#i really miss kevin

[this-is-a-podcast-fanblog]

Do Fink or Cranor even remember that Welcome to Desert Bluffs exists? Do they ever go through their desks and find a crumpled old piece of the Mudstone Abyss script, chuckle quietly, and toss it away with the fleeting thought of “I don’t need the physical script anymore, it’s all on the computer.” Do they awaken in the dead of night to hear a rustling in the wastebin, a slight scratching that could just be some irritating critter, and throw off the covers thinking ugh, now I have to call the exterminator, maybe I can catch it and take it outside, and go to retrieve whatever thing is under the fluttering scrap of paper, only to feel a searing burn as their hand touches the first few words? To turn and gaze out the window and find that what was once an inky night, mostly void, partially stars, has instead been turned into the brilliance of a cloudless midsummer day in an open field of mirrors, with the slight twinge of staring directly into a solar eclipse? Do they see blood on the walls, and a smile in the mirror that is not their smile, and as they try to throw away the still rustling paper, as they try to burn it along with the other scripts, the ones now raining from a suddenly-outdoor sky, are their hands grappling for desperately needed items just out of reach? I hope so. I hope that in this place, my voice will be with them. I hope I can tell them, “Remember what you have forgotten. Remember what you have forgotten. Remember what you have forgotten.” Do you think they feel regret? 

[alasarys]

Recommended books for the drivers from BookPeople, Austin, Texas (insta)

Daniel Ricciardo: Friday Night Lights – "... every Friday night from September to December, when the Permian High School Panthers play football, this West Texas town becomes a place where dreams can come true."

Lando Norris: Assassin's Apprentice – "Fitz ... must give up his old ways and embrace a new life of weaponry, scribing, courtly manners; and how to kill a man secretly, as he trains to become a royal assassin."

Alex Albon: My Brilliant Friend – "... a rich, intense and generous-hearted story about two friends ... a touching meditation on the nature of friendship."

Logan Sargeant: Once Upon a Time in Hollywood – "hilarious, delicious, and brutal"

Yuki Tsunoda: A Cook's Tour – "the unpredictable adventures of America's boldest and bravest chef."

Carlos Sainz: Great American Golf Stories – "some of the best classic writings, both fact and realistic fiction, that reflect the rich history, tradition, agony, and ecstasy of one of our most enduring and endearing pastimes."

Oscar Piastri: Iona Iverson's Rules for Commuting – "It turns out that talking to strangers can teach you about the world around you--and even more about yourself."

Lance Stroll: Infinite Jest – "Set in an addicts' halfway house and a tennis academy, and featuring the most endearingly screwed-up family to come along in recent fiction, Infinite Jest explores essential questions about what entertainment is and why it has come to so dominate our lives; about how our desire for entertainment affects our need to connect with other people; and about what the pleasures we choose say about who we are."

Charles Leclerc: Every Good Boy Does Fine – "[Denk] reminds us that we must never stop asking questions about music and its purposes: consolation, an armor against disillusionment, pure pleasure, a diversion, a refuge, and a vehicle for empathy."

Lewis Hamilton: The Boy with a Bird in his Chest – "A heartbreaking yet hopeful novel about the things that make us unique and lovable, The Boy with a Bird in His Chest grapples with the fear, depression, and feelings of isolation that come with believing that we will never be loved, let alone accepted, for who we truly are, and learning to live fully and openly regardless."

Max Verstappen: Atomic Habits – "Atomic Habits will reshape the way you think about progress and success, and give you the tools and strategies you need to transform your habits--whether you are a team looking to win a championship ..."

Zhou Guanyu: A Visible Man – "When Edward Enninful became the first Black editor-in-chief of British Vogue, few in the world of fashion wanted to confront how it failed to represent the world we live in. But Edward, a champion of inclusion throughout his life, rapidly changed that."

Pierre Gasly: Misery – "He's a bestselling novelist who has finally met his biggest fan. Her name is Annie Wilkes and she is more than a rabid reader – she is Paul's nurse, tending his shattered body after an automobile accident. But she is also his captor, keeping him prisoner in her isolated house."

Valtteri Bottas: Foundryside – "To have a chance at surviving ... Sancia will have to marshal unlikely allies ... and undergo her own transformation ..."

Fernando Alonso: The House of the Spirits – "an enthralling saga that spans decades and lives, twining the personal and the political into an epic novel of love, magic, and fate."

Kevin Magnussen: The Daily Dad – "366 Meditations on Parenting, Love, and Raising Great Kids"

Sergio Perez: Bad Feminist – "an inspiring call-to-arms of all the ways we still need to do better"

Building on the excellent work by @vegasgrandprix and @kritischetheologie

[jtl-fics]

Fluent Freshman - Part 24

PREVIOUS

“What do you MEAN Smithy is in the hospital with a stab wound to his stomach?!” Nicky’s own voice is agony for his hangover but honestly, how the fuck else was he supposed to respond when he had asked Andrew where FF was and gotten that as a response.

