#watching nick play him is going to be a very very interesting experience

[meraki-yao]

I'm in a law lecture, the lecturer is talking about British history because the lecture content is Civil Law System VS Common Law System

And I'm trying so hard not to laugh because all I can fucking think about is George Villiers

Like as a historical figure, I have opinions on the real-life George Villiers, and most of them are very negative

But mix that sentiment with the fact that Nick's playing him, and I can't fucking stop laughing

Oh God, M&G is gonna be a ride for me

[isaacswhy]

horror games w/ the group

the group x gn!reader (sfw) summary: headcanons (kinda) of playing a horror game with each of the group members. requested?: no, inspired by grunk playing fnaf

Isaacwhy

He first saw the horror game on his steam front store page and decided to buy it.

When you asked him if he was going to beat if first try, he just laughed. Not a yes or a no.

As soon as he got into the game, Isaac got eerily quiet. He was normally a pretty loud person when it came to playing games, but this was your first time seeing him play horror.

When he died, Isaac let out a high-pitched yelp like a little girl. The tension in him released and he finally let out a laugh and explained just how scared he had gotten.

You offered to help play it for him when he was getting tired, which he promptly said no. He was getting focused into the game.

He finished it at an average pace, with a fair share of deaths during the run. He gave you a big grin and hugged you really hard when he won, feeling accomplished.

He posted a tweet about beating the game and took a picture of you next to the win screen. All in all, successful day.

Softwilly

You showed Nick a tweet about how hard a brand new horror game was, and that was that. He had already bought the game and installed it before you were done talking.

When you asked him if he thought he could beat it, he looked at you like you were insane. "Of course I'm gonna beat it. It's gonna be easy," he said.

He died really quickly, almost at the first point in the game in which you can die. He got pretty mad.

You gave him some consolation kisses but he was determined to beat the rest of the game flawlessly. You bet him $5 he wouldn't.

It took less then fifteen minutes for you to get your $5. He raged pretty hard, but he swore that he'd beat the game in less than five deaths.

He finished the game with just under ten, but he was pretty confident with how he did. By the next day, he was playing the game again.

Every time he improved in an area, he'd show you really proud of what he did. You gave him loads of encouragement.

BigT / Tanner

He first saw the game on a livestream of one of his friends and motioned you over to his desk. He asked you if he should play it, and you told him sure.

You nudged him and asked if he'd beat it first try. He very jokingly responded that he would do it easily, boasting his skills.

It took him a little while to die, but then after that he let down his guard and died a bunch. It turned into an unserious laugh fest with the two of you.

Every time he would make a really bad mistake and die, the two of you would bust out laughing.

Tanner took videos of the experience and posted a few to his Instagram story, but it was way funnier in the moment.

By the time he had beaten the game, it was four in the morning. The two of you cheered and celebrated, to your roommates' dismay. Oh well.

The rest of the week, the game became an inside joke and you'd end up laughing your heads off whenever it was mentioned.

Yumi

You were actually on his computer scrolling through steam when a game popped up that you found interesting. Blake was on the bed.

You called him over and had him give his opinion, and he was super into the idea of watching you get scared at a game.

Thus, you ended up getting this game and installing it. He gave you words of encouragement as you booted it up, but you were scared out of your mind.

It didn't take long for you to die and give up on the game entirely. Blake liked horror, so he was happy to step in for you.

He died way less than you expected him to. He would point out things he did to outsmart the enemies but also kept focused on the game.

When he won, he celebrated and took a picture of the two of you together, putting it on his story with the caption "just beat this game ama"

When asked about it on his stream, he said, "Oh, that? Yeah, it was pretty tough. Had Y/N at my side though, so we're chillin'. Can't have a bad time there."

Larry Croft

You and Larry were hanging out on his bed together when he saw a game on his timeline and showed you his phone.

He got up to buy the game and install it, and you stood up and sat into the chair you had next to his to watch him play games.

He decided to stream the game with you at his side, and you were more than happy to be there.

He was pretty bad, all things considered. He died way too often and in places he knew how to beat. But you were his sidekick.

When he'd get too scared or during cutscenes, Larry would reach down and hold your hand under the desk, getting close to you.

You called Isaac into the room, who became Larry's hype man in the background of the stream.

Soon enough, the whole group house had piled into Larry's room to egg him on and backseat his stream.

When he finally did beat the game, the celebration was massive and Tanner ordered pizza for the whole house.

After the stream, in bed, Larry told you, "That was really fun, but scary as shit. Thanks for being my support system."

Grunk

Grunk had been sent the horror game to play by a friend, likely Isaac. He shrugged and told you to join him.

As soon as he got in the game, Grunk told you he was going to beat the game flawlessly, with no deaths. You grinned and nodded, not believing him at all.

He kept the streak up for an impressive amount of time, over halfway through the game. It went straight to his head, and he was bragging about how well he understood the game.

When he finally did die, Grunk's ego was shattered. He looked crushed and he slid down in his chair, defeated. It took over five minutes to get him to even try again.

