the grin on Zach’s face and you hum in confirmation.

“When I bought this place and saw there was an attached bathroom to one of the rooms I was ecstatic because in the picture it had this beautiful vintage clawfoot tub. It felt like everything fit into place and then when I walked in I could see where there used to be a tub but it was an empty space so you can only imagine my disappointment.” You laugh at the memory of your mini temper tantrum at that realization.

“Sorry.” Zach rests his cheek against your temple and you bury your head into the crook of his neck.

“There are worse things. Maybe someday I’ll fulfill that dream, but it just isn’t high on our priority list right now with everything we need to get done.”

“Hm.” You bring your head up to ask him what he meant by that not realizing how close he was to you. He meets you halfway slotting his nose against yours and you stop breathing afraid that you’ll somehow break out of the trance you’re in. The silent question in his eyes asking if this was okay and you nod.

Your gaze follows his tongue peeking out to lick his lips and you raise your head to surge forward until you’re blinded by the lights turning back on. Zach’s forehead presses against your own and you grin at the devastation taking over his features even with his eyes closed. He opens his eyes and the boyish grin returns on his face at the comedic timing of it all.

“Come on.”

You blow out the candles now that you don’t need them. He grabs your hand lifting you up off the ground and presses that hand on your lower back to move you towards the stairs. There’s a comfortable stillness that you don’t feel it’s necessary to fill it in with conversation. You walk to your respective bedrooms wishing each other a goodnight before closing your door.

***

Sleep is not coming easily to you, too frustrated at the recollection of events of the day. You can’t help but laugh at the cruel joke the universe seems to be playing on you while staring at the ceiling. All the interruptions it seems to be inciting on you just when it seems like that cord of sexual tension will finally snap, the push and pull between you finally coming to a head. The only sounds heard in the room are the crickets outside now that the storm has died down and the rapidly growing thumping of your heart and core. Your brain replaying and rewriting that moment with Zach in the kitchen. What if he hadn’t stopped when he had? What if he had succumbed to the obvious desire you reflected back?

There is a moment of hesitation between you; a question before you surge forward at the same time in a bruising kiss. Zach’s tongue begs for entrance and you grant it lightly sucking his bottom lip between yours. A groan similar to that morning while eating breakfast comes out of his mouth before he presses you against the counter and the evidence of his arousal on your hip. His one hand is playing with the bottom hem of your shirt while the other wraps around your lower back; not quite reaching where he wants but respecting boundaries until he requests permission.

“Is this okay?”

Your eyes flicker between his eyes and lips; you grab his hand slowly, never breaking eye contact to move his hand under your shirt until he reaches your breast—“Yes.” He curses rolling his hips into yours squeezing your clothed breast not able to hide the grin at your responsive moan. You impatiently remove your shirt and bra baring yourself under his stare.

“Fuck, these beautiful tits. These beautiful fucking tits.” He returns his hand to your breast using his index and middle finger to pinch and pull at your nipples alternating between the two. His hips grind into yours hitting your clit just right and you’re powerless to fight the whimper crawling up your throat.

The sound of a drawer opening and frantic rustling breaks the silence in the room before you find what you’re looking for. Your soaked pussy begging for attention and you’re hopeless to ignore the ache. All you can hope is Zach is either asleep or too far away to hear the vibrating circles focusing on your clit.

Your fingers run through and pull his hair at his ministrations, his hands smoothing down your back, kneading your ass until he lifts you onto the counter. He grasps the back of your knees to spread you further allowing him space to admire the view of your breasts, smoothing his fingers up and down your thighs. You cup his cheeks and pull him back to your lips, your tongues fighting for dominance and dancing melodically all at once. 

A soft gasp breaks it when you feel Zach’s thumb circling your clit through your thin leggings creating a perfect friction. You could come on this alone until his hand moves to your waistband slipping into your panties to return to your clit rubbing those soft circles.

His middle and index finger trace down your folds to your entrance. “Fuck, you’re so wet. I want you to come for me sweetheart. I want to hear-”

You bite the back of your hand just in time to muffle the moan you let out when you come hard, maintaining feather-like strokes to prolong your high. Your heart beating erratically until you slowly come down evening out your breaths. You open your eyes to blindly find your way to the attached bathroom to clean up and crawl back into bed. Even after relief, sleep still doesn’t come easy.

***

A groan escapes you followed by a yawn while you’re making coffee the next morning. After taking care of your needs last night you only managed to sleep for a few hours before the sun was rising.

“Good morning.”

Zach lazily walks into the kitchen and you fight the giggle at the state of his sleep mussed hair. You yearn to run your fingers through it and your fantasy from last night comes roaring to the surface causing a heat to rise in your cheeks.

You clear your throat and hope he doesn’t notice your internal dilemma. “Do you want breakfast?”

He walks behind you to open the cupboard, pulling two mugs out to fill them up, shaking his head at your question. “Can’t. There’s an estate sale going on today and I thought I might see what they have to bring back here. Now that the groundwork has been laid as far as renovations we’re just about at the point where we can consider a grand opening date.”

Your stomach bottoms out at the thought of an opening date. On the one hand you’re excited because this is what you’ve wanted but on the other hand that puts a deadline on your time with Zach. You must take too long to answer because his hand rubs your shoulder blade and he’s asking if you’re okay.