“Calm down.” Andrew says and he looks tired, looks stressed, and maybe even just…a touch nervous?

Nicky isn’t as good as Neil at reading Andrew Minyard. He doesn’t think anyone will ever be as fluent in the language of Andrew Minyard as Neil Josten but Nicky has picked up some key phrases.

He can see when he’s making a joke that is a step too far. He can see when his cousin wants to kiss Neil but is holding back. He can see when his cousin is stressed.

He can see a guilty curve to Andrew’s spine.

“Andrew, answer me honestly, did you stab my sweet baby freshman?” Nicky asks and he’s not sure if the nausea he feels anymore is from horror or from the sheer number of drinks he had put in his system the night before.

Roland usually cuts him off before he gets this level.

Roland also has a habit of pouring heavier when he’s stressed.

Roland also also tends to make complicated fruity drinks that Nicky likes when he’s stressed.

Andrew’s jaw tenses but it’s Neil who speaks up, “It was an accident. It happened during a fight.” Neil says and Nicky throws his hands up in the air.

“You got into a FIGHT with my sweet baby freshman? Sweet little Smithy? The boy who made brownies that made me feel kinda straight for a dead woman?!” Nicky exclaims and sees Andrew and Neil open their mouths to say something but, “I promised him that if he wanted I’d get him something hard that’d mess his GUTS up but this isn’t what I MEANT.” He lets himself collapse dramatically over the table.

“Nicky, shut up!” Kevin hisses from his spot on the couch.

“When the fuck did Kevin get here?!” Because seriously, how fucked up was Nicky last night that he doesn’t remember Kevin coming on this Columbia trip? Where’d he sit? He couldn’t really remember coming over after Thanksgiving. Had Andrew put Kevin in the trunk? Had Andrew put Nicky in the trunk?

“He came with Wymack.” Neil cut in before Nicky started testing reality. “Wymack is at the hospital since he’s…uh…he’s the…”

“Medical Power of Attorney” Andrew answers.

“Yes! Thank you, the Medical power of attorney for Smith. He needed surgery and Wymack wanted to be nearby in case he had to make any pressing decisions.” Neil explains and yeah that tracks, he knows a little bit about FF’s family and knows that aside from his grandma on his dad’s side the rest can go take a long walk off a short volcano observation platform

“Okay, that explains why Kevin is here….how?! Despite all of the unwarranted advice, Kevin is not a medical professional.” Nicky says before turning to Kevin, “So Kevin, what insane Exy-related reason are you here? Don’t lie and say it’s because you want to sign the get well soon card.” He hisses.

“Fuck you!” Kevin spits, “I need to know how long Smiths is going to be out of commission and what his PT is going to look like. He was supposed to be starting during the spring season.” Kevin growls.

“There it is!” Nicky throws up his hands.

“Nicky, just calm down!” Neil pleads.

“How can I stay calm? Andrew stabbed Smithy! So not only is my favorite freshman in the hospital Andrew’s going to end up back on those god forsaken meds again!” Nicky shouts and buries his face in his hands.

“Smith isn’t going to say that.” Andrew’s voice is calm but Nicky can hear the slight edge.

“Oh yeah?” Nicky asks because he could see FF promising to never mention who stabbed him if Andrew would just spare his life. FF was going to be even MORE of a disaster when it came to his anxiety around Andrew. Nicky wouldn’t be surprised if his friend just straight up dropped out after this. His cousin is safe but he’s absolutely going to lose his friend.

“Because he’s saying Romero Malcolm stabbed him.” Andrew finishes.

Nicky sits up.

“Wait, what?” Nicky asks.

“Last night Romero Malcolm was at Eden’s.” Neil says voice even in a way that lets Nicky know that he’s trying to stay calm, “Smith recognized him, heard he wanted to grab,” Neil swallows thickly, “…grab one of my friends and saw them looking at…” Neil trails off and looks to Andrew who shakes his head, “…around for someone to grab.” Neil seems to decide and Nicky knows when something is being hidden from him but he’s more interested in the story than what Neil is hiding at the moment, “He got Romero’s attention so that he wouldn’t do anything bad in Eden’s and let Roland know to call help. He went out alone into the alley but Romero didn’t follow him.” Neil explains.

“Oh thank god.” Nicky sighs.

“Because he’d alerted Jackson Plank was lying in wait to ambush him.” Neil continues.

“Oh dear god.” Nicky exclaims.

“He uh…” Neil looks to Andrew who shakes his head again, “okay we don’t know exactly HOW Smith managed to do it but he beat Jackson up pretty bad.” Neil explains.

Nicky feels his brain stop working.