When he did try again, he failed over and over. It took him hours to finish the game.

As soon as he won, it was like all the disappointment left him and he jumped around his room cheering about how good he was. You laughed and celebrated him.

The next day, he would make a lot of small comments like, "That game was really tough! I did great though, didn't I?"

It was kind of annoying, but you gave him lots of encouragement and would agree with him.

[escapingrealtiylovinginsanity]

Nick Amaro NSFW Alphabet  

Guys I finished rewatching season 14 and I forgot how much I hate the storyline they give Nick. I love him as a character, but I would love to completely reconstruct his backstory. He has to be one of the most personally screwed-over characters in SVU. Am I the only one who hates the hidden love child-which I’m completely disregarding? Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this!  

Warnings- Some Maria-hate (sorry not sorry).  

A = Aftercare (what they’re like after sex) 

Nick's aftercare is exceptional. He cleans you up, washing any mess he has made off you with a warm washcloth or a hot shower. Then it is cuddling and whatever you want in your post-glow bliss. Usually, it’s time for you to talk about whatever you want. Something you did, a movie you saw, an awful joke you heard that you laughed at but didn’t seem worth bothering him about. He wants to hear it all.

It’s a time that you have this full attention. Sometimes it leads to more vulnerable emotional conversations that he seems to have an easier time having when his walls are down after sex. Sometimes words are too much and the two of you just hold each other, caressing each other's bodies.  

B = Body part (their favorite body part of theirs and their partner’s)  

Nick’s favorite body part of himself is his hands. They are rough, calloused, and strong from years of sports, hard work, and shooting a gun. They are dexterous and versatile enough to accomplish his endless paperwork, playing catch with Zara, fixing things around the house, and his favorite teasing you with them until you come apart so prettily with his name on your lips. 

Nick loves your entire body. He tells you all the time there is nothing he would ever change. He loves your curves and doesn’t discriminate between them. Why be a boobs or ass man, when he has two hands and a willing mouth that can have both and more?  

C = Cum (anything to do with cum, basically)  

Nick is a jealous man, and he knows it. You are his and nobody else. After spending a significant amount of time watching any another man try to talk or flirt with you there is nothing more that he wants to do than take you to his bed and paint his cum all over your body. It gives him undeniable satisfaction seeing his seed on your skin claiming you in the most barbaric way. He should hate it because it may be considered demeaning, but he can’t. Even later when he is cleaning you up, he smiles knowing the evidence of his DNA still lingers on your skin, clinging to you.    

D = Dirty secret (self-explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)  

It’s not necessarily dirty but you made Nick come embarrassingly early by calling him Papi one day out of nowhere while you were riding him. He never liked the idea of being called daddy by his partners. It seemed weird to him but hearing the word Papi come from your lips as you took your pleasure from him did all the right things.

When you guys were basking in the afterglow, he casually asked you about the nickname. You had admitted that one of your friends had told you it was a common term of endearment for Cuban men but you seemed a bit embarrassed. Instead of just telling you he liked it he spent the next few months trying to casually reinforce the nickname whenever you used it by getting you off as many times as possible.     

E = Experience (how experienced are they? do they know what they’re doing?)  

Nick has experience. While he did go through a bit of a Casanova stage in his teens and early twenties, he has always been more of a long-term partner kind of guy. The different women did teach him about different ways to enjoy sex and a bit of experimentation. However, when he married Maria, it was narrowed down to what she liked. She liked sex that was very plain and vanilla, missionary mostly. She wasn't very interested in sex after she had Zara and what they did do was repetitive.

F = Favorite position (this goes without saying) 

Nick’s favorite position is doggy. He likes the control of your body it gives. His hands are free to caress and massage you. He can take you with your back pressed tightly to his chest fistful of your hair to make you look at him and steal open mouth kisses as he thrust into you. Or he can push you down on your knees with your face in the mattress as he holds your wrist behind your back and pounds into you hard and fast. Moans and his name bouncing from the walls as he takes you deeper and deeper. He loves leaving Hickes and love bites on your neck and down the back of your shoulder.      

G = Goofy (are they more serious in the moment? are they humorous? etc.)  

Nick is a very passionate man but that doesn’t always translate into seriousness. You guys have had sex that you have laughed halfway through. You have been mid sex and his beard rubbed just right to tickle you and send you squirming with laughter that was contagious.  

H = Hair (how well-groomed are they? does the carpet match the drapes? etc.) 

Nick’s hair is dark and thick, and it curls when it gets too long. He keeps it trimmed up for hygiene's sake typically. He doesn’t think much about it when it gets overgrown when life is too busy, or he just can’t be bothered. When he is in a relationship, he keeps up on it more as a respectful consideration for you. 

I = Intimacy (how are they during the moment? the romantic aspect)  

Nick is the definition of a Latino lover. He will spend his time with foreplay and the sex making sure you know how important you and your pleasure are to him. He calls you sweet nicknames and tells you how much you mean to him and how he has missed you and your body. If he pins your hands, he intertwines your fingers.  

