#not a day goes by during which I don't think about tom my wife from tv

[togansweep]

I miss her!!!

[zeroaddzero]

Top 10 Horniest Bruce Springsteen songs, ranked

Yes there are more horny Bruce songs. Too many horny songs for one list. I don’t know if his game was good because he knew how to write horny songs, or if his game inspired him to write horny songs. Eiter way, we’ve been blessed musically with a lot of horny songs. Here’s the horny songs I managed to fit into a (very biased) list:

1.  I'm On Fire

THE horny Bruce song. A fever fantasy of a wet dream smushed into one moaning, sweaty mess. Before I was a fan, this (coupled with the below performance) was the song that made me go "OH. I get it now."

Spotify LINK

At night I wake up with the sheets soaking wet And a freight train running through the middle of my head Only you can cool my desire

2.  Pink Cadillac

About as subtle as Lady Gaga’s “Disco Stick.” Even better paired with the BITUSA tour intro (said intro got noticeably more sexual after Bruce got married in 1985).

Spotify LINK

They say Eve tempted Adam with an apple But man I an’t goin for that I know it was her pink Cadillac

3. Fire

Originally written for Elvis, the bass line alone for this #problematic 70s “don't play coy with me” number will make you reconsider feminism for 5 minutes. The 1986 performance is downright NSFW.

Spotify LINK

You had a hold on me right from the start A grip so tight I couldn't tear it apart

4. The Fever

Bruce is king of the “lying in bed thinking of how horny this person makes me” genre, and this is one of his finest examples. At almost 8 minutes, it’s the tantric equivalent to the more concentrated "I’m on Fire". Anybody noticing a “burning” theme here?

Spotify LINK

Well now the day grows longer The love just grows stronger, baby And the fever gets so bad at night I got the fever for the girl

5. Because The Night

Bruce never finished the lyrics, and this song arguably belongs to Patti Smith now. Bruce has even said as much. However, I am biased and enjoy this banger too much to let technicalities get in the way of horny. On the list it goes.

Spotify LINK

Because the night belongs to lovers Because the night belongs to lust Because the night belongs to lovers Because the night belongs to us

6. Red Headed Woman

I'm Going Down may seem raunchy until you realise it's about a bad breakup. For the other thing, we have this entry. Folks, this song is literally about eating pussy. Bruce even introduced it as such during his Ghost of Tom Joad tour. I’ve yet to recover from the whiplash of hearing him say the word “cunnilingus” while performing at his old Catholic high school.

Spotify LINK

Well listen up stud Your life's been wasted 'Til you've been down on your knees and tasted A red headed woman

7. She's The One

Speculated to have been written about the violinist who played on the album Born To Run, this tune shows our boy is down baaad. Best paired with the excellent "Mona" intro, which is included in the Houston '78 live performance below.

Spotify LINK

With her killer graces and her secret places That no boy can fill with her hands on her hips Oh and that smile on her lips Because she knows that it kills me

8. Part Man, Part Monkey

My Tunnel of Love tour knowledge is woefully lacking despite the tour being his most explicit, and the accompanying album being in my top 3. In the eyes of the public, Bruce was still with his first wife when this video was shot in 1988. Only the band knew he was recently separated, so imagine watching a presumably married man on stage eye-fucking his backup singer. The gossip mill must have been insane after each show.

Spotify LINK

Well the night is dark, the moon is full The flowers of romance exert their pull We talk awhile, my fingers slip I'm hard and crackling like a whip

9. Crush On You

Another genre this Jersey dude excels at is “horny to the point of funny.” Bruce himself has called it "the worst song we ever put on a record" but hey, what does he know.

Spotify LINK

For one kiss, darling I swear everything I would give 'Cause she's a walking talking reason to live

10. Cover Me

I just realised this is only one of four songs on this list included on an official Springsteen album(if you don't count the outtake compilations.) The video contains the studio audio, but I'm not passing on an excuse to plug more Paris '85 concert footage!

Spotify LINK

Now promise me baby you won't let them find us Hold me in your arms, let's let our love blind us Cover me, shut the door and cover me I'm looking for a lover who will come on in and cover me

Honourable mentions (song/album):

Rosalita / The Wild, The Innocent & The E Street Shuffle Candy's Room / Darkness on the Edge of Town Ramrod / The River Cindy / The River (outtakes) Ain’t got you / Tunnel of Love The Fuse / The Rising

Let me know if you think I missed any! I won't change the list, but more horny song discourse is always good.

[dragon-kazansky]

Happy Ice day

Happy Birthday Val 🥰💕

Iceman x Reader

Masterlist

It's Iceman's birthday, but he hasn't mentioned it once. That doesn't mean all his dear friends don't know.

@mtnofgrace @mrsjaderogers @cycbaby @callsignscupcake @askmarinaandothers @bayisdying @kiichirose

♡♡♡

From the moment he woke up he didn't say a word. You watched him rise from the bed and head into the bathroom to start his morning routine. You could only sigh softly as the door clicked shut behind him.

It's his birthday, but he hadn't mentioned it at all. That didn't mean you would forget about it.

Your phone pings beside you on the nightstand so you roll over and pick it up. It's Ron, or Slider as he's known, Tom's old pal and RIO during their flying days.

Sli: We still on?

You: Still on!

You put the phone back when you hear Tom come back into the bedroom. He runs his eyes slightly and goes to pick up his glasses from his bedside table. You chuckle as he puts them on and looks at you.

"That's better," he smiles.

"Very handsome."

He chuckles and then reaches for his robe. While he puts it on you get out of bed and make a start to your day. Everything was going to be perfect for him, whether he noticed it or not.

Breakfast was made and ready for him by the time he came downstairs all dressed and ready for his day. He sat down in his usual seat and thanked you, smiling as he did so. You smile back and join him, bringing over some juice for the pair of you.

"Tom?"

He looks up at you.

"Ron and Pete are going to be at The Hard Deck later. Bradley is going to play a little piano, so I hear. Would you like to go?" You ask, prompting him.

Tom smiles.

"Do you want to go?" He asks.

"I would like to, yes."

You smile, knowing you got him. That look in his eyes gives him away.

"Then we shall go."

Tom helps you tidy up after breakfast and you head upstairs to get his present, which you will hide in your bag until you get to the bar.

When you arrive, Slider and Mav are already there. Ron and his wife are sitting at a table in the corner, while Maverick is chatting up Penny behind the bar. Rooster is sitting at the piano playing the keys gently. You lead Ice into the room and wave at the Kerner's as you approach their table.

Tom pulls out a chair for you and sit down. Ice sits next to you. Looking around the room, Ice takes note of the lack of customers in the bar. In fact, the only customers are them and a few of the Top Gun students.

Ice leans in close to you.

"What are we doing here?" He asks, narrowing his eyes slightly. You just smile in response.

Mav and Penny come over. Penny places a tray of drinks on the table and takes a seat beside you. Everyone reaches for their chosen drink, Mav having already ordered for you and Ice.

"To the birthday boy!" Mav grins.

"Happy birthday!!" Everyone cheers.

Ice sits in silent shock. His eyes drift to you who is smiling at him sweetly.

"My birthday?"

You nod your head.

"You didn't think I forgot, did you?" You ask him.

"We never do anything for my birthday," he tells you. It's true. He doesn't really celebrate it. You'll get him a cake that you'll share at home, but that's about it.

Ice looks at you with gentle eyes.

"You wanted to come here because you planned this."

You nod.

"It was my idea. I reached out and asked if you had plans, when they told me no, I thought we could all surprise you for drinks and a sing song with Bradshaw," Ron explains.

Tom nods his head softly. You reach out and take his face in your hands when you see tears threatening to spill. He smiles at you as you turn his face to look at you.

"What am I going to do with you?" He asks, whispering with a smile.

"You could kiss me."

He chuckles and does just that. He leans in and steals a kiss.

"Cheers to Iceman!" Maverick grins.

Everyone raises their glass.

"Cheers!"

Iceman chuckles as he wipes his eyes from under his glasses. You lean into his side with a smile and put your drink back onto the table. You reach into your bag for his present.

"I got you something."

"You didn't have to do that," he says.

"I wanted to. It's your birthday and I'm very lucky I get to share it with you. So, I got you something."

You hand over the present. Ice takes it from you and unwrap it with care.

Now the tears actually fall.

In his hand Ice holds a photograph. You're both much younger in it. Maverick and Slider are there, Wolfman in the background. Hollywood poking his head into frame.

Some years ago there was a reunion for Tom's Top Gun class. It had been a few years since their time at Top Gun, and Ice had married you in between that time, but everyone was pretty much the same.

Ice looks up at you.

"Where did you get this?" He asks.

"Penny has a surprising amount of Navy photos," you chuckle. "She found this and contacted me, thinking you might want it. Knowing this wasn't a photo you have back home, I told her I would be happy to take it. So it's my gift to you," you tell him.

Ice wraps an arm around you and pulls you into him, pressing a kiss to your cheek. You chuckle as you wrap your arms around him.

"I love you," he whispers in your ear.

You smile.

"I love you too, Tom. Always and forever."

Celebrating his birthday with his few close friends became tradition after that, and that photo now sits in his office among his others on full display for him to look back on every year.

You made every one very special and he loved that.

[tomholland1996simp]

Pregnant and emotional || Tom holland

Pairing: Husband/DadTom x pregnant reader

Unknown: Can you make one where Y/N is like 7months pregnant and is really emotional over something really silly or little things. Tom comes home and hears her crying then comforts her. And like during the day she gets emotional over everything as of her hormones being pregnant thanks :)

Me and Tom have been together for 5 years now and we have been married for over a year. After our wedding we planned that we would try for a baby. And now I'm 7months pregnant to a baby girl. When me and Tom found out I was pregnant we were so happy and so was his family. We're both 25 now, we're ready.

Being pregnant has been kind of hard for me. Luckily Tom has been with me every step of the way. I just worry that he will be at work filming when my water breaks. I don't want him to miss our baby girl being born.

His family are so excited for this baby, mostly his brothers. Harry always goes on about and I quote 'I will be the best uncle and always protect my niece she will love me the most!'. His family have been helping me through it all as well.

Right now I'm sitting on mine and Toms bed crying. To be honest I have no idea why, but I just came out of the shower and tried to brush my hair. Which was incredibly knotty.

"Fuck sakes Please just brush" I violently brush the big knot in my hair. I was sitting on the bed still in my towel. I was happy Tom wasn't here to see his wife crying because she couldn't brush her hair. He would think it's pathetic!

"Ugh forget it" I cry out, throwing the brush at the wall. I just sat there holding my towel to my body and sobbing.

Then my phone started ringing, I pick it up to see that Harry was calling me.

"Hello" I said trying not to sound sad. "Hey y/n you okay?" Harry asked obviously hearing my sniffles. "Y-yeah Im fine w-whats up?" I sniffed.

"TOM!" Harry shouted away from the phone.

"What!" I heard Tom shout back.

"Come here please! You told me call y/n but I think she's crying".

Tom was on set right now, that's why I didn't want to bother him. Luckily he is filming a movie in London, he decided it was best due to me being very pregnant. Normally he never has to come over to check me to see if Im okay, but he does it anyways.

Honestly all day I've been very emotional and it's probably all my hormones that's making me so emotional.

Tom took the phone off Harry. "Hey darling, are you okay? Is our baby girl alright!" I heard Toms worried voice.

"Y-yeah everything's fine. Harry is the one who called me" I sniffed, I am so bad at acting.

"Your crying I can tell. I know when your not okay y/n. I just wanna know Is the baby okay? Are you okay?"

"She's fine Tommy really. Go back on set"

"I'm coming home" he said.

I really didn’t want him to see me like this, "Nooo, Don't come here please" I begged now crying.

"Princess, If your upset I wanna make sure your okay. Your all I care about right now, okay. I'll be 15 minutes max. I Love you bye" He then put the phone down.

I just sat there crying more, thinking of how he's coming home because I'm being the baby. I didn't even realise that 15 minuets had passed so fast as I heard the door shut with footsteps. I was still sobbing into my hands, so I didn't even realise that Tom walked into the room.

"Princess what's wrong?" Tom sat next to me, moving my hands from my face so I can face him.

"Tom I told you go back on set" I look at him with a bit of a harsh tone, he didn’t mind though.

"Well I need to make sure both my baby girls are okay." He places his hand on my stomach that was covered by my towel. "You know you can tell me anything. Why you crying angel?" He wiped my tears.

"B-because this day is going so bad. First, I woke up a-and dropped my water all over me. Then I cried about that because I'm such a b-baby. Second thing i-is that in the shower I couldn't even wash my back properly. A-and now I can't brush my hair because of—of some stupid knot! that won't come out and now your here. Probably thinking why's my wife being a fucking baby because she can't do simple tasks. I just keep crying, I'm so emotional right now and your gonna just laugh" I ramble on full on sobbing.

"Hey, hey. Your not a baby for crying over certain things. And you should've called me If you was feeling very emotional today. I would never ever ever think that. I don't know what it's like being pregnant so I have no excuse to even laugh and I don't want to. Don't cry please. Because If your sad then our baby girl is and I will be" He kisses my forehead.

"I can't brush my hair" I cried into his chest.

"Here let me do it. Where's the brush?" I point to it on the floor by the wall. He then stand up, grabbing the brush from the floor,  standing above me. Tom brushed my hair carefully making sure he didn't hurt me. After he was done brushing my hair, he pulled out a pair of his joggers and a shirt for me to wear.