He has watched FF trip over his own feet, walk into four different trees, and almost sprain his ankle walking across a flat surface. He knows FF has been watching self-defense videos and had even gotten some pointers from Matt but even Matt had told him his better bet was probably just to yell “WOW WHAT’S THAT OVER THERE?!”, point behind the attacker, and run as fast as humanly possible away from a fight.

Neil is still talking.

Nicky boots back up quickly.

“…a gun. He tackled Romero into Andrew and Andrew’s knife ended up in Smith’s stomach on accident while they were wrestling for the gun. Smith is the one who said he’s going to tell everyone who asks that it was Romero. He even said it to me.” Neil says with an awkward laugh.

“And you believed him.” Andrew says and there’s warmth in his cousin’s eyes as he looks at Neil and teases him.

“And I believed him.” Neil confirms.

“Okay, so you swear to me that you did not INTENTIONALLY stab my BFF?” Nicky asks looking at Andrew seriously.

“BFF, seriously?” Kevin asks.

“Best Freshman Friend.” Nicky answers quickly, “Don’t worry Kevin, you lose out to Matt in all regards for my Best Senior Friend.” He says.

Kevin just flips him off but Nicky turns his attention back to Andrew, “Andrew, I need to hear it.” He says .

“I did not intentionally stab Smith.” Andrew confirms.

Nicky lets the horrified nausea leave him with only his hangover nausea.

“Okay, we can work with that.”  Nicky leans back. “Have you heard from that Agent?” he asks looking at Neil.

Neil nods but then looks nervous and shoots a look towards Kevin, “The FBI is sending Browning and a field office agent to talk with us but…Ichirou also contacted me.” He says and Nicky watches as Kevin perks up.

“He did?!” Kevin squawks looking around like he expected the head of the Moriyama family to appear from the shadows.

“He wants to make sure we do our part to keep the Moriyama name out of this. He is going to deal with Romero and Jackson himself.” Neil says looking nervous.

Nicky clenches his eyes shut, “Well you’re not going to mention them right?” he hears Kevin ask.

“Of course not Kevin.” Nicky hears Andrew hiss.

“Good.” Kevin says.

There’s silence in the wake of Neil’s statement.

Nicky takes a deep breath and wishes his head was a little less agonizing. “Why aren’t we at the hospital to see Smithy?” he asks because he has nothing he can do about Ichirou so he may as well put it out of his mind.

There is some grumbling.

“Wymack said that he’ll just make us sit in the waiting room without any updates.” Neil says. “We’re picking up Smith’s grandma from the airport and she’s our ticket to getting an actual update beyond ‘not dead yet’ from Wymack.” He adds.

“What, you really can’t get updates without Wymack?” Nicky asks.

Andrew looks at Nicky and Nicky can’t read a single thing his cousin is thinking.

“What’s Smith’s first name Nicky.” Andrew asks.

“Oh God fucking Dammit.” Nicky’s head hurts too bad for this.

MASTERPOST FOR ALL PARTS OF FLUENT FRESHMAN AU

NEXT

Per your requests:

@i-have-three-feelings

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The requests to be added to the tag list keep being spread out across a few different areas. If I missed you please just ask again in the replies I promise I just missed you.

As stated before if you’re up here and I spelled it right but you didn’t get a notification there might be something switched around in your settings that won’t let me tag you properly?

[joooonbug]

our resident orange cat and golden retriever <3

[tea-cat-arts]

Mihoyo may have forgotten Su is just as big a nerd as Bronya and Kosma, but I sure haven’t.

Really feels like missed comedic potential though. Like, maybe they could’ve had Su desperately trying to hide that he actually gets Kosma and Bronya’s references, but he keeps having to translate for them, so everyone else is slowly catching on to Su (meanwhile Kevin knows damn well about Su’s mech phase and is desperately trying not to laugh at him). Or maybe have Su be like one of those anime nerds that was really into Akira and other older anime and tries to bond with them over it, but he hasn’t seen anything that was made in like the past 15 years so all his references are incredibly outdated.

Or for other occupation related humor, he could just have extensive knowledge of poisons and dangerous chemicals that just comes up in casual conversation and concerns everyone else around him. Or give him a sorta back and forth with Vill-V on what would or wouldn’t kill a man, but in like the most casual/deadpan tone

I haven’t really thought about this point well enough to articulate it well, but you can derive comedy from someone just being enthusiastically nice. The best example I can think of this is Tanjiro from Demon Slayer

Idk, it just feels like Mihoyo just doesn’t really know what to do with Su a lot of the time

[queer-lovebot]

i need more of heartthrob kevin

i can imagine him getting into a fight with a guy in the parking lot of a grocery store and the guy goes from thinking "god this guy is a fucking asshole" and "i swear im about to punch him in the face" to "god his eyes are so green" and "did he just insult me in french, holy shit that was hot" and then "he would look so pretty bent over my desk-"

AHHHH Yes OP you get it!!! It’s the Kevin Day Effect it’s bad it’s terrible. Men in Kevin’s lectures can’t stand to be around him bc they get hard when he corrects them. Retail workers would be so angrily horny they’d have to close early. One time the team went to some fancyish restaurant for a victory dinner and he sent his food back twice for something wrong with it and the waiter AND cook still offered their numbers to him on the back of the receipt.