J = Jack off (masturbation headcanon) 

 Nick doesn’t masturbate often. When he does it's usually not to pleasure himself so much as to get a release from some stress. It’s quick and efficient and then he washes up and continues with his day or gets ready for sleep. He will also get himself off if he is horny, but you are not available or in the mood.      

K = Kink (one or more of their kinks) 

Nick’s love language is words of affirmation, and he has a major praise kink that he likes to mix with his dirty talk. He is also a bit of an exhibitionist. He likes to push the line of where you can have sex without getting caught. Just be careful while he’s drinking because it heightens all these kinks and can lead to some pretty close calls.  

L = Location (favorite places to do the do) 

Nick’s favorite place to have sex is the bedroom because it has the most options and comfort. He has become a big fan of the laundry room. While the space is limited, Zara doesn’t feel the need to interrupt when you go in there because she doesn’t think there is anything of value and would rather watch TV while you guys do the ‘laundry’ unlike when you guys try to sneak away to the bedroom or bathroom. There is a door so there is no risk of her getting in there unexpectedly. Nick has also found many uses for the dryer while it’s on that aren’t clothes-related.     

M = Motivation (what turns them on, gets them going) 

Nick is not hard to convince to have sex or turn on. But he is a very visual man, and if you want to make him go feral wearing lingerie or one of his shirts buttoned halfway up is a good way of giving him an instant boner.    

N = No (something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)  

Nick grew up with an abusive dad and he watched him beat his mom. He will never hit, slap, or do anything that could hurt you. An open-palmed smack on the ass is about as far as he will take it and that’s only if you enjoy it. He will never degrade you because it is against his morals of respecting women.    

O = Oral (preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc.)  

Nick likes to get as much as he likes to receive. He wants you to sit on his face, sit not hover. If you don’t know the difference, he will pull you down on top of him and lick and devour your cunt until your legs are shaking to the point where sitting is the only option. He will work you up so well you will be riding his face. He loves 69ing too. Your moan vibrating around his dick from the pleasure of him eating out your pretty pussy? The answer is always yes.  

Nick loves a good blowjob. You found that it can fix his bad attitude. He came home in a bad mood and was trying to start a fight about something petty and irrelevant. He was in the kitchen slamming stuff around as he was making his coffee, bitching about how messy it was. You knew it had nothing to do with you, and everything to do with a disaster case, and marched over to him and grabbed his belt. He froze at first not sure what was going on, but it wasn't complaints falling from his lips when you dropped to your knees and gave him a quick messy blowjob. When you were done and got back to your feet, you pecked his lips and told him you were late for work leaving him stunned. When you returned home the kitchen was clean, he had cooked homemade traditional Cuban food, and he apologized to you all night long with a lot more than just his mouth.        

P = Pace (are they fast and rough? slow and sensual? etc.) 

Nick likes to make the foreplay slow and passionate, to make sure you are satisfied and ready to take him. When it comes to sex his preferred pace is fast and on the rougher side. Your body in his hands as he pounds into you your breast bouncing, head thrown back as you take him.  

He does have a gentler side that comes out quite often. One that takes you slow and steady. He will kiss every inch of your body whispering Spanish words of endearment and praise against your skin. These are the times he wants to look you in the eyes and make sure you know his love for you in this physical act. That you can hear it, feel it, taste it, and see it in his eyes.      

Q = Quickie (their opinions on quickies, how often, etc.)  

Nick loves a good quicky. Life is busy, especially with a job like his and kids. Sometimes you just have to take those fifteen minutes and make them worth every second. It doesn’t always need to be long to be good and satisfying. Besides Nick enjoys seeing you after a quick tousle out with your friends or random people knowing exactly what causes that flush in your cheeks. Knowing that his cum is still leaking out of you and into your wet panties unless of course he still has them in his pocket for safekeeping.  

R = Risk (are they game to experiment? do they take risks? etc.) 

Nick is willing to experiment with his limits. He is willing to try any position you want at least once. He likes to push the limits where you two can get away with having sex. He likes the bathrooms at bars, the laundry room when Zara is preoccupied, and getting head when he is driving in low to no-traffic areas. He likes the adrenaline of the possibility, but he doesn’t actually want to get caught. 

S = Stamina (how many rounds can they go for? how long do they last?)  

Nick has stamina for days. He can drag out foreplay and sex for hours if you will let him. If you're planning on a sleepless night and are okay walking a little funny the next day you only have to give him about a half hour to recuperate and he will be ready to go again if you are.    

T = Toys (do they own toys? do they use them? on a partner or themselves?)  

No, Nick’s not a toy guy. He is kind of old-fashioned and I think he might take it as a hit to his masculinity if you wanted to use them when you were in bed together.  

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)  

Nick is an ungodly tease. His sweet and dirty talk is second to none. He can get you wet just by telling you about what he is going to do to you. The innocent but consistent touches drive you crazy. Then when he finally has you in the bedroom you can almost taste the pleasure, he is going to give you. He teases you more and tisks about how impatient you are. “All good things come to those who wait, Corazón.”