"Here put these on, I'm gonna set up a movie and i'll get you some snacks" He pecks my lips leaving the room.

I got my underwear on and then tried to pull the joggers up, however my bump was in the way so it didn't really help me.

"Tom?" I called, knowing he's the only one that can help me.

"Yes babe" He walked into the room seeing me with just my bra and panties on with the joggers half way up.

"Close your eyes!" I try hide my body but he doesn't listen, just walks over to me.

"Love, I've seen much more than this before. Do you want help beautiful?" he points to the joggers, I nod. Of course Tom has seen me fully naked before, I mean I am pregnant right now.

"I just feel ugly and fat" Shit, I didn't even mean to say that out loud.

Tom quickly pulled the joggers up then looked at me. "What! What did you just say" He looks at me, I just stay quiet. "You are the most sexiest, prettiest and most hottest girl i've ever known. Your pregnant not fat. Your so fucking stunning. Don't ever say that. Even the fans say you are beautiful ! Don't let anyone tell you different." he picks up my t-shirt and puts it over my head.

"I-I'm sorry" A tear fell down my cheek.

"n-no don't cry bubs or apologise. Just don't think about yourself that way, every inch of you is beautiful. I love you, okay"

"I love you too Tommy, so much. I'm so lucky to have you" I kissed him softly.

"I think I'm the one who's lucky Darling" he smiles into the kiss.

For the rest of the day we watch movies and Tom was there to comfort me. I love him so much and he's gonna be the best Dad ever. :)

[austinsgirl]

the oscar’s | austin x reader

pairings: austin x fem!reader

summary: it’s one of the biggest nights of austin’s career, the oscar’s. you go with him of course, as you’re very supportive of your boyfriend.

rating: g, fluff

word count: 739

———————————————————————

Today is finally the big day. It's the day if the Academy Awards aka The Oscar's. Austin is up for Best Actor, along with Best Picture, both for "Elvis".

You're in the car on the way to the awards show. You look over to Austin, seeing him shake his leg nervously & anxiously. It's easy to understand why he's so nervous. Being nominated for two big awards at THE award show for movies, is a big deal.

Reaching over, you grab his hand. "Babe, you good?"

"Y-Yeah. I'm fine." he responds.

"Are you sure? Your leg shaking says otherwise."

He's silent, being embarrassed a bit for getting called out.

"Hey, it's okay to be nervous or anxious. This is a huge deal, but you know, what no matter what happens, win or lose, know that I'm so so proud of you either way. If you lose, you'll always be a winner in my heart. You got this, honey."

"Thank you, darlin'. I love you." he squeezes your hand.

You absolutely adore when he calls you that. It's definitely one of the little Elvis' things that's stuck with him.

"I love you, too."

We finally reached the drop off for the red carpet.

Instant camera flashes & name calling.

"Austin! How does it feel to be nominated?!" "Who are you wearing?!" "Do you think you'll win?!"

You just let the questions go from the paparazzi & just continue to pose for them.

Your hands intertwined as you walk, his grip is very firm.

Before heading inside, you stop at a couple of news outlets for some interviews.

"So how does it feel to be nominated for such big awards tonight?" the interviewer for E! News asks.

Austin takes a huge sigh, "Amazing, but nerve racking."

"If you win, what are you going to do to celebrate?"

"Oh gosh, um I haven't even thought about it. I think maybe either way, me & my girl right here will go on a trip or something. I don't know. I mean, either way, there'll be something to celebrate. Just being nominated is an incredible honor."

"Any other movies in the future?"

"Oh, yes. Dune Part 2 will be out later this year, so there's something to look forward too."

"Great to hear. Good luck tonight!"

"Thank you so much."

Once you're inside, you find your table. You're seated with Baz, Priscilla, Lisa Marie, Olivia, Tom & his wife Rita.

During commercial breaks, everyone at the table shares their fondest memory of being on set, or cracking jokes, or talking about upcoming projects & events.

When the announcer says after the next break, the award for Best Actor will be presented, which changed the whole vibe of the table. Everyone becoming more anxious as the category gets closer. Tom had already won for Best Supporting Actor, which of course was well deserved.

You could feel Austin's leg shaking against your own. You grab his hand & reassure him with the words you told him earlier.

The show comes back from commercial break. Anne Hathaway & Jessica Chastain, both goddesses, go up to present for Best Actor.

When they say Austin's name while reading off the nominees, he smiles & laughs nervously at the camera, which of course, you find adorable.

"And the winner is...." Anne reads while opening the card.

They both read out loud, "Austin Butler as Elvis Presley!!"

You & Austin immediately look at each other in shock. Before getting up, he cups your face & brings you in for a celebratory kiss.

Everyone gets up to applaud him. You embrace him in a huge hug before he goes up on stage.

"Wow. I cannot wrap my brain around this right now. Um, thank you so much to The Academy. This is such an honor, wow. I never thought in a million years I would have gotten to this point in my career. I want to thank my team for always believing in me, my fans, my friends, family, of course Baz, the whole cast. My biggest supporter & very beautiful girlfriend y/n, I love you baby. Mom, if you're up there watching, I love you. This one's for you. Thank you." Austin says, finishing off with a little bow.

Once he was back at the table, congrats from all around were given.

"Baby, I'm so proud of you!!" You say to him, hugging & giving him a kiss before he sat down.

"Thank you, darlin'. I couldn't have done it without you."

——————————————————————

[the-firebird69]

Watch "War of the Worlds (2005) Trailer #2 | Movieclips Classic Trailers" on YouTube

And the keys are the order of the cross Rose cross is what it's called and my husband used them for years to get into office buildings and to use on a certain apartment keys and even his house people thought that the keys on the lock might be it but they're not and they check and it's not the wrong size and color and makeup and it is going like that people still say we don't care and stuff but they're losers using it and we're going after him. This movie is going to start shortly and it's when he goes back to Jersey which is camp David it's near there and he leaves and goes to Jersey because of the guys crashing in and he is still chased madly and he finally escapes moves into several different movies people think Mom has the key after time but she doesn't and it goes on but it's going to go into a different movie after this one and he ends up going to lake Tahoe Friday the day after this and for a week many movies happen when it's there and he's in and out of the place he does American made cocaine bear begins prophecy the movie the movie about the destruction of Earth because a nuclear plant will melt down and send the core to the center there's a bunch of movies in line with this telephon and the list is huge. Trump gets an idea we think this is going on during this series and it's after the one with Bruce Willis grabbed Cruise because he's after the keys and it is James Bond when he's trying to destroy the chip factories thinking that they're the ones doing it or that JC is using it which is true he uses their robots some terminators movies begin and people going after those and they have to now four points it's the coal plant and they have a war there. There's a lot of this craziness happening and Guantanamo Bay happens within today and tomorrow and the escape and we feel that they go back there for a few Good Men it's after a whole bunch of movies and it starts up because of Utah and the money from cesario and the money from hurricane heist and the video in Tennessee prayer in Memphis they bring the Titanic down and that's what it is a check it's gone and they go to Cuba and they find out that Tommy F has taken over so they try and go there and take it back and also finding out that Tom Cruise might be there it has to do with the top gun series. And the reason for that occurring is because they are out there with the aircraft carriers now and you're trying to infiltrate to change the targeting and to take people prisoner on the ships... And that leads into Greyhound which is after James Bond in Korea and the ship goes out and it's mission impossible and Greyhound happens Forrest Gump and somewhere along the line the rivers push out in the crabs come in and all this is happening this week and next week and finally the series begins after Utah we believe the keys go to Korea and we believe afterwards they go to Abu Dhabi and make a roundabout way to the Vatican and it gets pushed there by both brands of terrorists and we're not terrorists but Allah and got his wife pushes it there as well and goddess wife of his this is going to be a prayer answered and it's a big huge mess in his trying to figure it out and so was I and this is what it's about these two keys and I had one too and I was using it and people see me using it and he makes a joke and says what are you using those for he treats me funny but you really treats me with a lot of respect but we joke around and I say it to him

Hera

Zues

Olympus

[cocosstories]

Sebastian Stan One Shot

Can I ask for a dad Tom or Sebastian which ever you prefer. The reader is heavily pregnant and he is away when she goes into labor. He barely makes it on Time but then he has to leave again. And she is struggling all alone. She just wants him there but she's afraid of getting in the way of his dreams.

You knew when you had found out that you were pregnant that with your husband Sebastian's schedule, there was a possibility that he might not be able to be there when you went into labor.

Sebastian had promised that it wouldn't happen, making sure to take a few days off near your due date.

Yet here you were, in the hospital ready to give birth to your first child and Sebastian was nowhere in sight.

You had gone into labor earlier in the day and by lunchtime you had been admitted to the hospital, calling Seb on the way to let him know it was really happening.

He had jumped on the first flight home he could find and you knew he was trying as hard as possible to make it to you on time.

"Where is he?"

You cry out to your mom as another contraction rips through your tired body.

"I don't know baby. I'm sure he will be here soon."

She replies, trying to keep you calm as she rubs your back.

"He is going to miss it."

You could feel that the baby was so close to being born and you had a feeling that Sebastian wouldn't make it on time.

"Mrs. Stan, it's time to deliver your baby."

The doctor says a few minutes later.

"My husband isn't here. I can't do it without him."

You shake your head, trying to ignore the need to get the baby out that was radiating through your body.

"Your baby doesn't want to wait. You need to start pushing."

The doctor replies and as soon as the next contraction begins, your body takes over and you do as requested.

With your mom holding one of your hands and a nurse holding the other, you work to bring your baby into the world.

"I'm here! Did I miss it?"

You stop pushing when Sebastian runs into the room.

"Almost."

Your mom says as Sebastian takes the nurses spot at your side and kisses your head.

"Good timing dad. Alright Y/N you're so close. Keep going."

The doctor says, getting your focus back on the baby.

Not long after Sebastian shows up, you give on final push and your daughter makes her way into the world.

"I am so sorry baby. My flight got delayed..."

Sebastian says a while later when the three of you had been left alone in the room, your baby sleeping happily in your arms.

"You made it, that's all that matters."

You reply with a smile as you carefully make room for him on the bed and cuddle into him.

A few days later, you and the baby have been released from the hospital and Sebastian has to head back to work.

You were exhausted and worried about how you were going to take care of the baby all by yourself but Seb promised he would be home as soon as possible.

"How is everything going? Are you getting any sleep?"

He asks a week later during your nightly facetime.

"Yeah, some. Everything is fine babe. We are getting into a good routine, I think"

You reply with a small smile.

It wasn't that you wanted to lie but you knew if you told him how much you were struggling, he would back out of future projects and you didn't want to be the reason he missed out on something he really wanted to do.

"Are you sure? Baby, talk to me. You don't seem ok."

You sigh and close your eyes, Sebastian could always read you, even through a phone screen.

"It's just hard. I wish you could be here but I don't want you to feel like me and the baby are standing in the way of your career."

You finally say, hating yourself for not being stronger.

"Love, why didn't you tell me? My career isn't going anywhere. So what if I have to take a little while off. My wife and daughter are more important."

Tears fill your eyes as he speaks and even though he was still far away, just his words were enough to help the pressure you had been feeling since he left.

"We wrap filming tomorrow and after that, I am going to take some time off and come home. I want to spend some time with my girls. Hang in there for just a little longer ok? We will get through all of this and be a family soon. I promise."

With that, he is called back to set and hangs up, leaving you finally feeling like everything was going to be ok.

[your-ace-cousin-clover]

Different, But Same

[Part 1 of my Tomgreg Analysis Series]

TL;DR - Shiv and Greg tend to mirror each other a long in the sequence of the story especially in regards to Tom. This is interesting as Shiv is Tom's romantic partner which the same relationship is echoed very strongly with Tom and Greg.

One of my most interesting observations in regards to the whole Tom/Shiv and Tom/Greg situation is how Greg and Shiv's narrative arc seem similar in regards to their relationship with Tom. However, because of certain reasons, the relationship that Tom has with Greg is more stronger despite the same narrative followed for Shiv as well.

Also disclaimer : THIS IS TINHATTERY! THIS IS ME THEORISING! YOU CAN ALWAYS DISAGREE / AGREE WITH ME.

I'm just having some fun here.

1. Initial Circumstances of meeting Tom

In S01E01, we see the circumstances in which Tom and Greg meet each other for the first time. Yes, with the volatile reaction that Tom has of "would you kiss me if I asked you? if I told you to?" (That is a whole another topic that I'll later delve into about shame and queerness in Succession) However, but the time Greg dejectedly stands at the door Logan's hospital cabin with uncertainty about his job at Waystar, S01E02, Tom makes an important offer to Greg. He offers to "look after" Greg in his time of need and help him.

Interestingly, later in the series, in an offhand comment, Shiv mentions how she herself was not in a good state of mind or in a stable position of life when she met Tom. [I don't recall the exact episode where this conversation takes place - but I'm pretty sure this happens]

Regardless, in different times of the show, Shiv depends on Tom to help her through stressful circumstances.

Tom is a dependable person for both Shiv and Greg through his emotional support as well as professional support for these people.

2. RECNY BALL Incident

In S01E04, the notable RECNY Ball takes place which is overshadowed by the fact that Tom receives papers about the Cruises Scandal from Bill. There are two people that Tom informs about the papers : his assistant, Greg Hirsch and his wife to be, Siobhan Roy.

This is one of the multiple instances where Greg and Shiv are placed in the same context for Tom.