The thing is that Kevin Does eventually catch on, but only because Andrew tells him to Quit It. Kevin ofc has no idea what he’s talking about, but then he starts paying attention. There’s a timeline: He and some asshole fight at least twice in class before the guy is trying to proposition him, usually under the guise of studying or an apology dinner. It both flatters him terribly and pisses him off. Kevin tries to keep from starting fights with anyone outside of the Foxes and only gets a week in because he sucker punches some guy at a game and IMMEDIATELY after is asked if he wants to go home with him.

As mentioned, Andrew and Neil are suffering, but Andrew is suffering the MOST. It gets under his skin in ways nobody understands. Andrew’s deal is that He’s the only one allowed to pick random fights with Kevin. That’s foreplay to him. It’s flirting. He’s been doing it for so long now that he can spot when anybody else does it and gets extremely jealous at the sight. Neil ofc calls him dramatic, but then he sees Kevin bullying another striker during some practice event between schools, and he understands immediately.

[wanderlust-in-my-soul]

Ghost Host, Ghost House - Ep 8 uncut version Part 3/3

Requested by a lovely Anon 🤍

[darlingbudsofrae]

Some of y'all hate on Nora's extra content sm so here's a list of ecs I love because I had somehow turned into a Nora defender now (i know, i still can't believe it either)

NEIL AND ANDREW HOLD HANDS

They adopt two cats named King Fluffkins and Sir Fat Cat McCatterson

The runaway song Andrew set on Neil's phone was Runaway Train by Soul Asylum

Neil's fight practices with Matt ♡

I'm going to say it: I like the Andrew doesn't smile thing, although it's personally stretched out of proportion by the fandom. The thing is, Andrew doesn't have to smile to heal— and he's not going to completely heal and be able to laugh and smile it off and as sad as that sounds, it's okay. This is something I learned a long time ago in one of my psyc classes but the loneliness will always be there— and it's sad and all but people while carrying that sadness for the rest of their lives can still grow the capacity for joy. I could never articulate it properly and there are several posts that had addressed this wayyy better than I could ever, but as someone who genuinely needs it— I am so glad Nora said that. She explained it so perfectly too ✨

Neil and Andrew goes on long drives to nowhere, just the two of them ♡

They don't say I love you, and I can never articulate this properly but how do y'all expect me to not love that when Nora says "Their I love you is in their Stay, in their Don’t Go, in their Welcome Home, in fingers hooked in belt loops and lingering looks across a room, and they wouldn’t have it any other way" like omg omg omg 🥺🥺

Neil and Renee does eventually become friends ♡ Dan and Kevin actually does become closer too!!

Neil is the best man at Matt and Dan's wedding ♡ (also matt and dan gets married squee)

Neil donates the rest of the blood money after he went pro to a safe house for homeless youth in Baltimore ♡

[martymckeaton]

happy birthday, rik mayall :”)

i dont know if i can actually accurately put into words just how profoundly this man has impacted and improved my life, and i think that’s probably a shared sentiment among rik fans :”) above it all, i just really want to say thank you, rik, and that i miss you very much <3 

(dedicating this to some of the incredibly lovely people i’ve become friends with because of him: @slimylayne , @neil-neil-orange-peel, @ensign-ancic, and really just all of my lovely rik mutuals <3) 

((alas didnt manage to draw alan or richard dangerous, but i did my best with the amount of time i had :(( ))

[knickknacksandallthat]

what did Jeremy say to the foxes and Wymack when he was guilt tripping them about not knowing how bad Kevin was doing? Neil said something about it in the second to last chapter

So my first thought was just to say it was something shamelessly guilt-inducing and brutally honest in the kindest way possible - you know, the Jeremy Knox way. But then I thought, nah. We can do better than that.

So here you go, anon. A little drabble I whipped up to give us that brief glimpse into the wonderful Jeremy Knox's mind.

Spoilers for the Dead of the Night fic under the cut. Read at your own risk!

Jeremy Knox is having a moment. 

It’s a convoluted moment, punctuated by jet lag, confusion, antagonism, and noise, but it’s a moment, nonetheless. 

Because at the core of all this chaos is Kevin. 

Kevin, who’s bruised everywhere Jeremy looks.  Kevin, who is now apparently living alone on an entirely different floor from the Foxes and didn’t tell them.  Kevin, who no one has seen since last Tuesday.