If you want his teasing to stop, you will have to beg him or start teasing him back. He can give way better than he can take. You will have him changing his pace quick.    

V = Volume (how loud they are, what sounds they make, etc.)  

Nick isn’t loud but he is by no means silent. He likes to dirty talk, and praise you in bed with a mix of English and Spanish words. He grunts and moans but keeps the noise to a minimum when Zara is in the house. If he knows that there isn’t a risk of being interrupted or overheard that is when Nick gets louder and likes to fuck you to upbeat Cuban music.   

W = Wild card (a random headcanon for the character)  

Nick doesn’t know how to ask for attention or affection. He grew up with a controlling abusive father and a traumatized turned aloof mother. Then he married Maria, a strong-willed but distant and emotionally unavailable soldier. He never got consistent affection and doesn't understand his own need for it. He doesn’t consciously know he does it, but when he needs that affection, he will initiate sex even if he is not in the mood to have it. He will make it so good for you like he has to earn it. You will moan and call his name as he wrecks you with his fingers and mouth.  

Then he will usually wave you off when you go to reciprocate even if he is hard. He knows that what he really wants is already within reach because when you are pleasure drunk and boneless it always means that you are willing and wanting to cuddle. Your fingers will stroke and play with his hair, your other hand wandering his back teasing tense muscles until they relax. It takes you a long time to figure out what he is doing and when you do it breaks your heart.   

X = X-ray (let’s see what’s going on under those clothes) 

Nick has a lean body with muscular arms and thighs. His chest is toned with a visible six-pack. He has a sparse dusting of hair on his lower stomach, a happy trail leading down to his goods. Nick is a big boy, above average in size. His cock is thick and long with a slight upwards curve.   

Y = Yearning (how high is their sex drive?)  

Nick has a pretty high sex drive but good control over it. While he would prefer to have sex four or five times a week, he doesn’t expect that. He has times when he becomes a sex hound, and you swear it always seems to match up to when you're ovulating. His sex drive can also completely diminish during bad sex crime cases.    

Z = Zzz (how quickly they fall asleep afterwards) 

Nick is one of those rare men that sex boosts his energy, at least for a little while. The flood of endorphins gives him a giddy relaxed high. If it is a quickie or during the middle of the day, he will have the sudden urge to accomplish something, or if you're really lucky cook traditional Cuban food. If it’s time for bed you will almost always fall asleep before him, but he is content to lay in bed with you either just cuddled up or playing games on his phone until the high fades.  

I forgot how long this prompt takes but hey there’s Nick’s! I have quite a few Nick miniseries that I’m going to be working on. One is the relationship building between the reader and Zara while still featuring Nick of course.  

I have another series that will be more angsty and will probably take longer because it’s going to be a split vibe of what could have happened in a situation with Nick and the reader's relationship when tragedy hits. I’m excited to challenge my writing in that way. 

Let me know if either of these piques your interest! I hope you enjoyed xoxo  

[peaceofflights]

Being in a Relationship With Wally Clark Would Include:

A/N: Someone asked me for a part two to “Falling in love with Wally Clark” where reader confesses their feelings to Wally. For that, and to understand some of the context I suggest going back and reading “What’s Three Years in the Eyes of Eternity.” which is bookmarked on my page!

Warning: this one delves a bit more into your physical relationship, nothing is too explicit. However, if you don’t like don’t read.

Being in a relationship with Wally Clark would include:

•You expecting things to change a lot, but in reality they don’t. You still do pretty much the same things as before… with some added perks.



•Holding hands everywhere you go. If Wally thought you were a hand holder before, he had no idea. It makes you feel connected to him to hold his hand, even if you’re doing absolutely nothing.

•If you’re in a conversation with other people holding pinkies, that way you aren’t too on top of each other.

• Coming up with the most ridiculous nick names for each other. They start off cute, but eventually just start getting really weird.

“Awe, my honey bear”

“Life is short puddin’ pop.”

“My adorable little doo doo”

“The cutest Sasquatch in town.”

•All of the forehead kisses. It started because your friends wouldn’t stop making gagging noises every time you two kissed. So now every time he has to part from you he leaves a very sweet but overly dramatic kiss to your head.

•He’s kind of the obsessed with you. When you’re across from each other either in the cafeteria, Football Field, or Theater you can often catch him staring at you. I mean he did this before your started dating, but instead of pretending to look away or do something else if you catch him; now he’ll give you a wink that of course leads to a lot of blushing on both ends.

•You’ve taken to calling him your puppy dog, since of course he is! At first it was just to other people but once he accidentally heard it come out of your mouth he couldn’t stop beaming. So from that moment forward he was to referred to as puppy.

•If you don’t call him puppy when your alone he’ll get mad.

“Um excuse me!? Who is Wally? Do we know a Wally? I am your puppy? I’m a good boy.”

It’s absolutely ridiculous, and he’s mostly kidding, but it’s just really adorable.