When Gerri confronts Tom about the holding a press conference. However, (this is the point where the Tomgreg subtext becomes stronger) when Greg defends himself, Tom seems to believe him which ends up casting strong suspicion on Shiv. This is interesting as this takes place, weeks? days? after having met Greg for the first time and despite, fact that Tom is going to be married to Shiv, he doesn't trust her.

Greg's subordinate status to Tom and his disconnect from the Roys (the situation happens to be opposite for Shiv) is what makes Tom believe him in the first place. Tom has never felt secure in his relationship with Shiv because of his perceived inferior status. However, in regards to Greg, he's in a more balanced position (even superior to Greg) which is why he feels strongly about protecting Greg as well as is comfortable in his relation (though he expresses jealousy? at Greg's closeness with Kendall professionally later on).

He assigns the job of burning the papers to Greg which brings the both closer as they have a secret between them. (Even Shiv doesn't know about the papers until their wedding) Greg and Tom can trust each other to some extend because of the Cruises burning incident because if one of them reveals it then the other goes down. (This analysis does not currently take into account Greg revealing the papers at the press conference - by that point he's reached a position where he can reach out for things other than what Tom can offer him)

3. They both betray Tom as well as Logan

Shiv joins Nate professionally which leads her to not only later cheat on Tom despite their ongoing engagement, but it also brings her into conflict with Logan Roy as she decides to align herself with Senator Gil Eavis who is extremely anti-Logan. Her alliance with Nate causes strong jealousy for Tom wherein he asks Shiv about Nate (which also later is apparent with how Tom humiliates him later with the wine).

In a similar vein, Greg encourages Kendall during the night of Shiv's wedding with "things have to change here". And later on, not only aligns himself such strongly with Kendall that prompts Tom to ask him about it during Hungary and says "a girl can start to wonder."

Both of these alliances are detrimental to Logan as they challenge his place in the throne. However, Shiv's alliance with Eavis collapses easily due to difference in views. It would be interesting if the Kenstar Gregco alliance lasts longer due to the consequences that might result if they try to break apart as well as the blood bond which makes the link more stronger.

4. They both negotiate with Gerri using the Cruises Papers

Tracking on the fact that Shiv and Greg are the ones that mainly know about the papers. They leverage this information in a way that benefits them or creates additional favours for them.

This is initially seen when Greg rats out Tom's plan to do a new conference exposing Cruises to Gerri which is how she shuts him down quickly. This gives Greg a favourable opinion from Gerri, a proximity to the power of Waystar and benefits him even though it screws Tom over.

In a similar vein, Shiv does the same thing when she negotiates with Gerri, Logan's spokesperson, during her wedding night to stop the attacks on Eavis. She uses it to benefit the person she is working for.

This is a very small similarity, but is also another way they both mirror each other in the arc of the story.

5. A sense of moral superiority

Again minor point, but interestingly, both Shiv and Greg have a sense of moral superiority over not being as involved in the business and their sense of doing the right thing.

(This may later diminish as both get more and more stuck with the core of the business, but this is at like early S2)

Greg brings it up first when Tom brings him to ATN with his whole speech on "principles". Tom admonishes Greg with "of course, we're trying to do the right thing. We all are, so don't go talking about principles."

A similar thing repeats when Shiv admonishes Tom about Logan's decision to purchase Pierce. She makes a point about how terrible ATN is the fact that she needs to get proper news from a "respectable" source.

Both of them throw Tom's involvement with ATN as well as Waystar by a way of sticking to principles while being incredibly hypocritical themselves.

6. "Open Marriage"

This is self-explanatory for the most part, but at the same time, it's one of the biggest points for this mirror as well as for Tomgreg.

As mentioned before Tom feels a sense of inferiority with Shiv, which is why he is the more meeker one in the relationship. Which makes him accept the "open marriage" idea with Shiv even though he is essentially being cheated on the entire time.

However, in regards to Greg, the same inferiority does not appear. And by the time, the famous "I will not let go of what is mine" scene, Tom and Greg are friends to a bit. They go out for the ortolan scene (which has a separate analysis about physical hunger and queerness as well later - food metaphors are strong in Succession), Greg tells Tom about Shiv's cheating and Tom has brought Greg into ATN.

[These small things cement the relationship between them and show that Tom and Greg enjoy themselves outside the confines of Waystar which Tom and Shiv struggle with as seen in the case of their honeymoon]

However, Greg's use of "open marriage" causes Tom to not only express his anger, but provides a space to express the anger. He publicly declares how upset he feels that Greg wants to leave and interestingly, uses relationship specific terms like "break up" to talk about Greg's proposal. He repeatedly asserts that Greg is "his" and this brings in a context of jealousy with Kendall when Tom questions about Greg spending more time with Kendall later on in Hungary.

7. They both ask favours from Tom which put him in trouble with Logan

In the Hungary episode, both Shiv and Greg ask Tom do certain favours (In case of Shiv, it is for Tom to ask Logan about the Pierce deal and convey everybody's dissatisfaction. And in case of Greg, it is to hide that fact that he met with Pantsil from Logan).

Now, Tom has been clearly established as a strong sycophant in regards to whoever is at the helm of Waystar (conveying Kendall about Ewan coming to the board meeting as well as cheering on Logan when he announces Pierce) so the only way he would take a risk for a person is if he's close to them. This makes sense in case of Shiv as she is his literal wife, however, this comparison is interesting when we think about Greg in this context. Tom goes lengths to protect Greg to the point he is humiliated by the employees and his in-laws only which is huge as throughout the entire series Tom has simply been trying to fit in with the Roys to the point, he wants to change his last name after marriage.

8. Both are put in position where they are can be the successor of the company and in turn, can become Tom's boss

This happens mostly at the end of S2, but, the entire time Shiv is championed as the Successor by Logan Roy himself which makes Tom assume that he will later on succeed her. However, this is turned to the head when Shiv proclaims that she does want to run the company. In doing so, she will become Tom's boss which is disappointing to Tom because, it will only emphasis on his sense of inferiority as well as the fact that he cannot take care of her (because as established before he is the person that cares for people, especially ones that he loves).

A same dynamic emerges as Greg aligns himself with Kendall. This exponentially increases his chances of being the Successor (especially if Kendall drops out somehow either due to drugs or any other circs) which would also untie the two Roys. This would similar draw the same conflict Tom faces with Shiv as the successor.

Therefore, in bringing Shiv and Greg together again and again, I feel like it enhances the romantic subtext between Tom and Greg (as it literally swaps out the man's wife for his lanky assistant) as well as brings out a stronger comparison as Tom and Greg have done things to each other as well as for each other which ties them together more closely than Tom and Shiv.

Just imho.

Tag List ❤️-

{Let me know if you wanna be added or removed}

@feuillytheflorist @finitevariety @dr-pamela-isley

@dawsonandpaceyareinlove @nickwilding @foreverjustvibing @houseocats

[ripperdaddy]

the viktor vector romance path + ending we deserve

Disclaimer: This is definitely something I came up with in my head. There will be a few instances that are solely made up so it can tie in with the “story.” This is purely fictional; something I wished happened if there was a possible Vik romance 🥰 This is based on my general knowledge of the game & Vik’s life. All gifs + images are from my own personal play through, but wouldn’t be possible without the help of the Appearance Menu Mod, found on Nexus Mods by the creators, MaximiliumM and CtrlAltDaz. And the shirtless Vik mod by the lovely samsnak ♡

It would start after completing the Paid In Full quest where you pay Vik back the eddies you owe him.

I feel like realistically, the general player would have to be at least halfway through the story to have collected enough eddies. I would say that a good point in the story where we can begin the romance is that you’ve already established a connection to Alt and have dealt with the VDB’s.

I think it would be a short side quest like River’s. Vik already plays a big part in the story overall on his own, so I don’t think it’s necessary to make his “side quest” too long. His romance would just be an addition to the ending.

And as much as I would love for him to be a bisexual option for both male/female V, if we’re sticking with the game’s standard with limiting partners to only one kind of partner, he would only be romance-able by a female V with a feminine voice.

V: Finally scrounged up enough eddies to pay you back in full.

Vik: Hold on to ‘em just in case - you need ‘em more than me.

V: I’m not taking them all the way to my grave, Vik. Here. And.. thanks again for doing so much work on me ‘thout ever seein’ an enny.

Vik: That’s what friends are for.

Then, there is an additional option for dialogue to trigger the romance path.

V: Friends? I think you’ve been in and out of my body more than anyone else I’ve hooked up with in Night City.

He laughs, with a coy smile. “Well, can’t argue with you there. Why don’t we take some of these eddies and grab a drink. You know, to celebrate. Catch up on old times. Haven’t seen you round here much lately, kid.”

You agree to meet at the El Coyote Cojo tomorrow evening.

You meet around 9 PM and you are welcomed by the sight of Pepe and Vik at the bar.

V: Nice choice of venue.

Vik: Thought you’d like it. Haven't been here since.. well, you know.

V: I miss him, Vik.

Vik: I know, V. Me too.

You immediately take a seat and tinker with a few dialogue options, where you can either have a sweet moment talking about Jackie or some surface questions to ask, like how he’s doing, what kind of drink he likes, etc. But it all winds down to Jackie anyway, where Vik confides in you about his past. Judging by how Vik was so affected by Jackie’s death, and V’s (if you chose the suicide ending), you can tell that he has lost a lot in his life, and keeps his circle very small.

You then achieve an even closer, more personal relationship with him. But, ultimately nothing happens other than the usual, wait 24 hours in game for a text/phone call from Vik to head into the next stage. At least now, you have established the foundation for a future romance.

Halfway through the 24 hour period, you get a text from Vik thanking you for the lovely evening. No reply needed, as he calls you once the 24 hour mark hits and invites you out for another date.

You meet at Tom’s Diner for coffee in the afternoon. It starts off with him apologizing for being emotional the previous night and asks if you’re open to hanging out again and going down to Pacifica to watch a fight with him.

Vik: Hey, V. I just wanted to apologize about last night. I didn’t mean to be such a downer.

V: It’s okay, Vik. We share the same grief.

Vik: I was going to head down to Pacifica and catch a real good match later on today. I was wondering if you’d like to come along, think it’d be great for the both of us, you know, as a distraction.

pssst even Johnny’s rooting for y’all ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Johnny: Hmm, interesting.

V: What?

Johnny: Never thought you'd be going out with this guy.

V: Vik's amazing. And I mean--we basically owe it to him since he practically saved our life.

Johnny: Don't tell me you're going out with him out of pity.

V: I'm not.

Johnny: I know, I can feel you get all mushy-gushy. It's almost repulsive. Just wanted to hear you admit it.

V: Eat a dick, Johnny.

You arrive before the GIM and blend into the crowd.

V: Nothin’ like watching guys beat the shit out of each other to get your blood pumpin’, huh?

Vik: This is a real good matchup, V. This kid’s fresh, young talent.

V: You miss it, don’t you?

Before the fight begins, Vik shares a story about his time in the ring and coming in second in the Watson Boxing Grand Prix.

There’s some extra fun options in the dialogue, you can bet some eddies on who’s gonna win, or side with him. The fight ends, and you two head outside.

Since you’re already out in Pacifica, you head over to the boardwalk (where you would ride the roller coaster with Johnny) and he starts telling you about the last days of his boxing career and how he transitioned from the sport to being a ripperdoc.

You both share a sweet moment with each other, reminiscing about old times and talking about V’s future with the relic. This is where I would see Vik confessing how he feels about you, mentioning how grateful he is for Jackie introducing you to him.

The evening ends and Vik asks you to give him some time to try and dig up some footage from his storage and have you come over to watch. You can kiss him then wait another 24 in game hours before the last quest. Halfway through, he texts you and asks you what you’d like for dinner. You can opt for pizza or chinese.

I haven’t seen or read anything about how or where Vik lives. If I overlooked something, please let me know! But for the sake of the story, let’s say he does actually have his own place that’s now introduced in the game. Personally, I think he has a typical bachelor pad, like a really nice apartment. Not too far from his clinic either. He looks like he would just walk to work. Vik definitely has a lot of money, but he’s so humble I doubt he would choose to live lavishly. As mentioned in the beginning, he typically just “sleeps nights” ever since he was over “being a legend” so I’m guessing his lifestyle is very routine. He goes to work, goes home, sleep. Seems unlikely he has a place like the Peralez’s. It would probably be just the same as V’s but decorated to his taste.

The evening comes and you are over at his place. He’s dressed in just a white undershirt, no exo-glove. You get to know more about his family, how he grew up — scanning things around his place. Then he plays some footage of one of his fights for you, while you two have a conversation and share a beer. As you two sit on the couch, you get close, then have an opportunity to kiss him.

then this is where da sex happen hihihi (ノ・ω・)ノ

The next morning you wake up and you two have a heartfelt conversation about where this is going. He already knows your situation, so I would assume he is very accepting and supportive. And with Vik, he seems like the kind of guy who would still want to be in your life and keep the friendship the same way despite no longer being together romantically. So it’s official. He’s your man 🥵 !!11!1!

Like how River gives you the “fuck the police” tank top after sleeping with him, I think Vik would give you his Night City Devils t-shirt that provides you with a significant amount of armor or some kind of cyberware upgrade that makes you invulnerable for a brief moment while using your hands to fight enemies.

Note: I was thinking of Vik giving V his boxing glove necklace, but because it's part of his character's appearance in the game, I don't think we would be able to essentially "take it" from him - unless he gives you a replica as a keepsake. Which I think would also work.