You get yourself together nodding your head while turning to face him. “Okay. I guess I’ll work outside and get the garden to something you can actually stand to look at.” You hope the lighthearted tone covers the distress on your face and it seems to because he’s already on his way out the door. You had gotten used to this little domestic bubble the two of you lived in, but it wasn’t real.

***

You’ve been working tirelessly all day picking at weeds and turning soil to get prepared for planting. Zach still hasn’t returned from the estate sale so you use this time to go to the plant store for supplies. Your mind wanders to Zach while shopping. Regardless of the fact he is helping you there was never agreement of what would happen afterwards. Logically speaking you would go your separate ways, but that thought made your stomach turn.

You couldn’t deny that you’ve grown feelings for him and the close quarters certainly haven’t aided in your denial since he is there everyday. Those lingering looks and unnecessary touches when passing coffee or tea to each other often made you wonder if he feels the same. That moment you shared in the kitchen has you thinking he does unless it was just the heat of the moment. You were practically almost half naked in front of him and that puts you down a spiral of self doubt of his possible feelings for you.

You’re carrying your bags of supplies opening the front door and pause when you hear loud grunting from multiple men. You kick the door closed and you’re about to panic until you hear Zach’s voice echoing which brings you at ease. “Uh, Zach? Everything okay?”

A curse shoots out and you’re about to walk over to the stairs before you hear Zach protest. “Y-Yeah, we’re good. Just go outside and finish up gardening. We got this.” At his reassurance you start planting some of the flowers you got at the store until dark.

***

You’re sweating like a pig by the time you’re finished and just want to relax when you hear Zach opening the door calling your name. “Wow. This looks amazing. You did a great job out here.” He’s sporting a proud smile on his face and you can’t help but mirror it.

“Thanks.”

He grabs your hand to help you up off the grass while you brush off the dirt from your leggings. “Come on. I have a surprise for you.”

His hand hovers on your lower back directing you to the stairs and tells you to close your eyes. “Surprise? You really expect me to go up these steps without seeing where I’m going?”

He takes a minute to think that through and ultimately grabs your arm to help you up the steps. You want to trace your steps to figure out where you’re going, but you don’t want to ruin whatever has him so excited so you choose to instead ignore it.

The first thing that hits you is the scent of lavender overwhelming your nose and the humidity in the air. Zach permits you to open your eyes and your knees almost buckle at the sight before you in your bathroom. There’s candles strewn about on all the open surfaces and tears blur your vision at what sits in the corner in what used to be an empty space. A clawfoot bathtub.

A throat being cleared brings you back to the present and you don’t think before you crash into him with a crushing hug. “Zach…”

Zach returns your hug bringing one of his hands to rest on the back of your head stroking your hair. “I was at that estate sale and saw it. It was pretty beaten up, but we gave it a fresh paint job to match your bathroom. I-I hope you like the color. It’s no lavender, but it wouldn’t have gone with the color scheme in here.”

Zach reluctantly lets you go and rubs the back of his neck nervously when you’re not having any kind of reaction. You’re too speechless to find the words to describe how cared for you feel right now. How much he cares for you. “Thank you.”

You see how the tension in his shoulders deflates at the confirmation that he did the right thing. “Of course. You work so hard. You deserve to relax.” He tells you to get into the bath before the water gets cold and walks out.

You release a contented sigh and dip deeper into the warmth of the scented bubbles; thinking about that cute brunette waltzing into your life when you desperately needed it. You think back to your earlier self doubt, but this puts that to bed. As kind hearted as he is this wasn’t something you do for just anyone. Maybe, just maybe, he returns your feelings and you’re determined to find out. You must have been in the bath a long time in your thoughts because the water starts to cool, suddenly realizing you didn’t have a change of clothes other than what you wore before you got in. You don’t want to put your clothes back on so you have no choice—

“Zach? Can you grab me some pajamas from my nightstand? I forgot them before I got in.”

“You got it!” Zach bypasses the bathroom and walks into your bedroom shaking the picture perfect visual of you right now. The bubbles being the only thing standing between your soft skin, flushed cheeks from the steam, and—the zipper on his pants never felt so uncomfortable after opening the first drawer. Definitely not that one. Maybe someday. He desperately hopes you let him.

He clears his throat and adjusts his pants, opening the second one to grab a pair of pajamas for you, knocking on the bathroom door to let you know he has them.

“Thanks. You can bring them in.”

You hear the creak of the floorboards from him shifting his weight on the other side and then a pause. “But you’re...taking a bath. I can drop it off in front of the door.”

“The bubbles are covering me. It’s okay. You can bring them.” You find it endearing that he’s so nervous even with the wall separating you. You hear a deep exhale and the knob being turned, his head poking in while covering his eyes.

You can’t control the laugh at his expense. “I said you couldn’t see anything. That’s not necessary.”

Zach clears his throat and you see his adam’s apple bob as he swallows. You don’t need to see his eyes to know the cogs are turning in his head. “I’ll keep them closed.” I won’t be able to fight the urge to join you in that tub and everything that comes with it.