•The two of you do a lot of the same activities you did before you started dating; trying to find good movies to watch in the library, playing endless games of hide and seek, creating your own secret language. However, there are also some new things you do too…

•Yeah… LOTS of new things.

•It starts out pretty innocent, but after the homecoming dance things moved a little faster than they should have.

• Clothes were removed, hands were found in inappropriate places.

•Which brings you back to today. Neither of you by any means are blushing virgins, your college years were good to you. But you both agree that you have your entire after after life to spend together, you don’t need to spend every moment jumping each other’s bones.

•However, you two definitely aren’t saints and your new found physical relationship is one you love exploring.

• Though sometimes Wally’s age and slight less experience leads to some interesting situations. It doesn’t matter how many times you remind him, it feels like every morning you wake up to find some sort of new bruise highlighted on your skin. Which then leads to the never ending bullying of your friends.

•Look he’s your puppy and adore him, but also it would nice if you could go anywhere without being covered head to neck in hickies.

•Though his smirk when you bring it up you helps you realize it was in fact NOT an accident.

•He brings you gifts to make you smile. Sometimes it’s a poorly painted canvas he made in the art room or him serenading you to your favorite song, but it made you realize that you need to step up you girlfriend skills. Which leads you to finally letting him teach you to play football.

• It’s the first time you really focus and attempt to learn the rules and even if you aren’t very good you’ve never seen him so happy.

[lunabug2004]

I watched Only Friends... and It Was Definitely An Experience! **SPOILERS**

I knew going into it that SandRay was the most popular Only Friends couple, at least that's what it seems like based on how many posts/edits there are about them over all of the internet, but it's so rightfully deserved!!!

I couldn't care less about TopMew, they were just pretty boring to me and I did not like Top at all. Mew was alright, though I will say I loved his petty revenge arc. BostonNick I thought was doomed from the start so I kinda made myself not get too into them? Nick is a sweetheart while also being a conniving little spy so I thought he was pretty fun and liked him a lot but, like Top, I hated Boston (basic of me, I know). But SandRay??? Loved every second! I think Ray is such an interesting character with so many layers and it's so fun to explore his life, and I absolutely fell in love with Sand. I love everything about him and he deserves nothing but to be able to attend all the music festivals in the world. Also quick shout out to Sand & Nick's friendship, it's so refreshing in this messy tree of relationships lol.

It's crazy to me that some people didn't enjoy SandRay as much, but some complaints I've seen are pretty valid tbh. I've seen people complain that the only reason people loved them so much more than the other couples is because they had the most screentime, and that's fair, but they also had the most to cover with their stories: both individually and together. I know this is fully on the writers, I've also seen people complain about SandRay being way more developed than the other characters. These complaints are extremely valid I feel, and I honestly believe they would've been better off doing either a show made up of three short series focusing on one pairing at a time or a show focusing on SandRay as the main couple (they have enough to their stories/story that alone it could take up a whole 12 episodes easily) with BostonNick and TopMew as sides with the possibility of getting their own series after (kinda like UWMA with BU even tho I know it's a different company). Either way, we got what we got with SandRay, and I, for one, enjoyed it thoroughly! I personally don't really understand what's not to like about their relationship, I thought it was at least mostly realistic and they suit each other so well it's insane.

Back to my complaints, I really hated the pool scene with Sand, Ray, and Boeing. Like, really hated it. Also the fact that Ray tried to say Sand was still in love with Boeing after the huge difference b/t the two kisses... was insane. I also disliked the scene with Ray and the therapist because no matter how sweet and also heartbreaking it is the second-hand embarrassment is the actual worst.

Now onto what I enjoyed: obv SandRay and Sand & Nick's friendship since I already mentioned those. I also enjoyed the way all the characters were connected in different ways, it was so much fun to untangle all the relationships! I like the way the show tackled alcoholism and made it realistic, as well as the way it tackled betrayal within the friend group (looking at you, 'Ton) in a realistic way.

Now, I have to mention the acting and chemistry between the couples. ForceBook was meh to me. This is the first thing I've seen them in it and they didn't really blow me away with their chemistry but I did enjoy their acting! I do think this is because I didn't really like the couple, so I'm not really holding it against them and I do plan to watch A Boss and A Babe at some point. NeoMark was very good! Both the chemistry and the acting. Neo has never been my favorite actor, (sorry if this is controversial) I like him fine but he never really blew me out of the water, he's just always done good, but this series he was insane! He played Boston so well he made most people hate him and that's always impressive when it's done by such a well-liked actor. I knew Mark was gonna kill it and he did. I love Mark. The chemistry b/t these two was surprising but enjoyable (speaking purely on what I saw as someone who skips through most saucy scenes). Now... FirstKhao. I expected everything from them and I got everything. I 1000% know that they are joining OffGun and GemFourth as one of my favorite pairings ever (who am I kidding they did that after I watched The Eclipse). Just the pure talent these two have is unreal and the chemistry is off the charts. The fight scenes broke me and the bonding scenes made me feel butterflies, just everything about them is perfection. Also wanna make a special comment on First b/c he has climbed my ranks as one of my favorite actors ever extremely quickly but I mostly see people talk about Khao, (which is so valid; man is insane as well, I just prefer First for whatever reason), but the way First plays all of his characters is so hypnotizing to me. Like the emotions he portrays and the way he completely transforms into his characters with his body language just impresses me so much. I'm def rambling now so it's time to wrap this up!