If you successfully romance, during the rooftop scene near the end of Nocturne OP55N1 (despite Vik’s disposition of him telling you to take matters in your own hands and being a little closed off), you still have an option to reach out to him when Johnny advises you to call a loved one.

V: Hey, Vik. I just wanted to say, thanks for hanging with me, until the end.

Vik: Quit talking like it is, V. Just do what you need to do.

V: I mean, think of it. It’s like I’m heading into the last round of this whole thing.

Vik: Well, in that case.. remember—keep your hands up, guarded at all times. It ain’t over just yet.

V: Heh.. I can feel it, just a few more punches.

Vik: Now look at you - the new welterweight champ of Night City.

V: Thanks, coach.

Vik: Last piece of advice from the coach's corner. Just.. be careful, kid. Remember, I’m with you.

Okayyyy, soooo I’m not the biggest fan of how CDPR gave us two of the same endings (Path of Glory). The only difference is that Rogue’s life is spared. I would have assumed that not only would we get to keep Rogue around, things should have played a bit more differently for V if we took the route of going solo against the corpos. So let’s tweak it.

This specific ending; it should be after getting through Don’t Fear The Reaper where you single-handedly manage to rip through Arasaka by yourself. Johnny goes back to Alt & Rogue is still alive. Yes nobody dies!!!

(honestly this ending can apply to any love interest you choose)

Vik and V are now living together in a lavish penthouse, entertaining an upcoming merc to do their work for them (which is now the current POV of the player.) You were recruited by Rogue at the Afterlife, who told you to visit this couple for a real, preem job.

They give you some vague details about the gig and go on for a brief moment about what you will be doing and what you should expect. Vik emphasizes to you that it’s important you get what they need because it’s for his wife, V, as her life depends on it.

As Never Gonna Fade Away is playing in the background, they tell you to break into Arasaka HQ.

Then the game officially ends.

[growingstronglikeahighgardenrose]

Sanditon Season 2: all the news & my thoughts

So, we're getting not one but two new seasons of Sanditon! After a year of tremendous effort on behalf of the Sanditon sisterhood who kept the fandom alive, we'll be looking at a new season. Although I think the biggest thank you probably goes out to Bridgerton, which showed that romance, regency, a diverse cast and butts are a perfect mix to lure audiences.

I want to take this moment to reflect on what I think we'll win, what we'll lose and what we can expect in the future.

1. No Sidlotte HEA

This is probably the most heartbreaking salty news we could get. But I know Theo James, he likes new projects. And after divergent's disaster, I can't blame the boy for not wanting to hang onto another franchise. As a fanfic writer, although mainly an Esther/Babington one, I broke my head for over a year on how to get Sidlotte together. I had to imagine the grandest schemes to get them together. Tom needed 10 000 pounds in less than a month. Even Babington was probably not worth that much. That's over 6 million in today's money if adjusted to inflation. Regency era's England's top 1-2% made that in a full a year, and most of that is probably in assets and investments. And they don't just get to keep that money, most used a good chunk of it to keep their estates running and to pay their staff. Anyone know someone who has a casual 6 million lying around?

There's only two realistic solutions: either have Eliza die: which would be cruel and take years (unless you kill her in childbirth 9 months in), or create a grand scheme that would take months and see Sidney, Crowe and Babington actively work hard on their 'business' while in the meantime Charlotte, Lady Denham and Lady Susan get everyone including the prince regent to come to Sanditon. I kind of accepted they would have a hard time getting out of that plot twist. It was likely that Sidlotte could not be endgame.

Personally, I never felt a strong connection to Sidlotte, and had hoped that Charlotte, like Jane Bennet, would go to London with Lady Susan to recover from her heartbreak, and I kind of hoped James Stringer would eventually go down there for his apprenticeship, where a sort of Captain Wentworth-like situation would come to exist where he is a young man trying to make something of himself. I know Charlotte didn't love him. But I also knew that Charlotte wanted adventure and perhaps needed to grow as a person. But in the new season she'll probably be a bit jaded, closed off, and depressed. And will probably need a softer more available man. Growing up goes with swinging to extremes. She was an open optimist at the beginning, and eventually turned to the opposite, not letting her emotions shine through and being very guarded (@miss-holly-goes-lightly did a wonderful post on this). Adulthood is finding a good balance again.

So while I am saddened, because this brings along a long set of questions like: "Does Sanditon still take place in Sanditon then?" "Where will Sidney live, will he then live in London with his wife?" "Why doesn't he come help his brother the next season or visit his family, as we know Tom will make a mess of things" The show will have to answer these questions in a believable manner.

2. No Beaufort twins

Mollie Holder said on her instagram that the Beauforts wouldn't be returning. This leads to quite a few questions like: where will Georgiana stay then? What will be happening to Mrs. Griffiths? Will Georgiana be her sole ward while the Beaufort's absence is explained as them having married or having become governesses?

3. Who remains aboard

Rose Williams is definitely on board. It's also pretty certain Tom will be there again. Lady Denham is also likely to return. The child actors and their parents were willing, but worried about their increasing age a few months back. Old Stringer said he'd have loved to be part of Sanditon again and to see it continue, but he's well... dead on the show so he won't return. So who will join Charlotte?

Leo Sutter might not return. He plays an important role in the next spin-off of vikings. Vikings has a new season each year. On top of that he's currently busy recording Gateway 6. We don't know how long that might take. And perhaps by the time filming ends he's required for the next season of the Walhalla series. Leo Sutter is a rising star, he might not even have the time to return. Especially for two seasons. At his age and point in his career, he needs to cement his name, or he'll remain b-list while he has a-list potential. So he might have to give up Sanditon for his career. It's sad, I'd love a Stringer/Charlotte future where they both grow to being suitable for each other while becoming people confident in their own abilities. But in the end, I would be alright with it, as Charlotte didn't express immediate interest in him. Writing him out would also be fairly easy, they could just write that despite thinking he had to stay home after his father's death, he went to London in the end under Charlotte's encouragement. Perhaps he could then come back for a guest appearance.

Crystal Clarke will reprise her role as Georgiana. Clarke has, since Sanditon, spoken out about the sometimes tone-deaf director and scriptwriters. She had to step in a few times to make sure Georgiana was done justice. She also said she hoped Georgiana, if the show was continued, would get the space to breathe and be independent, instead of playing a minor role as token black friend of Charlotte while under the control of Sidney. It will be complex to have her return without involving Sidney, as his character will have to be written out. I imagine this can be done with a timejump, but the timejump would have to be 4 years to make Georgiana 'of age' as she is 17 in the show. They'll probably place her under someone's care while saying Sidney is "still her guardian, but away". Georgiana is, in my opinion, an essential part of Sanditon. Bridgerton showed the world wanted to see diverse faces. Austen wrote a black character as a wealthy and desirable woman. They simply have to do more with her in the future. Clarke will reprise her role, this time with black writers to do justice to her character. I'm excited to see what will be done.

The actor who plays Arthur, Turlough Convery, is a good actor and mostly in period pieces. However he's never overly in demand, and usually stays with shows for multiple seasons. I think he's quite willing to come back and it means Georgiana would have a friend. I also hope they delve into his character, especially after his "I don't think i'll ever get married".

Matthew Needham and Mark Stanley, Crowe and Babington, are Sidney's best friends. It will be hard to have them come back without them explaining why Sidney is never with them. But I believe they would work well as a duo: the drunk and the one braincell are a fun dynamic. Both are not much in demand, despite that I quite like them as actors. So we might see them returning. Their return would also be vital for the return of a few other characters:

Their return would also be vital for the return of a few other characters:

Charlotte Spencer's Esther Denham is married to Babington. Without Babington returning, how can Esther? And vice versa. Their storyline was also the main romance for me and a big part of the last few episodes. They kinda need to return. Babington is also Sanditon's access point to high society. To cash in on Bridgerton's success they should search that royal connection. Babington is friends with the Prince Regent. On top of that he has the most money. If he hosts a party and Charlotte is invited, this is where they get those grand-bridgertonesque scenes.

Lily Sacofsky's Clara had a romantic subplot with Crowe. In their final unaired scene they went to London together. She could return. However, the chances are quite slim. Clara is in London, and Sanditon takes place in Sanditon. Unless Lady Susan takes Charlotte to London for a while and she meets Clara and Edward there, cooking up a plan to get back at Esther and Lady Denham.

4. Predictions

There's no words to describe the popularity of Bridgerton, so this WILL influence Sanditon. I predict: more sex, more scandal, and even more ahistorically modern ideas and characters, multiple female characters and multiple male characters that each get screentime and their separate storylines and developments like in bridgerton, instead of just Charlotte's pov we follow. Glamorous scenes. And more POC.

The season will start with a timejump in all likeliness (as it is easier so they don't have to focus too much on her grieving). Charlotte will catch us up with what has happened while perhaps narrating over some letters she's written to georgiana and lady susan. She'll return to Sanditon during a summer. Sanditon will have been partially rebuilt with Eliza's money, and many activities will be planned. Sanditon will be in some kind of trouble. Charlotte will still be a planner. Her being very actively involved in things and having a vision was one of the most alluring parts of her character. In the books there was a rival town Tom hated. That might be a bit tricky to adapt so they could introduce some local competition for attention around Sanditon. A local duke hosting parties could overshadow tom's events. Or the social season in London could lure everyone there instead of to Sanditon. Charlotte will try to help Tom with this while getting reacquainted with everyone still in Sanditon, and hearing about the reasons why Sidney/Esther/Stringer/The Beauforts (to be seen) aren't in the show anymore. She'll also rebuild her relationship with Georgiana.

Then one day for an event Charlotte will invite Lady Susan, who will invite her to the London season to get over her heartache à la Jane Bennet. Charlotte will join Lady Susan to lure a crowd to Sanditon. There, she'll be confronted with some of her demons of the past season. Perhaps a pregnant Eliza Campion makes an appearance to rub it in Charlotte's face. In Sense & Sensibility Margaret discovered Willoughby's relationship in a most shocking manner in an almost public setting. Sanditon likes to nod at all Austen books so this could be a nod at that book when Charlotte discovers unpleasant news in a public manner. Charlotte will congratulate her and wish them happiness, and afterwards either a girlpower moment could happen with Lady Susan or Georgiana supporting her, or a love moment. Mrs Campion has tried to talk Charlotte down in front of people in the past, if she did it again, a new love interest could step in at that time to compliment her and then take her off for a dance. That could be an emotional moment for her, as she realized her feelings for Sidney in London during a dance the last time around as well. And she could have her cinderella moment by excusing herself and running off after the dance, uncertain of her feelings. She'll have some grand balls, might be harrassed by a man and risk a scandal, or try and prevent Georgiana from ruin during a scandal.

At the last moment she'll succeed in her goal and lure a crowd to Sanditon's events that will put Sanditon on the map. Either the local competitive duke, or someone from London will be impressed with her, but she won't be ready to marry yet. I trust that by the end of the second season, she'll finally have a realisation that she's quite happy with how she's living her life and how good her work is, and that she has finally stopped feeling sad. So the second season will stop with her atop a cliff, letting go of the traumatic loss she suffered on that same cliff a season before. By the end of the season, one or two love interests will be set up for the last season.

So the nudity and big romance will have to come from elsewhere. Georgiana will get more agency and action in the next seasons. She could be trying to tempt Charlotte in joining her adventures as a single wealthy independent woman. She might even leave to find her place in the world via boat, returning to where she was last truly happy: Antigua. The second season could maybe end with Charlotte overlooking Georgiana's boat leaving from the previously mentioned clifftop. Another option is Georgiana falling in love with a local man and taken an interest in the town. Financially speaking, Georgiana could be the only one able to save Sanditon. But I don't think she owes the town anything. Another option is the writers focus on Georgiana navigating her relationship with Otis, who might be back home for a holiday after navy duty. We could also see some political debates à la Poldark S5 about freedom, servitude, independence and so on. The first plan for Georgiana doesn't even have to exclude the second, she could decide to sail away with Otis to find their place in the world. In any case: race shall not be brushed under the carpet and Georgiana will kick some shins on her way to her happy ending. In Jane Austen, we have rarely seen a woman who tried to elope, or escape her guardian, get a happy ending. Georgiana Darcy, Eliza Williams, Eliza's mother, ... they're all tragic tales of women falling for bad guys who try to steal their virtue or take their money. And in the end they always become dependent on men again. I hope in Sanditon Georgiana will learn and grow herself, instead of being coddled by men. A lot could be done.

Esther and Babington could be a very cool insert if the actors join. They can really connect the high society to Sanditon. They could host balls, invest in Sanditon or drive the London plot. But they can also be an emotional backbone to the show. Esther married Babington, but she wasn't in love yet. I'm not a fan of the edward/Esther angle. After all he did, I rather she hated him with burning passion and never spoke to him again. But he could try to blackmail her and ruin her reputation in London. Perhaps become some kind of Lord Whistledown. With Charlotte coming to Esther's aid. Esther's plotline could be about learning to trust people and open her heart again. Perhaps she could have a conflict with Babington about him wanting a family and she still being uneasy with marriage, let alone children. Maybe they could have a fight, with one of them going to London. In their separation they might realize they love each other. And then the other comes back home from London with Charlotte and they fix everything. Another route is them having a fight, Esther going to confront Edward or Clara about their blackmailing or maneouvring. Babington thinks it's because she doesn't love him, but actually it's because she loves Babington and wants to be rid of her past. But she gets into an accident and Babington only realizes the truth later on, leading to a happy ending.