He feels around the bathroom to deposit them on the counter and speeds out of the bathroom.

You think you hear him mumbling under his breath but you can’t make out the words.

You go about your normal nightly routine and head downstairs to Zach making chamomile tea for you both, depositing the mugs on the coffee table in the living room. The two of you sit on the couch consciously scooting closer until your thighs touch, enjoying each other’s company in silence.

You put your mug back on the coffee table and Zach’s arm swings on the back of the couch behind you, not quite touching the back of your neck but close enough to make the hairs stand up anyway. “Thank you. No one’s ever done something like that for me.”

“Anytime. You deserve that, you know? You’ve been working so hard and I know it hasn’t been smooth sailing so you deserve a relaxing moment or two. You can put yourself first sometimes. And you know, you’re not going to be needing me pretty soon so take it while you can. The work is almost done.” Your heart drops at the implication and you decide it’s now or never. When did your mouth get so dry? 

“I-I’m always going to need you.”

Zach’s features soften at your words and you feel his fingers gently stroking your cheek, shifting to cup it. You subconsciously lick your lips bringing his attention to them and his thumb grazes your cheekbone.

“Can I kiss you?”

“Yes.” You’re not even embarrassed at your quick answer. You think you’d say yes to anything he would ask you.

He brings your face close to him, his hot breath tickling your face, and pulls you in for a chaste kiss. He breaks the kiss leaning his forehead against yours and breathes you in. “Fuck, you smell so good.”

“It’s the bubble bath, Zach.”

“Yeah, but it’s also just you. You smelled good before you got in the bath.” You narrow your eyes playfully but if you weren’t already sitting down your knees would have given out.

“I was sweaty and dirty.” 

“It’s just the way you always smell.” You lean your elbow on the back of the couch, laying your cheek on your hand, and raise your eyebrows in false shock.

“I always smell like sweat?”

“What, no. That’s not what I mea-” He realizes you’re teasing him when he sees the smile you’re trying to hide behind your hand, forcing a laugh out of him. “You always bite back at everything I say.”

You close the distance between you with an inviting smile, a whisper away from his lips. “Yeah, but you like it.”

“I do. It’s what I like about you.” His thumb and index finger grasp your chin to pull you back in, but this one is not as chaste as the first kiss. He pulls your jaw down to open your mouth to him and licks into your mouth, massaging his tongue against yours. He releases a groan at your taste and oh—this one is so much better than what you heard in the kitchen. You use the opportunity to nip his bottom lip and he grabs your thighs to pull you into his lap; your hips straddling his until you feel his hardened bulge against your core.

You experimentally roll your hips and smile when he gasps, burying his head in the crook of your neck—his hips chasing yours. “That feel good?”

“Fuck, you know it does.”

You decide to spare him and stop your teasing to start unbuckling his belt, his lips trailing kisses on your neck before biting at your pulse point when you wrap your hand around his cock. He bucks his hips up to meet your slow strokes.

“We can’t do this here.” He whimpers when your thumb smooths over his slit to spread his pre-come and you kiss his ear, suckling his earlobe between your lips.

“Why not?”

He abruptly pulls your hand out of his pants and gently pushes you off of him. He is the perfect picture in front of you and you feel pride at the state you’ve brought him to—his chest heaving, lips swollen from your kissing, all the blood traveling to his cheeks. Well, almost. Your eyes zero in on what must be an obviously uncomfortable erection. 

“Because guests are going to sit here and I don’t think they would appreciate this as much as I am right now. Upstairs. Now.”

You somehow make it upstairs in one piece despite the fumbling of limbs and hungry kisses and your back slams against your bedroom door once you’ve made it to your destination. You lift your shirt up and throw it on the floor followed by the unclasping of your bra before that drops to the floor as well. He grabs your thighs lifting you up to carry you to the bed, his hips pressing into yours on the mattress, pressing one last lingering kiss before shifting off the bed to admire you laid out in front of him.

“You’re beautiful like this.” Even with desire crashing through your veins your heart still flutters at the sentiment, his warm hand wraps around your ankle and rubs up and down your calf.

His hand sets your nerves alight and you conjure up the sweetest smile you can muster. “Hm. Are you going to stare all night? Or-” You open the leg he doesn’t have a hold on and you know he can see the wetness through your shorts if the growl that comes out is anything to go by. 

“Or are you going to do something about this?”

He grips your ankle tighter pulling you towards the edge of the bed and the visual of him kneeling down is a sight you will never forget. His hands grip the waistband of your shorts and slowly pull them down—his eyes meeting yours in a hungry gaze once he throws them over his shoulder.

“No panties?”

You think he’s going to go straight to where you weep for him but he smiles leaning back up to give you a soft kiss on the lips—then another one and shifts back off the bed to his original position. Even in your collective lust he still manages to make your heart skip a beat at his softness.

He grabs your leg and places it over his shoulder peppering kisses up your inner thighs to where you desperately need him. Your eyelashes flutter when he places open mouthed kisses sucking what will surely be bruises you’ll wear with honor tomorrow.