Anyways, putting aside others' complaints over the best couple SandRay, as well as my own complaints and compliments, I think overall it's a really good show and the drama is fun! So so messy but since it's all fiction it's fun to get sucked into! I'd tell anyone to give it a try at least!

Also wanna end this by saying if you disagree with me on any of this that's totally okay! All opinions are valid! Plus, I went into this with extreme actor bias towards FirstKhao (esp First), so that definitely tied towards my instant love for SandRay.

[moonshynecybin]

I was watching Qatar 2014 and Nick Harris is like is Marc’s leg gonna start playing up and I was like oh is he injured and the nick was like yeah spiral fracture of the right tibia so of course I had to research about it and it takes 4 to 6 months to heal 18 months if it’s bad and Marc’s like no 6 weeks and then I’ll ride a bike in a sport that requires me to use a lot of leg strength in corners and I’m like Marc how did you win the opening 10 races with a not properly healed leg and more importantly htf are you walking let alone riding like he is a different breed of insane like they are all insane but im like how do you do this marc i would simply lay in bed for those 4 months cause i don't deal well with pain. but is this how he always was with injuries bar Sepang 2011 cause he couldn't ride even if he wanted to after that one until his vision got better and he had the eye surgery. Sorry this got long but damn i want someone to right a thesis on marc and his way he deals with injuries cause how is he this chill about them like he just answered questions about his injuries with a blank face and i don't know how he does it.

i was rewatching hitting the apex today. as i do. and they were setting up the HUGE theme of injury that’s the film’s axis kind of rotates on (hard to talk about 2013 without mentioning some important collarbones) and there’s an interesting part of it where jorge lorenzo is talking about how he flipped a switch with regards to his fear/regard for injury (when he was a rookie i think). he talks about crashing three times in one weekend and having absolutely no fear about it, and then suddenly sort of realizing that he needed to respect his body (STILL DOES THE ASSEN BROKEN COLLARBONE 500 MIND YOU) and have a little more thought for the danger of what they do (underscored by him talking to the press very articulately and succinctly after him and sic have a moment on track)… he treats it as a fundamental shift in his philosophy regarding his health and the sport, which i think is interesting and revealing, and probably a reaction a lot of riders have at one point in their lives. normal for an extreme athlete as they grow and gain more forethought and experience.

BUT. when later we get to hear him talk about MARC. and jorge’s like. he reminds me of me when i was twenty and you don’t think you’re ever going to die or be injured. he’s young. i was like jesus christ but marc hasn’t. changed that much. like he HAS a LITTLE, and i think injury has really shaken him and he KNOWS he needs to respect his body/be careful. but he still has about 8 moments a weekend where he’s five bombing someone up the inside and they look like they physically want him DEAD this year. started off the year assuring the ducati boss he would limit crashes and he’s had TWO DNFS. in three race weekends. and like i don’t think either of those were really his fault but uh. yeah that’s marc !

and i think it’s so interesting disciplined ass jorge just. decided to learn and apply that lesson. case closed. like he’s not perfect at it (collarbone….) but who is in this sport— he still noticeably changed. while marc was forcibly and horribly “taught” that lesson in the most gruesome, protracted way possible, and i’m still not sure he’s entirely internalized it AT ALL !

[smutty-books]

Hoodie Guy

Chapter 5

Eminem x reader

Getting to know you, coffee shop, soft marshall matters, reader’s sons

------------------------------------------------------

The rest of the day passes in a blur. Angie teased you about Marshall and tried to get info out of you but you remained closed lip about what you talked about. You headed home in time to meet your sons’ buses and started them on their homework while starting dinner. Your 16 year old was determined to antagonize his brother and Nick played into it. You were glad for the distraction from your thoughts about meeting Marshall later. Soon enough you had your 12-year-old put to bed and Andrew was studying for an upcoming test. You looked at the time and realized you needed to get ready. You quickly went to your room, slipped into some straight-legged jeans, some white air force 1’s and a V-neck long-sleeved shirt. You let your hair down and fluffed it,and touched up your makeup. You spritzed some musk on your pulse points, the crown of your head, and behind your knees. You grabbed your debit card, some cash, and your phone. You let Andrew know you were going out with a friend. Andrew rolled his eyes when you repeated the exact instructions to him that you told him every night.