Other things I'd love to see: Mary finally growing a backbone and telling Tom to either be open about his affairs and finances or be gone. Arthur and Diana growing a backbone and telling their brother he's a fuck up. Charlotte realizing Tom is stupid. Lady Denham appointing Charlotte or Arthur to head of Sanditon after showing their worth an entire season. Tom being repentant. Diana getting over her fears. Arthur getting a love interest. Crowe being in Sanditon, I just love him. Kisses. Healthy love interests that aren't broody and traumatized and in need of fixing by women. Jane Austen's men need to do their growing ON THEIR OWN. And then they earn their brides.

5. What we'll lose

- A Sidlotte ending: once the new season comes out, Sidlotte is no longer headcanon.

- A happy Esther/Babington ending: they married and looked happy, despite Esther's rushed turn around. If they're in the new season, their marriage won't be perfect. They'll have conflicts, just for plot. Whatever headcanons we had for them will probably be falsified. We might come to dislike them or their relationship. I've seen almost all my ships crumble to dust on the rocks of multiple seasons dragging out relationships and piling on conflict just to keep it interesting.

- A part of what made Sanditon Sanditon: we'll lose many faces we've come to love. And the dynamics and relationships will therefore change a lot.

- Fanfics become dated: I know it is the problem of every fandom, but it's one I regret all the same. Part of why I love Austen fandoms is the fact that the books are written. The characters and relationships won't change. With 2 new seasons coming, all fanfics out there will become dated. The millions of hours authors put into Sidlotte fics will perhaps become barely read when Charlotte gets new love interests. All the headcanons I and many others wrote down for Sidlotte, Esther/Babington, Charlotte/Stringer, will officially become silly fantheories. I've been there a couple of times before that shows changed the entire course and personality of certain characters and then you can't help but feel exhausted and sometimes annoyed because these are your babies and you had dreams for them, and the writers took them in directions that sometimes don't do them justice. But it's canon so you gotta accept it. Sometimes fantasy is nicer than a writer toying around with storylines and characters just to create drama. And I'll have to write my characters in a new way that fits the characters based on the info from the new seasons. I might fall out of love with them. Ah, the burden of being a shipper weighs heavy.

- Perhaps we still lose a HEA: Season one ended with a happy babington/Esther and an unhappy Charlotte who learned a lot, and a Sanditon that was saved. Although Sanditon has been extended for two seasons it's possible that if the ratings for S2 aren't good they may still cancel the third season. If they don't learn from their mistakes and end season 2 on another cliffhanger even Esther's relationship and sanditon may be at stake. If they're getting 2 seasons they will also not marry or engage charlotte in the second, meaning Charlotte will still be single by the end of the series if they cancel season 3. The whole reason we wanted more seasons was for charlotte to have a HEA. So I'm really fearful that she'll be put in another hard spot. They at least need to get her happy by the end of S2.

6. What we'll gain

- More sanditon content

- More regency era content and images and music which is always lovely

- Seeing our favourites again

- Hopefully we get to see new challenges and romance and humor and tense moments and scandal and drama that will be fun to watch

- A Georgiana story arc: a black woman in a realistic historical setting living her life, being wealthy, and England just having to Deal With It. And as cherry on top she'll be written by black writers.

- Happy endings (hopefully)

- New hot men! This is a guarantee

- Perhaps LGBTQ+ representation with Arthur

- Frustration at Tom's antics (guaranteed)

- Maybe some interactions with Charlotte's siblings

- Esther Babington content

- New material to write fanfics and metas about

- Over 8 hours of viewing pleasure

[movienotesbyzawmer]

August 30: Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

(previous notes: Mission: Impossible III)

I bet the powers that be at the Mission: Impossible movie factory didn't lose any sleep over the stupid colon in the title that screws everything up. I mean, just look at that up there with the colon after my date, then the colon in the middle of the OG title, and then it's like, well, you can do whatever you want with punctuation but we're adding a subtitle after it now and you just have to deal with it. On posters and stuff it's just "Mission: Impossible" and then underneath those words they put "Ghost Protocol" so they don't have to deal with it. What a mess. I tell you it is a damn mess is what it is.

Anyway, we have arrived at the M:I movie that, more than any of the others, just really hit the spot for me when I saw it upon its original release. I saw it at the end of a frustrating and tiring work day and it was exactly what the doctor ordered. At some point in the middle I realized that I was enjoying it thoroughly without having to tolerate the kinds of flaws that were apparently part and parcel of this kind of movie. Maybe there were flaws that I just wasn't registering. We'll soon see.

Continuing the tradition of making very hip choices for the directing duties, here we have the live-action directorial debut of Brad Bird, who started off directing episodes of The Simpsons before moving on to no less than The Iron Giant and The Incredibles. Dude had two Oscars on his mantle by the time he showed up for this. Press play already!

Um Sweet Christ those opening shots look gook in 4K like HOO boy

Whoa, neat opening where Sawyer from Lost is chased off the top of a building in Budapest but his jacket deploys an air mattress right as he almost-hits, but then he's shot by Lea Seydoux in an alley, rat-a-tat-tat with the action here, like what is up

Simon Pegg is back, and he's being tricksy with the tech in a prison! He's opening cell doors and the prisoners are surprised and delighted with that twist! He plays them a jazz standard on the intercom and Ethan Hunt suavely emerges from one of the cells. Fun silly things ensue involving Ethan's rebellious and confident independent strategy and a small riot that seems kind of like a bar fight.

He has made a pal in the joint and he's breaking him out. Some kind of cool tech creates a really sweet vortex-y hole in the floor and they are swooped up by their helpers, it's fun.

We're introduced to Paula Patton who is a new team member, and then the credits roll, and they are spirited in a way that recalls the first movie, also showing real scenes from later in the movie.

Flashback to the thing that was happening with Sawyer shows how that botched operation, something about a file and a courier, got Sawyer killed because lots of bad guys were all over the place there. AR contact lens technology figures prominently, and that is a good idea (plus we totally might have those soon, right?).

0:18:16 - Once again we begin the movie without the leading lady from the previous one, but we're starting to get an explanation here. Or just a tease of one I guess.

And quickly we get a sneaky-style self-destructing message that sets up that Ethan has to disguise himself as a specific Russian and sneak into the actual Kremlin. This movie 100% gets what a Mission: Impossible movie is supposed to be.

This time, they aren't using fancy masks or voice shifter things, just costumes and a fake mustache. They comment about that in the dialogue but don't explain why.

0:24:52 - Dialogue mixed SO QUIET here I have no idea what SP just said. It seems like you're supposed to have heard it.

But that is quickly forgotten when they use the coolest spy gadget of them all - a screen that is placed in a corridor that makes the guy at the other end of the corridor think it’s the corridor, but it's a screen and SP & Ethan are hiding behind it and it is super super neato I love it

Then just when it's cool that that is going well, it's suddenly cool how NOT well it's going because someone is spying on their spycraft! The thing they were going to heist isn't there, and someone deliberately makes their comms thing be heard by the bad guys!

And THEN we see something we really didn't think we'd see and it is kind of mind blowing - Ethan escapes from the Kremlin with a very smooth quick-change of his disguise that we see him do in all one shot… but then the Kremlin totally explodes and it explodes all over Ethan as he's running away! It looks amazing!

Right after that there is some fun with subtitles - Ethan is in the hospital all damaged and concussed and stuff, and the news is talking about the obvious big story, and the subtitles are in Russian. At first I was like, "hey is my home theater tech busted?" but no, the subtitles become gradually more in English as Ethan starts to come out of it. Then we see with subtitles that Ethan is reading lips about the police people that want to be bad guys to Ethan.

After Ethan escapes, we shift to a wholesome-looking Russian family we haven't seen before. The scene is a nice little piece of drama about how the dad sees the Kremlin news and wants to get the family out of there, and very quickly that goes south and thugs have them all at gunpoint, it's nicely done

Ethan is being extracted by two new characters played by accomplished, Oscar-nominated actors Tom Wilkinson and Jeremy Renner… the conversation is dire and I don't want to type during it gahhh gah gah gah I am watching because holy shit this goes south too! TW informs Ethan that the DoD is going to frame him for blowing up the Kremlin and his only choice is to escape. He's telling him HOW to escape in a funny way, but they are attacked and it's visually very interesting and TW is headshot and they are in the water and it is such bad news for Ethan and his new colleague played by Mr. Renner, I probably typoed a lot during that because it was so hard to look away.

So Ethan is on the hook for the terrorist attack of the century and he's being chased by a little battalion of thugs who just shot that important spy boss, and he's in Russia. It is very not good for Ethan.

He's with JR and JR is playing a different character for him. He's a bookish analyst guy who feels very out of place in action-land.

We're learning about the main bad guy, Hendricks, who was the guy that screwed everything up in the Kremlin. He's a super-smart theoretical physicist or something who has big, well-thought-out ideas about destroying the world with nukes, and he took nuke codes from the Kremlin. So things are just really really hairy and it's effective storytelling is what I'm saying.

Also effective is that they met up with SP and PP on a neat secret train car thing that is well appointed with spy gear

And VERY VERY EFFECTIVE is what happens next, which is a series of establishing shots of Dubai which KILL ON MY TV. I am glad I have a 4K panel, kids. This begins what I recall as being an extended sequence of sweet-ass suspense. Ethan has to break into a server room by climbing the outside of the 130th floor of the Burj Khalifa using glove-gadget tech that will hopefully work. There is at least some actual Tom Cruise clinging to the side of that building. It's so cool looking. And to make matters worse, a dust storm approaches! Or should I say "to make matters even cooler looking". Yes I should. Please read that part.

Paula Patton's character seems underdeveloped so far, especially compared to her teammates Simon Pegg and Jeremy Renner.

Jeez you guys, if you like suspenseful action scenes about barely surviving climbing a skyscraper this movie is for you.

1:05:34 - In the middle of a tense conversation we see that they were using the maskmaker but it wasn't working. They just don't want us to have mask fun in this movie. They hate mask fun. Why does Brad Bird hate mask fun.

Oh then this scene which is neat - bad guys are meeting with LS… but Ethan and JR are taking their place, and PP is taking LS's place for the real bad guys one floor down. The movie explains it better than me, but it is pretty exciting, the two meetings happening at the same time with opposite trickery.

Hah, SP does a sweet fake-hand trick to get the diamonds from the bad guys so he can get them to Ethan and JN, and JN is doing the thing where he uses the contact lens tech… gosh why are you even reading this, just watch the movie. I really like the tricksy espionage.

It all falls apart because LS spots the contact lens in JR's eye. The plot is moving along in a way that, I'm once again noticing, would normally require more half-assed-ness. It's just a solid spy plot. Which probably makes these notes more boring. Poor you.

LS dies by getting kicked out of the open window of the Burj Khalifa with a brewing sandstorm in the background! Neat looking!

And then a thing where Ethan is in a thick dust cloud and he's tracking the important paper thing with his tracker device, and it starts moving quickly at him and we realize just as it's too late that it's in a car that's gonna run him over! Then that mechanic gets used in a car chase in a dust storm, which we don't see very often outside a Mad Max movie, and that climaxes in a really cool looking collision, followed by the reveal that one of the nuclear code bad guys was Hendricks in a supermask. So we DO like mask fun after all! Except why do we care that it was Hendricks?

A scene where JR is confronted for maybe being a double-crosser has a beautifully choreographed gun-get-grabbity-grab thing that was probably super fun for the actors.

1:27:05 - JR tells a story that at first we think is that family we saw briefly almost scramming, but no, he's talking about Ethan, and what seems to be a story about Ethan's wife (Julia from the last movie) getting killed in Croatia, and Ethan killing six Serbians for revenge, and that's why he was in prison in the beginning? It's still a little mysterious and kind of complicated. It doesn't quite fit with what we think we know.

Dubai imagery is pretty. I have been to Dubai. I am standing by for your marriage proposals now.

I didn't really follow how we got to this point, but Ethan went for a walk and met with some underworld Dubai person and made a deal the ended up with a huge cache of spy gear and a private plane to India. I went to India like right after Dubai. I have my own car and a job kind of so you might need to calm your hormones at this point.

A probing exchange with PP establishes that indeed Ethan's story is that he killed the men who killed his wife. Doesn't really seem legit, though. There's more to the story, clearly.

One of the tech things they play with on the plane is the most magic-seeming one. It is a suit that looks like tight chain-mail, and it floats over a cart, like a magic carpet that you wear.

We're introduced to Brij Nath, whose name I had to look up so I could tell you how it is spelled. He has an access code that they need, which seems like they just kind of simplified the situation, and he's one of those only-kinda-bad bad guys that's really just a pawn, for our heroes as well as for these storytellers.

The wearable magic carpet gadget is fun and funny! SP has to remote control JR wearing the floaty-suit and JR is trying not to freak out too badly, and maybe on purpose it recalls the scene from the first movie where Tom Cruise hovers parallel to the floor.

Hendricks is now in a secret room in the place where they all are, and he has a bad-guy briefcase computer and orders some subordinates to do something with a virus, and I don't actually understand what's really happening but am I to believe that Ethan et al are thwarting literal nuclear terrorism here in Mumbai? Right here at this pleasant party at the palace of an only kinda-bad bad guy?

1:48:30 - Ha, the climax of the wearable magic carpet thing involves JR barely surviving by doing an acrobatic stunt that seems oddly intuitive and satisfying. You'll just have to watch the movie to know what I mean.

The spy-tech car they have is rad.

They fail to prevent the launch of a nuclear missile! We see it come out of the sub and start missiling toward its destination which we have learned is California! Hendricks mutters things about how that should get the ball rolling making world powers hate each other and nuke each other and may there be peace on Earth, he also, yes, says that.