Kevin, whose gaze is far away, his spine curved, and his eyes shadowed.

Kevin, whose proud spirit seems nearly broken.

Guilt, shock, and shame wrap tightly around Jeremy’s throat as he stands in the PSU dorm doorway and sees just how much his friend is hurting.  He’s gutted by the realization that despite all their conversations, despite every single cry for help Kevin gave, none of them saw it.  None of them saw how much he needed it – and that includes Jean and Jeremy. 

The urge to rush forward and soothe, to make this better, to make this right, is nearly overwhelming.  It’s only due to the escalating conversation in the hallway (with the very real threat of violence) that he isn’t in there already. 

Because, unlike Jeremy, Jean holds nothing back.  No, Jeremy watches with unabashed pride and immense satisfaction as Jean reams out the group of Foxes before him.  His own anger is there, of course, simmering beneath the surface, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Jean’s passionate onslaught.

It had taken Jeremy months to get any kind of emotion to appear on the backliner’s face when he arrived at USC.  To see him now in all his righteous glory, spewing vitriol in defense of his friend, is nearly music to his ears. 

But although his boyfriend is 100% vindicated in his criticisms, Jeremy can tell this approach isn’t working.  No, the Foxes rise to the challenge with snarling repartee, too used to having to defend themselves.  Too used to always being the ones given the blame, whether they deserved it or not.  It shifts the focus of the conversation away from Kevin and back to themselves, which isn’t the point.

The point is that Kevin is the one who was hurt.  The point is that no one was able to recognize it.  And while Jeremy will give Jean and himself a small pass for being over 3,000 miles away, his teammates have been here all along.  They’ve seen Kevin every day. 

The point is this never should have happened.

So, he’s almost relieved when Jean goes to Kevin, cutting the conversation off at its knees.  Because it gives Jeremy an opening – and that slight pause is all he needs. 

In the silence that follows the crisp sound of the door slamming shut, Jeremy takes a deep breath and releases it on a sigh. 

Wymack takes the bait.  “Knox?  Got something to say?”

“Yeah, I guess I’m just…”  He deliberately pauses, then continues, “…I guess I’m just disappointed.” 

“Disappointed?” Aaron echoes.  Then he bristles and says, “Like we give a fuck how you feel!”

Jeremy nods.  “Yeah, no, I get it, but…if I’m disappointed, well…” He gives a disheartened shrug.  “…I can only imagine how Kevin must feel right now.”

He’s pleased to see three sets of shoulders immediately rise.

“Um,” Cross, the new freshman goalie, wrings her hands in front of her.

Matt winces.

“What do you mean?” Nicky asks, face dropping. 

“I don’t know,” Jeremy shrugs again, very coolly playing into the act.  “It’s just with everything Kevin has said about you guys I guess I thought you were closer, is all.”

“Closer,” Aaron repeats again, clearly skeptical.  “Meaning what?”

“Well, if you were closer, I would’ve thought you’d at least check in on him.”

This time he knows he hits a nerve.  The glare Neil gives Jeremy could probably melt ice. 

“We did check,” the redhead snaps.  “Andrew and I did.”

“Oh really?” Jeremy asks.  “When?”

The silence he gets in reply speaks volumes.

“Did he – was he like that when you two saw him?” Wymack asks now, doing some of Jeremy’s work for him. 

Neil’s jaw clenches.  “He didn’t let us inside.”

“And you just accepted that?” Nicky accuses.  “Seriously?  Both of you know how to pick locks!”

Andrew surprisingly speaks up.  “He did not want us to come in, so we didn’t.”

“And since when do you do what people want?” Aaron snarls. 

The heavy vibe that follows tells Jeremy that there’s some serious baggage between the twins.  He brushes the weird power dynamics aside, though, getting the focus of the conversation back on Kevin before it can derail.

“But he said he was sick, so…surely, as Captain, you came back, right Neil?  To check on him again? Kevin always says you take such great care of the team.”

Neil’s hand clenches into a fist at his side.  “I told him to text us.”

“Ah,” Jeremy nods.  “So, you probably thought that if not you, then perhaps he reached out to one of your teammates instead then, right?  That makes sense.  One of the Trojans always volunteers to check on any teammates who say they aren’t feeling well, just in case they need something.”  He spins back toward Aaron.  “Oh!  Maybe you brought him something instead?  Kevin said you’re studying to be a doctor.”

Aaron’s face pales before flushing red in anger.  He casts his gaze to the side. 

“No?  What about any of you?  Did anyone else think to see how he was doing?”

The other Foxes remain quiet.

Again, Jeremy heaves out a sigh.  “Look, I was always so impressed with how this team seemed to rally around one another, despite all the hardships and tough backgrounds you came from.  Kevin made it sound like you guys had almost become a family.”  He pauses then continues, “But family doesn’t leave each other on their own when the going gets tough.  Family sticks by each other, no matter how uncomfortable the situation gets.” 