“ I know, mom, you tell me the same thing everytime you go out.” You kissed him on the too of the head and told him bye and what time you’d be back. You headed out, locking the door behind you. You drove to the coffee shop near the gym and parked. You took a few deep breaths and reminded yourself this was just Marshall and you were having coffee and talking, that's all. It didn't help that you had not dated much since your divorce and the times you had ended badly. You weren't one for casual hookups, and most guys wanted sex. That's what you worried about with Marshall, and, if you did date, what his expectations were cause you knew he was experienced with women. Way more experienced. You and your ex-husband had a good sex life and had done some experimenting, but you knew Marshall had been pretty wild in his younger days. You didn't know about it now, but if he was his team must be keeping it pretty hush-hush, as Marshall was very private.

You shook those thoughts off and reminded yourself that you were just talking and getting to know each other. Usually, things didn't progress past that. Most guys you were into were interested initially but then friend-zoned you, which is kind of what you were expecting to happen with Marshall. You would be cool with that. Marshall as a friend was better than no Marshall at all.

You again chided yourself for getting ahead of yourself. You checked again to make sure you had your debit card and your cash. You stepped out of your little car, ensured she was locked and made your way to the door. You glanced inside and noticed Marshall wasn't there yet. You look at your watch and see you are early, so you debate whether or not to wait outside or to go inside.

The smell of fresh coffee as a patron came out of the shop made up your mind for you. Coffee fiend that you were You followed the scent of the beloved liquid. You approached the counter and greeted the cashier. You scanned the menu but couldn’t decide. Ypu asked the cashier for a recommendation. The barista happened to hear your question and came over and asked you what you liked. You told her you liked dark roasts like Cafe Bustelo, a Cuban espresso, but you also like your cafe mochas and peppermint mochas as well as chai tea lattes. She offered her suggestion which sounded heavenly to you so you requested that and thanked her for her help and input. She smiled at you and began preparing your coffee in a mug. You paid the cashier for your drink and put a 5 dollar tip in the tip jar. You made small talk with the barista as you watched her prepare your drink. After a lovely conversation, she handed you your coffee creation in a big mug. You were delighted by the foam decoration on the top and told the barista so. She smiled appreciatively and blushed a little. Thanking her again, you turned around to find a table and found Marshall watching you. His face was expressionless but his gaze was warm and affectionate after watching your interactions with the staff at the shop. You blushed a little and ducked your head at his scrutiny . He swallowed down a smile and moved to join you.

“ I see you made yourself at home.. Ypu weren’t waiting long, were ya’?” He greeted you with as he came to your side. You smiled at him as you both walked to a both toward the back. You let him guide where you sat. You automatically took the seat that your back faced the shop, he looked a little surprised but nodded in thanks and took the seat facing the shop. He watched you take a sip of your drink and then swallowed another smile as you closed your eyes and sighed in contentment, dropping your head back. You smiled sheepishly as you brought your head back up and found his blue gaze still resting on ypu, cataloging your expressions, a slight tilt to his lips.

“ What can I say? Coffee and I could never be strangers. A patron came out as I was waiting outside for you, and I couldn’t resist coming in and getting a cup. I hope you don’t mind?” your explanation started strong but trailed off as you waited for his response.

“ Yes, I minded. I fully ‘spected you to wait outside for me. I’m Eminem, I expect chicks to wait for me.” He said, wholly deadpan and seriously, sitting toward you and looking you straight in the eye. Your eyes widened a fraction as you looked in his serious blue eyes and scanned his face. You thought he was playing but his face was so serious. Your mind flashed to all the interviews you saw with him and his complete deadpan delivery and his dry sense of humor. You decided to play with it a little. You made sure an apology showed in your eyes just in case.

“ Oh, so sorry, my mistake. Where ever are my manners. Please for give the lapse in etiquette, Mr. Mathers. It won’t happen again.” Ypu intoned, dryly, your face in an exaggerated forgive me expression, complete with puppy dog eyes. Marshall broke at that. His blue eyes twinkled back at you and he allowed a smile and a chuckle.

“ Well, since it’s your first time, I’ll let it slide. Don’t let it happen again.” He mock warned. You tried to appear chastened though in actuality you were relieved he was being facetious. You murmured your thanks and picked up your mug and took another sip. Marshall excused himself to get his own drink. You turned around to watch him move across the shop, admiring his easy stride and his outfit. You admired his black Kangol cap, his black zip up hoodie and his sagged sweatpants and his Nike’s. You watched him interact with the cashier and watched him drop a 10 dollar tip in the jar. You continued to watch as he accepted his cup and as he turned around and moved back toward you. You turned around back toward the table not wanting to be caught staring like a creeper. You watched as he settled himself in and took a sip of his drink.

“Have you been here before?” Ypu asked him curiously, taking another sip from your mug.

“ Not this shop, no, I used to frequent the shop it was before. It was a little mom and pop greasy spoon. Made the best eggs and hash browns. They had to sell though, the owner got sick and they couldn’t keep up the business. This place hadn’t been open maybe 6 months. First time I’ve been in here.” He looked around the shop assessing.

“ Yeah, we have a place like that back in my hometown. It was called The City Grill. Only open till like 2 and made the best eggs and hash browns. It’s still there though. Little mom and pop hole in the wall place.” You shared, smiling slightly at the fond memories.