A chase on foot has Ethan and Hendricks suddenly brawling on an exotically elegant robotic parking ramp. Platforms move around mechanically and transfer unmanned cars to different areas, and it is against that video gamey backdrop that Ethan and Hendricks struggle to get that sinister suitcase which is all bouncing around that environment. Unexpectedly, Ethan's hope of grabbing it is thwarted by Hendricks suicide-jumping down several stories! We see it! He definitely does that! Ethan drives a car off a thing to follow him, plummeting down hood-first, and the airbag saves him! He gets the briefcase and barely saves the day in time!

Again a denouement making it very clear that everything is really shockingly okay and tidied up. Even the thing with Ethan revenge-killing Serbians and the thing with his wife is cleaned way up, but with an elegance and sweetness that elevates this movie above the others. She's not dead after all, just fake-dead for her protection. And they're only where they are in Seattle so he can glimpse her lovingly across a marina.

So! I feel strongly that this is the best Mission: Impossible movie! It is an extraordinarily deftly-constructed spy thriller! It's got all the funnest types of things that are in the other movies, and other fun spy thrillers, but with so much less garbage! They did a great job and they should be proud.

[lastsonlost]

“‘Little Women’ Has a Little Man Problem.”

So reads the headline for an article on Vanity Fair’s website this month about the latest screen adaptation of the beloved Louisa May Alcott novel. The film has been lauded by critics and ostensibly possesses many of the qualities awards voters look for: an A-list cast (including Saoirse Ronan, Timothée Chalamet and Meryl Streep); a respected actress-turned-director (Greta Gerwig); and beloved source material.

But so far it has been noticeably underrepresented during awards season — two Golden Globe nominations and zero Screen Actors Guild nods — and Vanity Fair described the audiences at early advance screenings as “overwhelmingly comprised of women.” One of its producers, Amy Pascal, told the magazine she believes many male voters have avoided it because of an “unconscious bias.”

While the box office numbers following its release on Wednesday suggest the movie has found a decent audience — it placed third, behind the new “Star Wars” and the latest “Jumanji,” on opening day — that unconscious bias has seemed to trickle down to the casual male viewer as well, if Twitter is any indication. The New York Times critic Janet Maslin recently tweeted her surprise at the “active hostility about ‘Little Women’ from men I know, love and respect.”

She also described the movie’s “problem with men” as “very real.” Someone tweeted in response: “It’s not a ‘problem.’ We just don’t care.”

In 2019, this attitude seems like history repeating itself. When Ms. Alcott’s book was first published in 1868, it was an instant success — it was favorably reviewed by many of the top magazines and has never gone out of print — but that made it an outlier. At that time American women’s novels were not most critics’ idea of “serious” writing. While their female British counterparts — Jane Austen and Fanny Burney, for example — were considered giants on the literary landscape, in the United States a different spirit ruled.

The predominantly white and male guardianship of the literary and intellectual high ground tended to view the essential American story as a solo confrontation with the wilderness, not a love triangle or intimate domestic saga. Nineteenth-century men of letters “saw the matter of American experience as inherently male,” the literary critic Nina Baym wrote in her 1981 essay “Melodramas of Beset Manhood.” It was a complete negation of women’s points of view, not just an artistic dismissal.

That doesn’t mean American women’s fiction wasn’t popular — like “Little Women,” Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” could barely keep up with demand after its 1852 publication. But that widespread appeal was used to slight the genre out of hand and further relegate it to the status of mere entertainment. As Ms. Baym noted, Nathaniel Hawthorne, for one, complained in 1855 about the “damned mob of scribbling women” whose inexplicably popular work he feared would hurt his own book sales.

There’s some truth in the notion that women strove to write works that would sell — Ms. Alcott herself said she wrote “Little Women” “at record speed for money” while men toiled away on epics like “Moby-Dick” that would fail to generate much income. This was in large part born of necessity; women had far fewer opportunities to earn decent money, usually forced to unskilled labor. Who wouldn’t write a book for money?

In some ways, we live in a different, more progressive era where recent onscreen stories by and about women have been highly regarded: the Emmy-winning “Fleabag”; the crowd-pleasing “Hustlers,” which outdid expectations at the box office and could lead Jennifer Lopez to her first Oscar nomination; “Portrait of a Lady on Fire,” about a romance between two women in 18th-century France, which was nominated for the Palme d’Or, the highest prize at Cannes, this year. It’s not as if men have shunned these women-led stories.

It may be that on its surface, “Little Women” doesn’t seem as fresh and progressive, comparatively. Maybe men feel it’s too familiar — the book has been turned into a movie no fewer than seven times, including a little-seen version released just last year. But in an era when sequels and remakes clog the film landscape (many of them male-centered), it’s hardly an exception.

Or perhaps the movie’s marketing undersold just how inventive Ms. Gerwig’s adaptation — which takes many interesting creative liberties, such as ditching the linear narrative — is. The bucolic imagery in the trailer underlines the cozy, even slightly sappy aspects of Ms. Alcott’s book: the March sisters with their flowing locks and billowing gowns, looking as though they just stepped out of a John Singer Sargent painting. Knitting around a fire. Lots of dialogue centered around whom the young women will marry (in England, the second half of the book was called “Good Wives”). Some may feel the story is solely about getting a husband.

But the book has always been about more than this; in the character of Jo March (played in this iteration by Ms. Ronan), Ms. Alcott created a rebellious, tomboyish heroine eager for adventure. “I can’t get over my disappointment in not being a boy,” Jo declares in Chapter One. “And it’s worse than ever now, for I’m dying to go and fight with Papa. And I can only stay home and knit, like a poky old woman!” From afar “Little Women” may look like a standard 19th-century romance, but Jo is ready to subvert conventions from the start.

Ms. Gerwig’s film inhabits this spirit throughout. As in the book, the March sisters are intellectually curious, avid readers and artistically inclined, eagerly performing Jo’s melodramatic plays. Amy eventually goes to Europe to pursue a career in art, Beth excels at piano, Meg shows talent as a performer. In a pivotal scene late into the movie, Jo tries to describe to her mother what writing means to her and why she isn’t defined by wifely feelings. Women, she says, “have minds and they have souls as well as just hearts.”

There’s reason to believe this new “Little Women” has appeal beyond a predominantly female audience. Several male film critics have given enthusiastic reviews, and on Wednesday Ms. Maslin tweeted her belief that male opposition has receded now that the movie is out. “Men are loving it,” she wrote. “Even ones who said they wouldn’t go.”

Yet that this concern even existed to begin with is disheartening. If many men haven’t wanted to give it a chance because they don’t think it’s meant for them, we still have a way to go in considering all kinds of narratives about women to be deserving of thoughtful attention.

We can turn to a much-canonized American male writer, David Foster Wallace, for a vivid phrase not far off from Jo’s cry to her mother: Fiction writing “is what it is to be a [expletive] human being.” That’s what “Little Women” is — a plea for women to be seen as human beings.

----------

SO Let me see if I got this straight. People who are in fanatical support of a movie that has nothing to do with men, who's target audience isn't men and was never marketed to men seem to think it's mens faults but it bombed.

WHY DO THESE PEOPLE THINK MEN ARE OBLIGATED TO JUST GIVE UP THEIR MONEY?

Men that don't only one there Financial labor.

[fathercharlesoffdensen]

It is legitimately difficult to only choose ten photos for this post about the latest leg of our travels, but I did my best. Betrayal was played well more for laughs than the source material or online reviews have suggested thus far. Tom's character, in particular, is surprisingly Loki-esque with a dash of the MTV sketch he did with Jessica Chastain and Josh Horowitz, in that he goes out of his way to fuck with Charlie Cox's character while overly patiently waiting for him to confess his affair with Tom's character's wife. Without deft handling, it could have been an excruciating 90 minutes, but all three of the main actors, plus the waiter (major Taika Waititi energy) and the little girl who plays Tom's daughter are just superb all around, and the result is riveting. Between an entire scene where Tom cuddles said little girl, and one where he is gradually reduced to visible tears while sitting all of like 20 feet from me, I'm pretty sure my reproductive organs regenerated themselves, honestly.

Stage door was insane, quite honestly, I'm not surprised that he's looked haggard in various photos as of late or cops out early on meeting fans. We were about 8 rows from the stage and left dutifully during bows, and the queue was already around the block, with a steady stream of onlookers across the street for the better part of an hour. Tom and Zawe left fairly quickly (probably not together, in case any conspiracy shippers happen to see this, but don't quote me on that). However, one of the security guys had everyone line up single file, and then Charlie actually moved swiftly down the line and signed autographs for everyone. His smile is more dazzling up close. He asked kindly if it was okay for him to sign Zawe's book; I hinted that I thought the characters would have been happiest all together in a romantic relationship (which is a direct reference to a line of Tom's in the play fwiw), and he laughed. Another security guy collected the post card I bought at the British Museum and things from other disappointed fans and promised sincerely to give them to Tom. I'm actually really sad that I didn't get to talk to Zawe about her book; I've been reading it on the Tube this week, and enjoying/relating to it a lot.

I could honestly go on forever, but will try not to. On play day, we started out with an interactive Avengers exhibit, and then trumped over to the British Museum to look at Viking shit and an Easter Island statue with nipples and the Rosetta Stone and mummies and a lot of other good shit, before heading to the Harold Pinter. We have seen multiple Chris Hemsworth cologne ads and even managed to sniff the hybrid citrus/woodsy fragrance he's hocking - it suits him. Today, we made our way to none other than St. Abbs, aka New Asgard, where we spent a while out by the lobster cages from That Scene in Endgame, talking to a mom and three kids from Ohio about just the right angle to get a good picture from, among other things. (This happens more often than one might think, or maybe exactly as much.) We are staying overnight in a yurt, and everyone we've met in Scotland has been Midwest Nice. It's hard to overstate how much I love it here.

On the 4th, we get to see Stonehenge, which I have wanted to see since I was in middle school, and then it's back to the real world on the 5th. We are already making plans for how to get back here. I will probably make another post of some even nerdier fandom things related to this trip, and then call it good.

[andya-j]