He looks over at Neil.  “Kevin kept your secret and trained you every night, regardless of the fact that you both thought your time on the court was limited.  He wants you to be Court someday and knows you’ll get there.” 

He turns to Andrew.  “He still believes in you, no matter how much you ignore him and purposefully set him off.  He tells us all the time how he knows you’ll be one of the greatest goalies in the history of Exy.” 

He turns back to Aaron.  “Kevin stuck by you throughout the trial and never treated you differently, never shunned you or singled you out.  He even made public declarations of your innocence to the media and how he was just waiting for them to give you an innocent verdict.”

He turns back to the rest of them.  “My point is Kevin gives everything to this team.  Whether you like it or not, you know it’s true.  It’s what he’s been taught – to dedicate himself fully.  It’s the only way he knows how to be.  And however you guys react to that now has solidified the way he thinks he should be treated.  Because now is so much better than how he was treated at the Nest that of course whatever you guys say must be true.  Because he has nothing else to compare it with.”

He looks at the dorm door.  “Kevin gives 1000% to his team because he cares.”  He pauses, then turns back to face them.  “I guess I hope that next time, he finds a team who cares about him just as much.”

You could hear a pin drop in the silence that follows.  The Foxes stare back at him with faces that are sober, angry, and haunted.  He can actually see Nicky's eyes watering, though he has yet to shed a tear.

After a few more seconds of this, Aaron huffs and marches away.  Nicky follows him.

Slowly, with hunched shoulders and averted eyes, Matt and Robin follow.

Only Abby, Wymack, Neil, and Andrew remain, the latter two staring at Jeremy with an intensity that would be terrifying if he wasn’t still riding on the high of his anger.

Finally, Abby clears her throat.  “Do you and Jean have somewhere to stay?  You’re welcome to the guest room at my house if you need it.”

Jeremy shakes his head.  “Thank you for the offer, but we booked a hotel room off-campus before we got here.”

“You’ll be staying then?” Wymack asks gruffly.

“We have a bye week.”

Wymack grunts in acknowledgment.  “I’ll talk to Kevin’s professors.  Explain the situation.”

“Thank you,” Jeremy nods.  “I’m sure he’ll appreciate that.”

Wymack makes some kind of noise in the back of his throat that Jeremy assumes to be agreement.

He hesitates, wondering how far he should stick his nose into other people’s business before he thinks fuck it, and says, “And sir, you may be his Coach, but just remember you’re his father too.  I don’t think you realize how much your words affect him.”

Wymack straightens his spine and looks Jeremy in the eye.

Jeremy stares calmly back.

Then Wymack nods.  “Point taken, son.”

Jeremy dips his head in reply.

“But just you know, captain,” the coach continues, “The Foxes do care about Kevin.  Our way of showing it might not be what you’re used to, but we do care.”  He jerks his head toward the door.  “This one’s on us.  We won’t let it happen again.”

“You don’t have to tell me, sir,” Jeremy says solemnly.  “But Kevin deserves to know.”

Wymack nods. 

Jeremy pulls out his phone, but there’s no word from Jean.  It seems like it may be a while still before he gets Kevin calmed down. 

Jeremy bites his lip, then makes a decision.  “I’m going shopping,” he announces.  “To grab some things for Kevin.”

To his surprise, Neil immediately replies, “I’ll come with you.”

Jeremy looks at him.

“You don’t know what brands he’ll eat,” Neil says pointedly, eyes digging into Jeremy before he turns and starts walking down the hall.

Andrew immediately straightens and says, “I’m driving.”  The look he gives Jeremy dares him to argue.

Jeremy bites his lip hard against a smile.  “Sounds good.”

Then he follows the two deadliest Foxes down the hall and tries not to get too excited about going for his first spin in the infamous Maserati.

[jeysuso]

jimmy uso on the mic >>>>>>>> 

[hayscodings]

feeling bitter about the way the writers neglected the svetlana/kev dynamic in favor of svetlana/v in s7-8 when it was svetlana and kev who originally bonded in s5 and svetlana and kev who spent all of s6 dealing with hipsters together

[spaceorphan18]

And Here's What You Missed... (Eps 1 & 2)

I'm going to try to recap listening to Kevin and Jenna's podcast. I figured it might be a nice way to kind of get these discussions out there - and for me to process my feelings. Honestly, I was initially worried that the entire podcast would be just slamming the entire show - but I can assure you, it's really not. Kevin and Jenna (along with Ryan Murphy in these episodes) are coming in with a lot of joy for the show. And while they'll be honest about their experiences, they're at a place in their lives where they can examine it freshly and openly.