He spreads your folds to reveal your clit and the first kitten lick has your back arching off the bed, the pleasure shooting through your core when he wraps his lips around your clit and sucks. A raspy moan you didn’t even know you were capable of comes out and you grasp his hair pulling while your other hand grips the sheets under you to try to keep yourself grounded—needing something to hold onto or you’d float away. Not yet, not when it feels this good.

Your head shoots up of its own accord when you feel Zach’s finger circling your entrance, his eyes a question if he can continue. You nod and your head falls back down on the pillow; whimpers falling out of your mouth at the feeling of his finger finally pushing into your entrance before adding a second finger. 

You can hear the squelching from how wet you are when he pumps his fingers—in and out slightly picking up speed until he curls his fingers rubbing against that spongy spot of your pussy before pausing his ministrations. You look back down at him in frustration to him sporting a half smirk against your inner thigh.

“That feel good?”

"Shit. You..." You have half a mind to push his head back home for repeating your earlier words back to you, but you wait to be rewarded for your patience.

"You know it d-” Your words are cut off when he pulls your clit back between his lips relentlessly curling his fingers back against your walls. His teeth graze against your clit lightly and the tension in your core snaps, your walls clenching tight around his fingers. You hear a moan from below and he laps up everything you give him until you push his head away when it becomes too much.

You slowly come back down from your high and your fingers curl around the strands of his hair that had fallen over his forehead basking in your post-orgasmic bliss. Zach kisses from your navel back to your lips, pushing his tongue into your open mouth so you can taste yourself. 

“We need to take these off.” You chuckle and play with the hem of his shirt until he raises his arms up so you can lift it up, his golden hued abdomen revealing itself to you and you hear the rustling of his pajama pants and boxers being pulled down his legs to join his shirt on the floor.

You cup his cheeks and roll your hips. He gasps when his erect cock slots between your folds and he peppers kisses on your collarbone. You bring his head back to face yours, kissing his cheeks and lightly stroke his cheekbone. “You’re beautiful.”

His eyes become glassy and he attempts to shift his face to the side to break eye contact but your grip remains firm. “Even the parts you don’t like. Beautiful.”

He crashes his lips against yours pouring all his emotions into it—all the unsaid love he can give and just hope you understand. You trace your fingers starting from his brows making your way up, your nails scratching his scalp, and a release of air comes from his nose before going boneless against you—the weight of him a comfort that he’s here with you before he’s leaning up on his forearm to notch himself at your entrance. “Are you sure?”

You dig your nails into his shoulder blades and lock your ankles over his ass to push him inside. “What do you think? Yes.”

“Just checking.” That boyish grin returns to his face and only then does he slowly inch his cock into your entrance and the sheet next to your head creases from Zach gripping it in restraint—fighting the urge to push himself home all at once. God, he’s big. He rolls his hips until he’s to the hilt and you feel his pubic hair meet your pelvis. You experimentally clench around his cock and smile at the curse that he shoots out at the feeling of you.

“Fuck. Don’t. It’ll be over before it starts if you keep that up, sweetheart.” He doesn’t move—savoring the feeling of being inside of you that wasn’t in the form of his imagination.

You mouth at his ear, nipping his earlobe lightly and whisper. “Move.”

He looks down at you with a smirk calling you impatient. “Oh, shut-” You’re interrupted by your own moan when he picks up his thrusts.

“Shit, you’re so wet—so hot around me. Can you hear how your perfect pussy takes me?” He punctuates his words with hard thrusts and you’re not even embarrassed about the squelching sounds in the room your arousal leaking down to the crack of your ass. He grabs the back of your knees and pushes them towards your chest—his thrusts going even deeper than before.

“Fuck, you feel so good—so fucking good.”

You feel the softness of his hair moving down to your chest and you let out a moan when you feel his hot mouth wrap around one of your nipples, his tongue flicking around it making you arch your back in response. He presses an open-mouthed kiss to your sternum before switching to your other breast but not without pinching the nipple that stands at attention for him.

You feel the tightening in your core build higher and higher but not enough to throw you over the edge. Zach must sense it because you watch him grab the back of your knees and lift your legs over his shoulders—the weight of his body leaning against the back of your thighs so he can lick his thumb—a whimper releasing from you at the lewd display of his tongue before he brings it down to your clit rubbing circles. You buck your hips to meet his thrusts as best you can with your position and your pussy clenches around him when your orgasm surges through you making you sob out his name.

“Shit. So tight. So fucking perfect for me.” His hips stutter as he tries to reach his release until you feel hot ropes of come paint the inside of your walls, his hips turning into a slow grind to ride out his high. He presses his face into the crook of your neck and his lips press light kisses on your throat. “That was-”

“Yeah.” You don’t even hide the satisfied smile that is surely taking up your whole face. You almost whine at the emptiness when Zach pulls out and lays next to you, your collective pants filling the room. You felt too sated to move so you close your eyes and listen to your slowing heartbeat.

You feel the sheets moving from under you as Zach shifts his weight. “You got one more in you?” 

“Hmm?” It takes you a few seconds to catch onto what he said, your eyes still closed when you hear your nightstand drawer open and rustling, followed by a gentle buzzing sounding in the room. He makes you come two more times after that with his fingers and the vibrator all while whispering praise into your ear of how good you feel and he’ll never get enough of how you feel when you clench around his cock. How he never wants to stop.