It was the job of a lifetime for me, teaching people to speak English in Hanoi, Vietnam, and getting paid big money for it. In 1994, the war seemed long over, but for some, it was never going to end, soldiers becoming redundant, and innocent people becoming landlocked, their way of living and thought forever changed, so much so they could never rest, not until their job was done . Summer was in full swing there and two of my friends joined me, to help me settle in. They had been there twice before. Good old Jim Dyson and His wife John, short for Johnette. They were both older than me by about ten years. I was only twenty-six. An uncle of mine – Tom - had served in the Army during the war, got wounded at the Battle of Long Tan. He rarely spoke of it, but when he got drunk he did, and would troll off into his own little world, speaking in Vietnamese, because he had to learn the language, just in case he got caught. “ Eddie, “ he'd say, breathing alcoholic fumes on me, trying to look me in the eye, “ they tie ya to trees, boy. Then, they cut ya. From ya shithole to ya breakfast. “ Then, he'd look over his shoulder suspiciously, and smirk, “ We really should make a run for it. “ Uncle Tom was killed by a car walking to the shops in 1986. He had been sober for three years. Hurt my family deeply, Hanoi surprised me, because I thought I would be in a city of the past, with people selling rice, working bullock drays, on unpaved potholed roads, with throwback sixties bars, and tiny, pretty women in purple silk miniskirts promising to love me long time. It was nothing like that. The Dysons had warned me. It was very modern and very loud. And, man, it was loud. First day there, I saw a fight in the street. Two taxi drivers got into an argument over a potential fare and one stabbed the other in the back of the neck. The potential fare ran off and got on a bus. I wanted to step in and help the wounded driver, but Jim pulled me back, saying, “ No, Ed. It's their business. They don't like interference. Trust me. “ I trusted him, but I really think I should have helped. We settled into a hotel called the Hanoi Arms and I still had three weeks to go until I settled into the teacher's cottage. The Vietnamese government, crawling along as it was, had found me a permanent place to stay, which I was and will be forever grateful for. It was much like a modern bedsitter unit. It had an expanse to place a bed, a lounge, a desk, and television, which I never had reception for, unless it was a black screen with Viet music playing. The place had a seperate kitchen and bathroom, though. And it had electricity. I met the renevator – Tran – when I turned up the first time, with Jim and John. “ Ready. Ready soon, “ he said, smiling, covered in paint, a man in his late forties. “ You cook here. Big cook. “ He dabbed paint at the wall, then said, “ Here, man cook all time. Good for wife. Wife cook good, man cook better. Must cook better. No cook, no good. No cook, no wife, “ then he chuckled, like this was the local knowledge and a joke to him. Tran smoked a cigarette while he painted, the cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, never once using his hands to deal with it, inhaling and exhaling through his mouth, squinting through one eye. When the cigarette was finished, he spat the butt with expert aim into a brass pot. I have never smoked, so I found it fascinating, and when I finally moved in at the start of term, there was not a shred of cigarette smoke in the place. I never met Tran again. At the community school, where I would be working, I met the head of education. She called herself Miss Maggie. She was taller then most Vietnamese women, had long and straight black hair, with legs that ran to her neck, and she had the greenest eyes. Jim and John met her with me and they later told me that meeting an asian woman with green eyes is very good luck, like marrying a white woman with blue eyes. It's simply the polar cultural opposites of good fortune. Being only twenty-six at the time, I won't lie, I wanted to fuck Miss Maggie bad. She was hot. With three weeks to go before the start of a new term, Miss Maggie said, “ You should cycle. Go get cycle, love. “ She said love. My heart was beating fast. Then, she said, “ The people there. In the country, they need you. I don't need you here. I need you there. Introduce yourself, Mister Grantley. Be a teacher. “ “ Just call me Eddie, “ I said. “ No, you are Mister Grantley. You are a teacher, like I am, but I am better than you are. You know why? You are here, love, “ winking at me, knowing she was the boss, and that was all of it. Love... That word again. A learned word to soothe the nerves of the caucasian, like junkies use it to appease a dealer they owe money to, or to get product from, or to slide their foot through the door. We were attracted, I could see it, but she wanted me to do my job, earn the money, better her homeland, and prove it. “ Certainly, “ I said. “ It's a very good idea. I'll listen to your advice. Bicycle, was it? “ “ Yes, “ she said. “ Blend in. A motor car distinguishes you at my school. Get a bicycle. I see you have friends waiting for you. You should take them with you. I heard your other friend speaking Vietnamese. Make sure he goes with you. To be a good teacher, Mister Grantley, you must be like the students. If they crawl, you crawl with them, then they learn to walk. “ I understood her logic and that's why I eventually married her. Jim and John were quick to rent bicycles for us and off into the Vietnamese countryside we went, leaving the noise of Hanoi behind. Before too soon the roads became dusty, dirty, pocked with holes, and irrigations. We laughed at how much those road jolted our bones. We stopped at villages, the villagers coming out, speaking to us, telling us where to go, and where not go, offering us their babies at times, freaking us out, always marvelling at the shininess of our bicycles, sunglasses, and watches, touching the fabric of our clothes. At one place, into our fourth day of cycling, at a village I still cannot pronounce, they held Jim and Johnette down, by the side of their toppled bikes, yelling, machetes high, willing to decapitate them both, then the villagers laughed and let us go. We wanted to go home then, but Jim was pissed, “ Fuck these little cunts! Fuck them! “ “ Shut up! “ Johnette shrieked. Then, they came back, and took us, shoved us to the ground again. Right there in the middle of nowhere. “ Be cool, “ I told my companions, “ Just be quiet for a moment. “ ( Please... ), I said in Vietnamese, especially to the older angry man with the machete above me, his dark face scrunched to kill, and me already having wet myself. ( We will ), from remembering all my uncle Tom's drunken Vietnamese. I was here to teach it, not speak it. The angry man with the machete yelled, “ We will? We what? “ I asked, ( Teach speak please? )( Can we please help you? ) ( Hear me? ) He kicked my belly, called me a smarty pants, slapped the back of my head, and snorted that english was easy. The Americans taught him that. Jim was next. He grabbed Jim by the fringe and put the machete to my friend's throat, yelling, “ You! What you do? “ John was pleading with the men roughing her up and Jim was seething with anger, his eyes making it clear. ( I can rip every tooth from your head and fistfuck your mouth for this, ) Jim growled in clear and profound Vietnamese. The machete man let him go and stepped back, understanding exactly what Jim meant. First, he smirked, then he chuckled, slapping one of his pals on the arm, then he laughed at Jim, “ No, you cant! I won't let you! “ Then, everyone was laughing at us. I was thinking they were going to keep us prisoner, rape Johnette, behead us, all the terrible things my uncle Tom told me about, but within in a few hours, they had fed us, given us water, returned our bicycles, and sent us on our way. We were glad to be away from them and Jim and John bickered momentarily, but they made up quickly, and held each other crying. They wanted to blame me for it, but couldn't, because I never invited them. They invited themselves. Two days later, we encountered an old compound that may have served as a military base during the war. The walls were huge and grey, four towers standing high, but vacant. The place seemed deserted, so we ventured inside to look around. We quickly learned that this place had been a prison. There were hundreds of cells with broken doors and rusty bars, an executioner's gallows rotting away. In the massive courtyard we heard a door open at the far end and a small old man was looking at us, just standing there, shaking his head in disappointment. “ Hello! “ John called. The man looked shocked and upset when she called out, then spoke to himself, turning around, and darted back into his room. “ Spritely old fart, “ Jim said. “ Probably has a huge cock, too. “ John giggled and punched his arm. We knocked on the old man's door and it opened slightly, unlocked. “ Hello? “ I quizzed. “ Are you there? Can we please come in? “ There was a breeze and the door opened a little more, so I gently pushed it all the way open. The old man was unravelling bundles of rope, cutting them into lengths with a large knife, mumbling to himself. We entered and he seemed oblivious to us. His room smelled of kerosene. “ Are you the caretaker? “ I asked. John was amazed at the silk tapestry on the wall. Jim checked in a vase and coughed, “ I think those are human ashes in there. “ I was trying to decipher what the old man was saying, but for the life of me, I couldn't grasp his dialect, wondering aloud, “ What do you think he's saying? “ “ Sounds familiar, “ Jim said. “ Some shit about three ropes. “ The old man kept cutting the ropes with the knife, nimble about it, but also quite distressed, like we had made him get out of bed to do something he didn't want to do, as if us being there was a chore, never once ceasing his mumbling that same phrase over and over. I turned to Jim and he had John's arm, backing out the door in shock, motioning for me to follow them, Jim nodding his head, wide eyed in panic. He walked calmly to his bicycle, telling me to follow, don't look back, but I did look back, and as we rode away, I could see the old man wailing silently at us, on his knees, rope in hand. When the compound was out of sight, Jim stopped pedaling, taking a breath. “ That old guy is fucked, “ Jim said. “ I recognized what he was saying from this time I went to Thailand to visit a friend. Some prison guards were speaking to each other in a bar. That old man back there was talking Thai. He was wasn't talking about three ropes. Even for an old man, he is very dangerous. He was a prison executioner and he was saying he needed to hang three more, meaning us. That was a gutting knife he had. He was going to gut us and hang us, Eddie! “ In 1994, the war was long over, but for some...

It was the job of a lifetime for me, teaching people to speak English in Hanoi, Vietnam, and getting paid big money for it. In 1994, the war seemed long over, but for some, it was never going to end, soldiers becoming redundant, and innocent people becoming landlocked, their way of living and thought forever changed, so much so they could never rest, not until their job was done . Summer was in full swing there and two of my friends joined me, to help me settle in. They had been there twice before. Good old Jim Dyson and His wife John, short for Johnette. They were both older than me by about ten years. I was only twenty-six. An uncle of mine – Tom – had served in the Army during the war, got wounded at the Battle of Long Tan. He rarely spoke of it, but when he got drunk he did, and would troll off into his own little world, speaking in Vietnamese, because he had to learn the language, just in case he got caught. “ Eddie, “ he’d say, breathing alcoholic fumes on me, trying to look me in the eye, “ they tie ya to trees, boy. Then, they cut ya. From ya shithole to ya breakfast. “ Then, he’d look over his shoulder suspiciously, and smirk, “ We really should make a run for it. “ Uncle Tom was killed by a car walking to the shops in 1986. He had been sober for three years. Hurt my family deeply, Hanoi surprised me, because I thought I would be in a city of the past, with people selling rice, working bullock drays, on unpaved potholed roads, with throwback sixties bars, and tiny, pretty women in purple silk miniskirts promising to love me long time. It was nothing like that. The Dysons had warned me. It was very modern and very loud. And, man, it was loud. First day there, I saw a fight in the street. Two taxi drivers got into an argument over a potential fare and one stabbed the other in the back of the neck. The potential fare ran off and got on a bus. I wanted to step in and help the wounded driver, but Jim pulled me back, saying, “ No, Ed. It’s their business. They don’t like interference. Trust me. “ I trusted him, but I really think I should have helped. We settled into a hotel called the Hanoi Arms and I still had three weeks to go until I settled into the teacher’s cottage. The Vietnamese government, crawling along as it was, had found me a permanent place to stay, which I was and will be forever grateful for. It was much like a modern bedsitter unit. It had an expanse to place a bed, a lounge, a desk, and television, which I never had reception for, unless it was a black screen with Viet music playing. The place had a seperate kitchen and bathroom, though. And it had electricity. I met the renevator – Tran – when I turned up the first time, with Jim and John. “ Ready. Ready soon, “ he said, smiling, covered in paint, a man in his late forties. “ You cook here. Big cook. “ He dabbed paint at the wall, then said, “ Here, man cook all time. Good for wife. Wife cook good, man cook better. Must cook better. No cook, no good. No cook, no wife, “ then he chuckled, like this was the local knowledge and a joke to him. Tran smoked a cigarette while he painted, the cigarette dangling from the corner of his mouth, never once using his hands to deal with it, inhaling and exhaling through his mouth, squinting through one eye. When the cigarette was finished, he spat the butt with expert aim into a brass pot. I have never smoked, so I found it fascinating, and when I finally moved in at the start of term, there was not a shred of cigarette smoke in the place. I never met Tran again. At the community school, where I would be working, I met the head of education. She called herself Miss Maggie. She was taller then most Vietnamese women, had long and straight black hair, with legs that ran to her neck, and she had the greenest eyes. Jim and John met her with me and they later told me that meeting an asian woman with green eyes is very good luck, like marrying a white woman with blue eyes. It’s simply the polar cultural opposites of good fortune. Being only twenty-six at the time, I won’t lie, I wanted to fuck Miss Maggie bad. She was hot. With three weeks to go before the start of a new term, Miss Maggie said, “ You should cycle. Go get cycle, love. “ She said love. My heart was beating fast. Then, she said, “ The people there. In the country, they need you. I don’t need you here. I need you there. Introduce yourself, Mister Grantley. Be a teacher. “ “ Just call me Eddie, “ I said. “ No, you are Mister Grantley. You are a teacher, like I am, but I am better than you are. You know why? You are here, love, “ winking at me, knowing she was the boss, and that was all of it. Love… That word again. A learned word to soothe the nerves of the caucasian, like junkies use it to appease a dealer they owe money to, or to get product from, or to slide their foot through the door. We were attracted, I could see it, but she wanted me to do my job, earn the money, better her homeland, and prove it. “ Certainly, “ I said. “ It’s a very good idea. I’ll listen to your advice. Bicycle, was it? “ “ Yes, “ she said. “ Blend in. A motor car distinguishes you at my school. Get a bicycle. I see you have friends waiting for you. You should take them with you. I heard your other friend speaking Vietnamese. Make sure he goes with you. To be a good teacher, Mister Grantley, you must be like the students. If they crawl, you crawl with them, then they learn to walk. “ I understood her logic and that’s why I eventually married her. Jim and John were quick to rent bicycles for us and off into the Vietnamese countryside we went, leaving the noise of Hanoi behind. Before too soon the roads became dusty, dirty, pocked with holes, and irrigations. We laughed at how much those road jolted our bones. We stopped at villages, the villagers coming out, speaking to us, telling us where to go, and where not go, offering us their babies at times, freaking us out, always marvelling at the shininess of our bicycles, sunglasses, and watches, touching the fabric of our clothes. At one place, into our fourth day of cycling, at a village I still cannot pronounce, they held Jim and Johnette down, by the side of their toppled bikes, yelling, machetes high, willing to decapitate them both, then the villagers laughed and let us go. We wanted to go home then, but Jim was pissed, “ Fuck these little cunts! Fuck them! “ “ Shut up! “ Johnette shrieked. Then, they came back, and took us, shoved us to the ground again. Right there in the middle of nowhere. “ Be cool, “ I told my companions, “ Just be quiet for a moment. “ ( Please… ), I said in Vietnamese, especially to the older angry man with the machete above me, his dark face scrunched to kill, and me already having wet myself. ( We will ), from remembering all my uncle Tom’s drunken Vietnamese. I was here to teach it, not speak it. The angry man with the machete yelled, “ We will? We what? “ I asked, ( Teach speak please? )( Can we please help you? ) ( Hear me? ) He kicked my belly, called me a smarty pants, slapped the back of my head, and snorted that english was easy. The Americans taught him that. Jim was next. He grabbed Jim by the fringe and put the machete to my friend’s throat, yelling, “ You! What you do? “ John was pleading with the men roughing her up and Jim was seething with anger, his eyes making it clear. ( I can rip every tooth from your head and fistfuck your mouth for this, ) Jim growled in clear and profound Vietnamese. The machete man let him go and stepped back, understanding exactly what Jim meant. First, he smirked, then he chuckled, slapping one of his pals on the arm, then he laughed at Jim, “ No, you cant! I won’t let you! “ Then, everyone was laughing at us. I was thinking they were going to keep us prisoner, rape Johnette, behead us, all the terrible things my uncle Tom told me about, but within in a few hours, they had fed us, given us water, returned our bicycles, and sent us on our way. We were glad to be away from them and Jim and John bickered momentarily, but they made up quickly, and held each other crying. They wanted to blame me for it, but couldn’t, because I never invited them. They invited themselves. Two days later, we encountered an old compound that may have served as a military base during the war. The walls were huge and grey, four towers standing high, but vacant. The place seemed deserted, so we ventured inside to look around. We quickly learned that this place had been a prison. There were hundreds of cells with broken doors and rusty bars, an executioner’s gallows rotting away. In the massive courtyard we heard a door open at the far end and a small old man was looking at us, just standing there, shaking his head in disappointment. “ Hello! “ John called. The man looked shocked and upset when she called out, then spoke to himself, turning around, and darted back into his room. “ Spritely old fart, “ Jim said. “ Probably has a huge cock, too. “ John giggled and punched his arm. We knocked on the old man’s door and it opened slightly, unlocked. “ Hello? “ I quizzed. “ Are you there? Can we please come in? “ There was a breeze and the door opened a little more, so I gently pushed it all the way open. The old man was unravelling bundles of rope, cutting them into lengths with a large knife, mumbling to himself. We entered and he seemed oblivious to us. His room smelled of kerosene. “ Are you the caretaker? “ I asked. John was amazed at the silk tapestry on the wall. Jim checked in a vase and coughed, “ I think those are human ashes in there. “ I was trying to decipher what the old man was saying, but for the life of me, I couldn’t grasp his dialect, wondering aloud, “ What do you think he’s saying? “ “ Sounds familiar, “ Jim said. “ Some shit about three ropes. “ The old man kept cutting the ropes with the knife, nimble about it, but also quite distressed, like we had made him get out of bed to do something he didn’t want to do, as if us being there was a chore, never once ceasing his mumbling that same phrase over and over. I turned to Jim and he had John’s arm, backing out the door in shock, motioning for me to follow them, Jim nodding his head, wide eyed in panic. He walked calmly to his bicycle, telling me to follow, don’t look back, but I did look back, and as we rode away, I could see the old man wailing silently at us, on his knees, rope in hand. When the compound was out of sight, Jim stopped pedaling, taking a breath. “ That old guy is fucked, “ Jim said. “ I recognized what he was saying from this time I went to Thailand to visit a friend. Some prison guards were speaking to each other in a bar. That old man back there was talking Thai. He was wasn’t talking about three ropes. Even for an old man, he is very dangerous. He was a prison executioner and he was saying he needed to hang three more, meaning us. That was a gutting knife he had. He was going to gut us and hang us, Eddie! “ In 1994, the war was long over, but for some…

From Horror photos & videos May 10, 2018 at 10:00PM

[captainalmostpalecollector-blog]

Minimum Deposit Poker - Do's And Don'ts.