And interestingly - one of the biggest takeaways I'm getting from this is that those long conversations I had with @snarkyhag on the TDB Podcast (and with fandom throughout the years) weren't wrong. I feel like Kevin and Jenna are layering on context to things that -- for those of us deep in fandom -- already knew or were aware of.

They're also pushing back against some of the hate that they continue to see about the show? While I stay out of those lanes, I'm sure they inevitably can't - so this is a way to address a lot of it. And (like I said when I first wrote about listening to the podcast) it reminds me a lot of Pod Meets World - where the cast of Boy Meets World discusses the show as adults - and addresses the highs and lows from making the show.

A few notes from episode one...

I talked about most of it already from a few asks that I got, but a few points --

Ryan Murphy is the first guest, and they do go into the creating of the pilot, but it's a much more casual conversation that kind of takes a lot of detours. The thing is that I feel like I have a little more respect for RM now. He talks a lot about how he didn't know what he was getting into and didn't know how to handle a lot of things that he does know how to do now.

They talk a lot about how close the cast was at the beginning -- and how they're still all like a family.

RM also talks a lot about how he got started with everything -- I think I may have talked about this earlier? But a lot of it's common knowledge.

Also Will was originally, essentially, Sandy in the pilot - and also a crystal meth user. The script was super, super dark. They eventually changed it so that it was so squeaky clean that they had to add Sue as a villain to balance it out.

RM also gets into a big discussion surrounding homophobic tendencies in hollywood (ironically?) which made the show a hard sell.

Yes - there was an idea of a Warbler spin off. RM said no, though thinks now may it would have worked. Yes, he off the cuff says it would have solved some problems. What? I have no idea -- but I do think it would have created a lot of problems, too.

Kevin asks about why they had to do What The Fox Says and while RM gives an answer that they did what was popular at the time -- I think I have more context as to why most of the cast didn't like it -- especially after listening to the second episode. The cast was just kind of done with the show, they were tired and their close friend had just died, and the absurdity of the number is what broke Kevin - who was the last of the cast to finally feel fatigued by the show.

(This is what I'm kind of excited to hear from the cast -- context.)

Episode 2 Notes -

Justin Timberlake was meant for Will - but it was quickly decided that it wasn't possible to get him. JT probably didn't know

Ryan Murphy reiterates a lot through these episodes that he didn't know what he was doing - and that he was new to all of it - it becomes kind of a theme.

Because he didn't know how to ask for what he wanted (such as casting choices) he would often threaten to quit if he didn't get what he wanted (thus creating a somewhat diva persona).

They wrote Sue for Jane Lynch - and finally decided to just go get her.

RM knew Amber from another failed pilot - and wanted her back.

They all acknowledge that Kevin wouldn't be cast as Arite today.

RM knew Lea from Jonathan Groff - and basically wrote the part for her. (He also slipped her sides so she knew her role in advance.)

Nothing new mentions - but it is acknowledged that the part of Kurt was written for Chris. (not mentioned is that there was originally a character named Rajeesh that had most of Kurt's lines an early draft)

They wanted to cast kids who looked like kids - and not like they belonged on the CW

There's a big conversation around guest stars.

April was written for Kristen Chenoweth.

RM talks a lot about working with Whitney Houston to play the part that Eve ultimately gets. While they don't talk about why she turned it down RM says that she probably wasn't in a good place at the time.

After the show became a hit - many people wanted to guest star - but couldn't get all of them in; namely Jennifer Lopez and Anne Hathaway.

Carol Burnett was special to RM because he grew up watching her show as a kid - and was glad he could have a moment with her.

Guest stars they'd have if it was airing today - Zendaya, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, and Lizzo

RM mentions that he's been sent death threats over the Let's Have a Kiki/Turkey Lurkey Time mash up and does not care. He stands by a majority of his choices for the show.

They get into a big discussion about how the episode Michael was possibly the hardest to shoot because of all the numbers. And that's the point when a lot of people really start to feel run down by everything.

This is where Jenna says she missed an episode -- and it was due to her losing it. Basically she was asked to leave for an episode, but she was having a mental break down and didn't know how to cope. There's a long conversation about mental health and how RM would have let any of them take time off now if he was doing the show now, but they didn't have those tools back then.

It's also somewhat implied that Season 3 is really when a lot of the cast were getting fatigued by the show. Cory's death is really what broke it (more on that in a moment) but later they even talk about the fact that three seasons was probably the what they should have done -- even if RM says he loves a lot of 4-6 and wouldn't do things differently.

RM didn't want to do a superbowl episode - recognizing that football fans and glee fans aren't the same (I agree!!) and that the whole episode people were worn out and sick.

RM also says that he didn't want them to go on tour between seasons 2 and 3 -- because everyone (cast and crew) was already so tired, but didn't know how to say no to the network/people in charge. He is sorry about that.

The girls cried about exhaustion from the tour and just wanted to go home.