***

The sun delicately making itself known through the curtains wakes you up and you feel a weight on your waist. The night before comes back to you when you feel a welcomed ache between your thighs, a reminder of your activities. You trace your fingers along the arm that is wrapped around your middle and you hear a tired sigh from behind followed by a croaky good morning from Zach.

“Good morning.” He grabs your hand so he can play with your fingers and you nearly cry at the intimacy of the moment. How different everything is compared to a few months ago; a relationship that wasn’t making you happy, the loss of your parents, and the lack of purpose you felt in your life.

“Are you happy? We’re almost done.”

You release a deep sigh at the sad interruption of the moment. “Happy to be done with the stress. Not happy because I won’t have a reason to keep you here.” Zach’s fingers clasp your chin and slightly turns your face to kiss you and then kiss your shoulder.

“You don’t need one.” His response muffled by his lips still pressed against your shoulder.

You turn around in his hold and ask the question that has been plaguing you for months. “What if you stayed?”

A furrow forms between his brows and you run your thumb along it to release the tension. “What if you just worked here….with me? As partners. You could keep everything in working order and I can make french toast and we’d do it. Together.”

Zach pauses his strokes on your waist and you inwardly panic that he’s going to reject you.

“Yeah.” 

You release the breath you weren’t aware you were holding at his answer. “Yeah?” Your vision starts to blur as tears fall down your cheek and bury your head where his neck meets his shoulder.

“Together. I did do most of the work after all.” You raise your head up to fight him on that statement but you soften at the loving look in his eyes when you meet them.

“Kiss me?” The emotions you’re feeling are so overwhelming that the question just barely breaches the surface, but in the stillness of the room he hears you.

Zach’s fingers clasp under your chin to bring you close to his face—his steady breaths through his nose tickling your upper lip until your lips meet in a soft kiss. You lick at his lips requesting access and he grants it before leaning over you. You feel your soft linen sheets slide off your naked body and you open your legs to allow his hips to slot against yours—his morning erection making itself known.

“Fuck, you’re already wet for me?”

***

You’re at the front desk going through your list of errands for the day when you feel a presence behind you and a kiss on your neck. “All booked?”

You tilt your head up to allow him to continue his ministrations and your cheeks begin to hurt from how wide your smile is. “Almost. Just one more empty room so we’ll see how today goes.” You turn around and give him a chaste kiss on his lips; a contrast to the assault he did on your neck seconds ago.

You grab his shoulder and push him away from the front desk but not before delivering a slap on his ass. “Now get back to work, Wellison.” He salutes you with a grin and turns to leave to deal with whatever needs fixing. You never did get used to that.

You hear the door chime and you turn to face your possible customers with a genuine smile. “Good morning! Welcome to-“

Taglist: @pedros-mustache @sharkbait77

[symphonic-scream]

Do the guardians have any family? Like, did they react to learning their kid/sibling was a guardian and stuff or are they just non existent.

Oh I have full families lined up for all of them! They were all just random kids, and when they had their magic testing at like, age 6, all 13 showed high magic potential, which brought them in for the Guardian evaluation and shit

As for families-

Dante has his mom, Julietta, an auditor, and his younger sister, 14 year old Irene. Julietta has no magic, but her uncle had a small bit, though she wasn't expecting her son to have so much. Her husband left them when Dante was named a Guardian, so she's a single mom. She worries about her son, and what his fate means, but she doesn't let him know that. She shows him her full support

Aisha was given up at birth. Her birth mother didn't want to be pregnant, didn't want a child, so she tried to sneak out of the hospital. Two kind strangers took notice and offered to adopt baby Aisha, those people being Emmanuel and Hestia, Zach's birth parents. That's right, fuckers, they're adopted siblings! Hestia did die when they were young, and Emmanuel, an English professor, raised them both. He is a big fan of them both being Guardians, claiming Fate has given them blessed cards

Rowen's got her dad, Doug- a contractor -, mom Elise- works at a day care - and her younger twin brothers, Caster and Henry, age 8. Doug does not like the Guardian program, especially since Rowen lives away from home so much. He almost resents it, and ends up making Rowen believe she's done something to change his opinion of her in the process. It's okay, she tells herself, there are another set of parents that treat her as their own

Maria has her dad, Daniel, mom Naomi, and twin sister Laura! Her mom is a civil lawyer, and her dad is an architect, though he was a stay at home dad when she and Laura were young. Both parents were apprehensive about the program, especially since Maria is not really, a fighter type, but they want to support her, as much as they support academic Laura. Who also has no magic.

Hugo is also adopted, and has two mother's. Penelope, an editor for a publishing firm, and Kiara, a dancer. They're not stoked about the program, and actiavely uproot their lives to be closer to Hugo, so they can stay with him as he trains, to be at his side until the day he has to go out on his own

Tiao is another only child. His mother, Si Yu, is a personal Trainor, and his dad Zimo is a translator. Neither really care for the program, they love their son, though he is a total handful, and having this outlet for him is good in their eyes. His dad, specifically, believes that this was set for him before birth, that this was who he was always meant to be.