West Virginia was consistently one of the top teams in the Big East over the past few years. Their success and reputation is a crushing blow to a conference that already gets very little respect. The top teams in the Big East entering 2012 are Cincinnati and Louisville, two teams who joined the Big East 6 years ago. West Virginia's departure was not simple. They demanded an immediate exit to join the Big 12. Pittsburgh and Syracuse are leaving the conference after 2014, they are following the 20-month exit rule the Big East has. West Virginia basically sued to avoid that rule and are now gone. They'll get worse for the obvious reason: because more people will default on their mortgages. But they'll also remain depressed for far longer than anyone expects, for a reason most people will never understand. A few years ago, with 4 children, wife to stay home, and a good income, I thought I finally came to a place that I have been striving for years. We enjoyed a very comfortable income from his real estate business and had a big house in the country. And then came Short Handed Texas Holdem Tips - Watch The Blinds And Antes and the real estate crash victims and rebuild our revenue was approximately 25% of what we used to. There was this college student who had to pay his way through college somehow. So he and his brother decided to open up a pizza place. Brother 1 would run the place during the day and go to school at night while Brother 2 would go to school during the day and run the place at night. Low restrict Poker Strategy - taking Part In Pocket Jacks ate my first meal at a small table, all by myself with a stern-looking Psych nurse watching my every bite. I asked when I got to be with the people, and I was told after dinner, that I might go to the activity room and play cards or dominoes. There was to be no TV or phone calls. If I wished to smoke, then I must go to the nurse's desk and request permission to light my cigarette. So moving on, the Big East needed an immediate replacement so they can remain at eight teams. Temple, who used to be part of the Big East until they got kicked out, has rejoined the conference. Cracking The on-line Poker Code Critique is very respectable now, unlike the past where it was more of a joke. Toms: I have a soliloquy, yes, but nothing near like "to be or not to be." And I don't think it is supposed to be! It's more a showcasing of the stereotype that Hamlet loves to talk. Again, he knows words, and he knows how to use them. Listen, none of us are professionals when it comes to agen poker. Most of the time we all play Texas Holdem and the cards people stay in on including myself is unbelievable at times. Sometimes we even joke about getting a game of Go Fish together because we would probably be a lot better at it. Well, the games would probably be more competitive. Then of course others break out with oldies like Old Maid, Crazy Eights, and even UNO. Never charge what you can't afford to pay off. Again, you should make it your goal to pay off your balances in full every month, or every end of your billing cycle. Don't be tempted to pay the minimum payment only even if your credit card allows it. Remember that paying off your balances each month enables you to save a great deal by not incurring the interest rate. Now you have to worry about what will happen if you do win money at an online site. Assuming you play at a legitimate site and win, the site will pay you. It won't be able to transfer money into your bank account. It will have to use another method, which is most likely going to be mailing you a check. Will your bank cash that check if the new law goes into effect?

[leewritesstuff]

Keeping Up With The Hollands | 04

Summary: You and Tom were offered to document your life since you are both famous in the entertainment industry. Now as you got older you left the entertainment industry and head for the medical field. How difficult can it be? Also, did I mention that you have kids?

Pervious | CHAPTER 04 | Next

Series Masterlist

WORDS: 1.6+k

Writting this made me laugh at some parts pfftt. Anyway let's pretend that Far Away From Home was shooting during the time the boys were of age (forgot their age ngl 2 or 3 somewhere there)

Tom woke up first, sensing something on his face. He opened his eyes and catch a small foot in front of him. In confusion, he turned and notice all of his children on his king-size bed. Slowly but gently, he removed the feet that belonged to Edward.

He got up and head to the kitchen. Preparing breakfast for the family. His girlfriend Y/N was on a press conference for her charity.

"So today, we are going on the set of Spiderman Far From Home. Um, I'm not really sure how I'm going to do that and take care of four children. I know Harrison said he will be there but... I'm scared" he said to the camera as he tries to flip the pancake.

"I actually tried hiring a babysitter, they only lasted a few hours. I think I had forgotten to tell them that there would be more than one kids. Anyway, Ed and Chase gave them hell so they all left." After flipping the pancakes, Tom separated them, one for each boy and three for him, with some whipped cream on them.

Finish fixing up breakfast, he goes to wake up the boys, seeing as they are on a time limit. When he got there, he saw Jake up, trying to wake up his brothers.

Tom smile and ruffle the boy's hair, "Morning bud, you slept well?" Jake gave him a toothy grin and nodded. Jake got up and jumped into Chase's body making the boy yell, which woke up Max.

"Get up" Chase got up and pushed Jake down the bed, the two starting a fight. Jake's leg accidentally kicked Ed in his face, making the boy cry. Tom pulled away Chase from Jake and grabbed Ed, trying to soothe his nose.

"Alright, alright, it was an accident okay? You're okay" Once the boy calmed down, he picked up Maxton and carried him to the kitchen, as his two other ducklings followed.

Chase and Jake climbed into their highchair while Tom put Ed and Max in there's. He grabbed the prepared plates and gave them it.

Tom sat down in front of them, trying to feed each of the boys, "Chase is the only one who could fully feed himself, so I have to help the others."

Max took a piece of pancake and gave it to Tom, when Tom saw what he was doing, he opened his mouth and let Max feed him.

"Thank you Max for sharing." Max smiled and nodded and continued eating. After the boys were finished, Tom took their plates and washed them.

When he was done, he went to get the boys dressed including himself.

They made it to the studio safely. Tom took out each boy and placed name tags on them. He took Chase hand's who was holding Ed, then Jake's then Max and walked towards the entrance.

"Pa where we at?" Questioned Ed as he looked around the building.

"Well, we're at my work. You get to see Ironman, Thor-"

"Do we get to see Batman?" Tom looked at Max as if he just asked the weirdest question. As he was going to answer, Ed beat him to it.

"No stupid, they have Captin America"

"Aye! Don't call your brother stupid!" Ed pouted but kept quiet. After checking in with security and handing the children their passes they were allowed to enter.

As they were walking, Tom felt something heavy on his foot. He looked down and noticed Maxton was on it, he let out a sigh and tried to get the boy off of him.

"Max let go, I need to walk"

"No"

"Max, come on buddy, I need my foot"

"No"

Tom huffed and bent down, then he grabbed the boy making him scream. He tried shaking the boy off his foot but he wouldn't move. Giving up, he grabbed back Chase's hand and dragged his right foot.

"Stay then. Bloody hell"

On his way to his trailer, he showed the boys all the objects that were on the walls, the posters, the banners, the pictures of people etc etc.

Tom had left the boys in the lounge area with his stylist, Rachael since she asked too. He was grateful for that, but what he didn't mention was that they were slippery. Literally.

The poor woman's attention was more focused on Jake and  Maxton fighting to get the last box of juice, that she didn't notice that both Ed and Chase were missing. Somehow, both boys ended up by the set where Tom was shooting his scene for Far Away Home.

They watch as 'Spiderman' fought Mysterio. Wanting to go help his father, Chase quickly took off his clothes and ran onto the set and started hitting Mysterio.

(I'm sorry I had to laugh at this scene pffttt)

"Someone's Kid is on set!" someone shouted

"Tom's!"

"Whoa! Hey hey! Get me down!" Tom yelled when he notices what's going on. Jake who was playing as Mysterio, 'fell' onto the ground yelling, "Argh! You got me! Man down!" Giggles and laughter could be heard around the seat.

After they got Tom down, he quickly grabbed his son, and shield him, "Mate, I get you're trying to save me and all but you need to keep your clothes on"

Chase smiled at his father, dimples on display. Tom couldn't hold in his laugh and just started bursting out. Jake got up from the ground and head over to the duo. "I guess we have a new spiderman?"

The director yelled for everyone to take a break, Tom, Chase and Jake head over to where Ed and Jacob were enjoying themselves at the buffet table.

"Ed, I thought I left you at Rachel's? Why didn't you stop your brother?"

"He's older" "Yes he is, but you know sometimes he acts like a div and you're stronger than him, so why didn't you?" "I saw food" Both  Jake and Jacob laughed at that while Tom let out a sigh. He picked up the other boy and carried them to who knows where. They spent a good few minutes looking for the other two Hollands. After giving him, Tom carried the two to the lounge area. Tom got irritated when he saw both Jake and Max sitting next to Zendaya and Angourie who was entertaining the two.

"You're shitting me right?" The four turned towards the voice, Max with his bag on his back and  Jake running up to their father's leg and hugging him.

"Daddy said a bad word" "Pay the cookie jar!" Both girls laughed at their friend, watching as his children scold him for cursing. Tom squeezed into the girls and sat on the couch. Noticing that his brother was nude, Max goes up to Tom and turned around. The said man opened the bag and took out some clothes.

While he was putting on the clothes on his eldest son, he kept mumbling about how 'what's with you and clothes?' and 'I will glue them onto you' or 'You have some issues with clothes'

Both girls found the whole scene to be entertaining considering the eldest son was fidgeting and feeling squirmish. Zendaya who had Max on her lap, played with the boy's hair while Angourie tickled Jake. Ed kept on enjoying his juice box.

After finishing dressing the boy, Tom took out a juice box from the bag and handed it to Chase. "Now keep your clothes on okay?" The boy nodded his head in return.

"So what's his issue with pants? Is it too tight or something?" Questioned Zendaya.

"No. He just doesn't like clothes for whatever reason. We're trying to break him out of it but it's hard. The lad just likes to keep his bits cool" "Tom never say that again please" "I'm just saying"

As he was going to say something else Rachel burst into the room panting and sweating, gasping for air. Quickly Tom got up and handed her a bottle of water while Zendaya rubs her back.

"Are you okay?" questioned Angourie. After calming herself down, Rachel turned to Tom and quickly started spurting out apologizes, "I-I'm sorry,  I got distracted by Max and Jake? I think and then I lost the other two and then I told the two that were with me to stay put but when I came back they were gone!"

"Rachel, love, it's alright. I forgot to explain hay they tend to wonder about so that's my fault. I shouldn't have given you four kids. They are a lot to handle" After trying to reassure the woman, he turned to his troublemakers who all gave him a cheeky smile.

"You should apologise for worrying Mrs Rachel."

"We're sorry" The woman nodded her head and left the room, feeling tired after all of the stunts that were pulled on her today.

Since Chase interrupted the scene, the director decided to call it a day and sent everyone home. After Tom changes out of his suit, he heads back to the lounge to pick up his troublesome children.

Once they got home, Tom took them to the shower, after doing that he dressed the boys into their nightwear with the extra stress from Chase.

Once they were out cold, Tom grabbed his phone and called his wife.

"Hey love"

"Hey, you sound tired, how was today?" He took his hand and rubbed his forehead. A minute had passed.

"It was alright until Max and Jake gave Rachel the slipped, then while I was shooting Chase ran onto the scene and started hitting Jake" "He what?!" "Oh! Not our Jake, I mean Jake Gyllenhaal" "Almost got me rilled up"

"Yeah no, we were shooting a scene and Chase thought I was being attacked so he started hitting Jake, it was cute and funny but it did give me the day off. I got them ice cream, so we had a good day, yeah"

"Well I'm glad you guys enjoy yourself" "Yeah.. I miss you. I'm going to bed alright?" "Sure, night, love you" "Love you too"

Tom hangs up the phone and heads to bed, as soon as he laid down, he heard yelling in the other room.

"You got to be pissing me!" He complained but head into the other room to try and get his trouble makers back to sleep.

T A G L I S T @webmeupspiderdaddy @runawayolives @nerdy-collector-festival @hopelessromm@bi-lmg @speedyhandsbonkpalace (If you see this then I couldn't tag you) Want to be added? Then message me!