Kevin loved it though - saying it was the only time he was ever going to feel like a rock star.

Conversation takes a long turn into costuming.

RM was obsessed with costuming -- wanted every character to be iconic. Admits to wanting the show to have certain colors, etc.

(Remember when us older fans talked about him wanting an episode based around the color orange -- we were right!! He doesn't say that here - I'm just saying our observations have been mostly been right about a lot of this stuff...)

RM goes into his own issues with OCD, and his own obsessions with things like color and costuming. (This is actually pretty interesting, and gives context as to why a lot of the show looked the way it did. Kevin and Jenna talk a bit about the creation of their characters and their costuming choices.)

Getting back to the pilot a little -- RM really stressed that he loved creating the show, and had a lot of love for the pilot. He always felt like an outsider, and this was a way for him to express his eccentricities.

Ryan was obsessed with Don't Stop Believin' - there's a bit of discussion around the creation of it, and how much work went into it.

He wanted a show that represented the hopefulness of youth, and Will was a representation of regret for not having that youth. (eesh - is spot on.)

There is a few mentions of other magical moments on the show (the Adele Mash-Up for one) but Ryan admits that the Vitamin D stuff came about because he needed vitamin d to stay awake to right.

As we all might of guessed - there are a lot of things that were inspired from real life -- Kevin and Jenna plan to get into all of that as we go along.

One interesting point that comes up is that Kevin and Jenna admit that Ryan pushed them out of their comfort zones for better or for worse - and that they're better people and professionals because of it.

Jenna asked what RM thought the legacy of the show is -- RM talks about the love for music, and celebration of music education, as well as touching upon social issues. He's glad it still resonates today - even if some things didn't age well.

RM has an interesting quote about how people in show business go into it trying to find the love and acceptance they don't get in the real world. He wanted the show to be a place where people on the outside did get accepted.

There's a huge conversation about the Quarterback -- RM was particularly broken about Cory, and no one surrounding the show knew what to do. Now - RM says they wouldn't have come back -- or at least allowed everyone to have more time away. Kevin talked about how it felt very invasive -- how they had to share this very personal grief on a national level, and everyone was unprepared how to do it.

One reason the cast has kind of stayed away is that Glee feels more tragic now with all of the youthful loss that surrounds it.

Ryan asks Kevin and Jenna how they plan to do the podcast -- and they talk about doing a show every week - but they're going to dig deep into a lot of the BTS stuff, too.

They want to address some of the stupid stuff spreading on Tiktok.

When Kevin says touch upon the bad stuff - RM presses him to say what specifically. Kevin says all the deaths, but also the later behavior problems (implying the issues between Lea and Naya).

They also talk a little about how hard it was to do the split narrative -- but no one was sure really how to address that.

Ryan reiterates a lot that he's learned a lot - and would do a lot differently if he was doing it now. Admits that he should have had better communication with the cast.

RM does bring up a mention of a reboot sincerely - thinks it'd be an okay time to do it, but there's no real plan. (Eesh, please no)

RM has a lot a lot a lot of love for the show overall, and trusts Kevin and Jenna with the podcast because they actually have a lot of love for the show, too. He also hopes that they watch the show with fresh eyes and see the good that came out of it - even during those harder times.

I think what I want to end with is that it's kind of interesting to me how Cory and Naya's deaths kind of bookend these conversations. Cory's death kind of put an end to the show in a way. While Naya's death somewhat brought them all back together.

[d-criss-news]

A Warbler Spin-Off - Ryan Murphy on And That's What You REALLY Missed | Source

[cityzenchick]

Imagine ......... you are a successful (and strikingly pretty) freelance sports photographer who has been subcontracted by Getty Images to go to the Etihad to cover City playing a crucial Premier League match. En route you have annoyingly been stuck in Manchester traffic for what seems like an absolute lifetime and when you finally get there the match is already well underway. A little sheepishly you grab your rucksack and photographic equipment and are escorted by a burly match steward in his fluorescent tabard around the boundary of the pitch to your customary position near the goal. As you bend over to lay out your cameras and lenses before you sit down on your box, a sudden gust of wind whips up your very long blonde hair and to your total embarrassment wolf whistles start to ring out in your direction from the terraces. Blushing acutely (and at the same time trying to tame your wild hair) you look over towards the pitch rather than at the mass of City fans behind you, and realise that two of your favourite City players Kevin de Bruyne and Erling Haaland are both glancing over their shoulder to see who the wolf whistling is aimed at - you very quckly raise your camera and take a photograph of them at that very moment, and from their intrigued expressions you have no idea that they both are thinking ...........

Just a little daydreaming imagine I had when I saw this picture of Kevin and Erling ....... 😊

[inthecompanyofabengaltiger]

i think im about to rewatch the entirety of bbc robin hood followed immediately by merlin