Korain is a special case. His parents are divorced over a dispute, and his dad remarried. Trevor, his dad, is a tech consultant, and his wife Rhiannon, does not work. He has two step siblings, Ryder and Hayleigh. Korain doesn't visit home, stays at his training grounds full time, he wants to find out why his mother left him with his "good for nothing" father.

Kayla's another, complicated case. Her bio dad is in prison for, well, assault. Against her mom. She was raised by her step dad Jamieson, a geography teacher, along with her half brother Giorgio, age 12. Her mother died of cancer a while back, and is why she dyes her hair pink. Jamieson stays close by, keeps her room ready for her. He loves her so much, and hopes nothing will ever crush her strong will. He trusts the program, he trusts Kayla, but he worries. He doesn't want to lose her too.

For Zach, see Aisha's lmao I'm not typing that out twice

Cameron's mom left a while back, a mix of him coming out and the stuff with the Guardianship. He was raised by his uncle Charlie and his dad Fabre, both mechanics. Fabre wants his son to be happy, able to be himself, and fully supports everything Cam wants, even if he doesn't agree with it.

Torren's moms are bakers, and own their own bakery. Drew and Winona adore their son, but fear how his power could lead to harming him. Drew is uneasy about him having to fight, but Winona knows it's best for their aggressive boy. They visit often, and send him dough and breads whenever they can't get over to visit him

Alexandria has four parents. Her mom, Amber, a news anchor, married her best friend Niko, a stage actor, cause they thought they were in love. Turned out Niko was gay. They both remarried, Amber to Knox, a man from Niko's stage troupe, and Niko to Layton, a therapist. She has a younger half brother, Frederick, who's 6. All four are fully supportive, and go as far as offering to house the other 12 when they're in the area. They especially adore Rowen, and already consider her a part of the family

Ishan is the youngest of 8 siblings, the closest to his age being 7 years older. He doesn't get along with any of them, since they all saw him as the little firestarter they had to look out for rather than have fun. His parents didn't want to let him enter the program, but he snuck out to go to his testing, and now he rarely sees his family. He wishes they were still close.

Anyways there you go

[the-book-queen]

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[bcmbdiggty]

𝐳𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐡 𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐧 𝐬𝐨𝐭𝐨 /  task001

basics .

name :  zachariah  quinn  soto . nicknames :  zach . birth date :  july 29th , 1965 . gender :  cis  male . pronouns :  he / him . ethnicity :    biracial . nationality :  american . hometown :  san francisco ,  california ,  usa . demigod abilities :  eternal youth ,  archery expertise ,  enhanced physical prowess ,  zoolingualism . cabin number & godly parent :  cabin  8 ,  artemis . how did their godly parent meet their mortal parent? : how he met artemis:  he found himself at a deforestation protest, chained to a tree and shouting to prevent the contractors from giving the go head to clear the woods. a lot of animals lived there & he decided that they shouldn’t take that away from them. he was about ready to go down with the tree he was attached to when artemis had approached him, explaining herself and offering him a deal. he’s accepted that he would get to essentially hang out with the hunt until artemis no longer wants him around. 

muse  appearance .

faceclaim :  chance  perdomo . height :  5′10″ hair colour :  brown . eye colour :  brown . dominant hand :  right  handed . distinguishing features : .  always had on thin wire framed glasses ,  bright, energetic smile ,  there’s a small scar on the side of his hand one time from target practice gone wrong . dress style :  . bright colors ,  fancy button ups ,  acid  wash  jeans  from  time  to  time ,  just  denim  man ,  always  has  his  windbreaker  from  the  actual  80s ,  other times  he’s wearing  boots  &  softer  more  neutral  colors  when  artemis  is  around  camp  or  he’s  doing  something  for  the  hunters .

camp - related .

go - to  weapon :  a little hunting knife, but is also very skilled with a bow and arrow. ambrosia :  rocky  road  ice  cream . favourite camp location :  the  strawberry  fields . their opinion of their godly parent :  he  thinks  she’s  the  bombdiggity .  when  he  met  her  he  had  immediately  looked away ,  out  of  both  respect  and  fear ,  but  was  kindly  surprised  with  her  kindness towards  him .  he  appreciates  that  she  likes  him  enough  to  keep  him  around  as  her  own  personal  assistant ,  and  he  really  doesn’t  mind  it  at  all .   age they were claimed : he  took  his  own  version  of  the  oath  at  22 . how they were claimed :  artemis gave  him  a  brief  ultimatum  to  take  the  offer  while  he  was  chained  to  a  tree  and  he  immediately  said  yes .  his  parents  had  both  passed  away  when  he  was  young  and  ever  since  he  turned  18  he  was  living  on  his  own ,  so  he  thought  even  if  she  only  kept  him  around  for  a  week ,  it  wouldn’t  be  something  he  regrets . stance on the new cabins : for  the  new  cabins . reason for their stance :   why  not  have  the  new  cabins ?  he’s  been  there  long  enough  to  see  people  come  and  go  and  sees  camp  as  a  space  to  call  home ,  so  why  shouldn’t  everyone  have  their  place . their opinion on lyssa pentelute : as  strange  as  it  is ,  he  wishes  he  had  done  more  for  her .  zach  makes  an  effort  to  be  friendly  to  everyone ,  because  he’s  seen  the  other  side  of  it ,  so  he  tries  to  make  a  difference  and  feels  like  if  he  had  tried  to  be  a  better  friend  then  she  wouldn’t  be  quite  the  way  she  is  today . quests :  yeah ,  he  thinks  they’re  exciting .  writes  about  them  like  they’re  adventures  in  his  journal . 

personality .

positive traits :  adventurous,  resourceful ,  empathetic . negative traits :   insecure ,  gullible ,  stubborn . mbti :  tbd . alignment :  neutral good . hogwarts house :  gryffindor . kinsey scale :  undecided . archetype : self:  innocent child - naive but a breath of new life and fresh ideas ; persona: wise old man - Stoic and contemplative - wise but in no hurry . what candle scent are they :  cinnamon spiced vanilla . goals & desires : his  one  desire  is  to  make  a  difference  in  the  world ,  so  he’s  thankful  that  artemis  gave  him  more  time  to do  that .  fears : not  being  enough . hobbies :  researching  things  he  thinks  are  cool  and  important ,  talking  to  people ,  listening  to  music . habits :  he’s  painfully  attached  to  his  80s  slang ,  tries  not  to  use  it  if  he  knows  what  he’s  doing  but  it  slips .

[hbhughes]

Robert L. Taylor

Robert L. Taylor, 94, of Wesley Village in Jenkins Township, passed into eternal life on October 11, 2020. He was born in Forty Fort, Pennsylvania, on November 28, 1925, the third son of the late George R. Taylor and Edith May Adams Taylor. 

He is survived by seven children. Susan (Rick) Reese, Deborah (Gene) Kelleher, Amy (Brian) Story, Janet (Tim) Van Sant, Judith (Nick) Sborlini, Nancy (Brett) Cole, and Laura (Stephen) Melis; Eighteen grandchildren, Morgan Reese, Katie (David) Ripley, Erika (Zach) Zolman, Kristyn (Tim) Polishan, Sean (Diana) Kelleher, Erin (Steve) Palmer, Robert (Corina) Manfre, Wesley (Liz) Manfre, Taylor (Sabrina) Manfre, Matthew (Carlie) Story, Kathryn (Jay) Merrill, Rachael (Andrew) Schompert, Taylor (Kristie) VanSant, Nicholas Sborlini, Elizabeth Cole, Margaret Cole, Mary Kate Cole, and Zachary Cole; Twenty-three great grandchildren, sisters-in-law Jeanne Brace and Judy (Dick) Wolfe, many nieces, nephews, and friends.  

He was predeceased by his beloved wife of 47 years, Elen Jane (Goss) Taylor, daughter Rebecca (Bernard) Manfre, brothers, George A. Taylor and Harold E. Taylor, and longtime friend, Kay Cavanaugh.

Mr. Taylor was a graduate of Forty Fort High School (class of 1943) and attended Penn State Extension and Bucknell Extension.  He was a veteran of World War II, attaining the rank of Acting First Sergeant, and serving in the Philippine Theater of Operations on the 2885th Engineer Floating Power Plant.

He was a partner in George R. Taylor & Sons, General Contractors, from 1946 until 1979. Of the many buildings erected, his most enjoyable builds were the Church of Christ Uniting, Kingston, Pa., and St. Joseph’s Church, Hazelton, Pa.

His entrepreneur spirit led him to design, build, and own the Muhlenburg Country View Golf Course in 1966, create the Taylor Springs Water Company in 1981, and establish the Taylor Sisters Bed and Breakfast in 1995.  Additionally, he completed a life-long goal of obtaining his pilot’s license at the age of 72 and enjoyed many flights in his Piper Cherokee, often to visit his children.

He devoted many hours to his community, serving on the Forty Fort Borough Council from 1962 until 1973, as council president for ten of those years, and more recently, on the Board at Wesley Village.  He was an active member of the Forty Fort United Methodist Church serving on its Official Board, Administrative Board, and as a Trustee.  He also delivered Meals on Wheels for many years.

His fraternal organization membership included the Masonic Lodge 395 Kingston, WB Chapter 182, WB Commandery No. 45, Irem Temple Shrine, Royal Order of Jesters No. 154, Kiwanis Club of WB (President in 1981 and Lt. Governor of Division 15, earning distinguished awards for both of those positions).  He was a past member of the Royal Order of Moose, West Pittston, American Legion Post 644, Swoyersville, and the Wyoming Valley Historical Society.

The funeral service of this much-loved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, brother, uncle, and friend will be held on Saturday, October 17th, at 11 a.m., at the Forty Fort United Methodist Church, Wyoming and Yeager Ave, Forty Fort, with his pastor Michael Stine, officiating.  The interment will be in the Benscoter Cemetery, Hunlock Creek, Pa.  

Friends may call from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., on Friday, October 16th, at the Forty Fort United Methodist Church, Yeager Avenue, Forty Fort, and at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of service. As per CDC guidelines, masks and social distancing are required.

Memorial contributions can be made to the Forty Fort United Methodist Church Scholarship Fund or Memorial Fund, 26 Yeager Ave, Forty Fort, PA 18704.

The family would like to thank Hospice of the Sacred Heart and Wesley Village Personal Care for their compassion and support.

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What to expect when you sign up with a temp agency

As more and more corporations struggle to fill roles, they are turning to temp agencies to find qualified candidates. Sometimes it’s to alleviate some of the strain of an overworked staff; other times it might be to cover a worker who is on leave. Regardless, temp jobs could be a great opportunity for you to test the waters of a job or career without committing to a full-time position. That said, if you happen to have a positive experience temping for a company, it may wind up turning into something more permanent when the circumstances allow.

Another upside: Temp jobs exist in plenty of industries and roles. “Staffing companies have a wide-ranging list of clients and can be your foot in the door for an interview at a company you haven’t had luck with on your own,” says Elaine M. Damm, CEO of ACCU Staffing Services, which specializes in temporary and temp-to-perm placements.

If you’re thinking of pursuing temporary work, it’s important to understand how the process works and how to maximize temp jobs. Start with this guide.

What is a temp?

You’ve probably heard the term “gig economy” for a while now, but temp work is something totally different. Gig work refers to freelancing, for which you’re an independent contractor. When you get work through a temp agency, however, you’re technically an employee who gets a W-2 form.

“When you’re working with an temp agency, you don’t have to go out and find next positions, and you don’t have to invoice or worry about taxes,” says Zach Woodruff, director of interim services for The Roman Healthcare Group, a Sanford Rose company.

How it works: Companies hire a temp agency to find them people who can fill roles for a short, set period of time. In the meantime, the temp agency interviews job candidates and tries to match them with the appropriate clients.

The interview is designed to determine your top skills and work preferences so that the agency places you accordingly. At that point, you’ll usually get a work assignment agreement or contract to get started. “It will state the pay rate, the per diem rate, travel expenses, and anything along those lines,” says Woodruff.

You do want to watch the fine print, however. “A lot of firms and contract agencies require the candidate to sign a contract that states they’ll only work with that agency,” says Woodruff. And some agencies may try to charge you a placement fee, which is generally a red flag. Do some research to find out what is typical for your field, and to make sure that you’re working with a reputable temp agency. (The American Staffing Association is a great resource.)

The other thing to keep in mind with temp work is that the length of your work assignment will vary. For Woodruff, the majority of his temp workers fill 13-week roles.

Advantages of temp agency work

“Temporary work assignments can be a great way to gain experience in different industries and work environments,” says Damm. For recent graduates especially, it can help you to identify your strengths and weaknesses as you evaluate your next career move, she adds.

Here are some other benefits of temp work:

It can be a resume builder. Temp work might give you the opportunity to build skills you wouldn’t otherwise be exposed to if you were just taking on a permanent position, says Woodruff.

It allows you some flexibility. For certain types of temp work, especially in fields like health care, you can choose to work for a certain period of time and then take a break before starting another assignment.

You might discover a new passion. “I had a candidate take a summer position in Cape Cod who said she definitely didn’t want to be there in the winter,” says Woodruff. But she ended up loving it so much that she not only accepted an extension, but it turned into a permanent position.

You won’t have to deal with the politics of a full-time role. Sometimes in permanent positions, there are a lot of internal factors at play that prevent you from advancing, says Woodruff. With contract work, you’re just there to do a job and get it done as best as possible, drama free.

How to be a successful temp

For starters, be open to the positions that are available. “The more flexible a candidate is to work, the more available assignments there are,” Woodruff says. Even if you’re at a higher level, sometimes candidates enjoy getting back to the basics of doing the work they haven’t done in years, he adds.

And once you start a temp job, there’s no time to be shy. “You are only there for a limited amount of time so you need to make the most of it,” Woodruff says. In order to make an immediate impact, you need to be able to communicate and relate to all types of people.

How to go from temp to permanent

Many temp agency positions can become permanent, says Damm. In fact, some companies purposely use temp agencies so they can do a trial run with candidates before offering them full-time work. “Temporary associates should always be mindful of this and show the company they are an asset that should be considered for permanent employment,” she adds.

It’s also important to communicate regularly with your agency so they understand your short- and long-term goals. That way, if your aim is to come away with a permanent job, they can place you in jobs that have the most permanent potential.

Keep in mind that should a company become interested in hiring you full-time, they will have to do it through the agency. Typically, they must pay the agency a fee to release you so you can start working directly for the company.

One important thing worth noting, however, is that when you go from temp to perm, you might actually take a pay cut, says Woodruff. “Contractors should be getting paid more on contract positions than they would get paid for permanent. That’s the case across all niches,” he says.

However, the other benefits and opportunities that only full timers get (like longer-term job security, more comprehensive health insurance, a pension plan, and paid time off) can make up the difference.

Job search next steps

If your traditional job search is lagging, or if you’re ready to try something now, pursuing temp agency work could be a good move. Not only can it help fill your income gap, but you can get a chance to test out different types of work with fewer strings attached. Want some help getting started? Join Monster for free today. As a member, you can upload up to five versions of your resume—each tailored to the types of temp jobs that interest you. Recruiters search Monster every day looking to fill top jobs with qualified candidates, just like you. So roll up your sleeves and get let Monster help you get started on the temp trail today!