“ So you ain’t from Detroit. I didn’t think you was. Your accent is different. Where’s home?” He asked curiously. You told him where you were from and about your little hometown.

“ What brought you to Detroit? That’s a ways from home?”

“ I took a travel assignment here one summer. I kept coming back here each summer cause I love the hospital and the staff I work with so much. Plus I fell in love with Detroit. So I decided to move me and my boys here permanently.”

From there the conversation continued. Marshall was guarded about quite a bit but he answered more than you thought he would. You were also guarded about some of your history but tried to answer as openly as you could. He asked more questions about your kids and you bragged on them like the proud mama you were. You asked about his kids as that was never an area you delved into or investigated as those were his kids. You could see how proud he was of all three of his kids. You commiserated over your worry about your teenagers and how things had changed since you both were that age.

You were just chuckling at an anecdote he was telling about Stevie when ypu heard “ Mom, mom, mom, mummy, mama.” Marshall looked at you confused, realization dawned as you took your phone out with a chuckle. Murmuring an “ excuse me” you turned away slightly to focus on your conversation with your son. Marshall pulled his phone out so as not to eavesdrop on your conversation.

“ Hey, sweetheart, is everything okay? Is Nick okay?” You asked, concerned mom tone coming out. You heard an exasperated sigh from the end of the line.

“ He’s fine, mom, still sleeping. Can Jayden come over after school to hang out and listen to music? There's a new X album of unreleased songs dropping at midnight.” you thought about it. “ Has he checked with his parents that its okay?” “ Yes, mom, they said it fine.” “Is he staying for dinner? “ “ If that's okay, yeah.” “ Yeah, that's fine.” “ Bet! Thanks mom, love you, bye.” “ Love you, too, son, be home soon.”

Marshall looked up and put his phone away as you ended your call. He smiled to himself as he caught your concerned mom tone and hearing your tone when talking to your son, and the “ I love you too.”

“ Your boys okay?” He asked politely, even though he knew the answer.

“ Yeah. That was Andrew, asking to have a friend over tommorow to listen to a new album that’s dropping at midnight.” You explained, pocketing your phone.

“ Oh? What album?” Marshall asked curiously, thinking if he knew any albums on the horizon off hand.

“ Xxxtentation? It’s some of the unreleased music he did before he died.” you explained. Marshall nodded “ Your son into rap?” “ Predominantly, yeah, he started with you and then went from there. His favorites are X, Juice World, and NF, but he listens to so many artists.” you chuckled.” He likes to play them for me when Nick’s not around and get my opinion on what he is listening to.” you shared, chuckling, shaking your head, thinking about some of the screamers he listens to. Marshall chuckled as well. “ Sone of it though he just wants to hear me say” Andrew!!!!” others he says “ Mom this beat is fire, you gotta listen to it!” “ Mom, listen to these lyrics!” “ Mom, listen to this flow switch, listen to the rhyme scheme.” You shrugged. “ I'm glad he wants to share what he's listening to with me, though, keeps the lines of communication open.” Marshall nods thoughtfully, listening to you talk. You could see the wheels turning in his amazing mind.

“ You divorced, right?” you nodded, waiting for him to continue. He seemed to think like he was measuring his words. “Where their dad at? He in the picture? They get to see him?” You chuckled but it didn't have an humor in it. Marshall cocked his head and waited for you to continue. You thought about what to tell him.

“ Their dad lives in Arizona, before that Virginia, and before that Leavenworth. He was active duty while at Leavenworth, then retired. Did his 20 and got out. When he retired they moved to Virginia where he got a job as a DOD contractor. “ you told Marshall quietly. “ They see him a couple times a year. Andrew talks to him on FaceTime about once a month. Nick doesn’t know his dad or his new family that well.” As you talked , you kept your voice even and calm even though it still pissed you off. You looked at Marshall and saw the upset on his face. He swallowed a few times and you could see he was confused and upset. After a few tries he was able to speak.

“New family?” He asked, his voice controlled.

“ Yeah, he started seeing someone when we were separated, made it serious after we divorced and the when he came back to the states he moved her to Leavenworth with him and they got married. She had a son from a previous marriage. They had a daughter together a few years later even though she wasn’t supposed to be able to get pregnant. Of course this was after they told Andrew they didn’t have room for him when he asked to live with his dad.” You told him, your voice shaking a bit and you took a deep breath.

“ Motherfucker. So he chose a bitch and her kid over his own kids???!!!” He looked incensed at the idea. You bit your lip, and looked down, and nodded. You heard him muttering under his breath “ I see why you called him a fucktard. I just don’t get how a father can not be involved in his kid’s lives or choose one family over the other. That’s fucked up.” He told you after a few minutes, his voice calmer and quieter. You looked up and saw his gazing at you. You still saw anger on his face directed at your ex but in his eyes you saw sympathy. You wanted to get away from the unpleasant topic so quickly changed the subject. Marshall sent you a look that let you know he knew what you were doing but was going to follow your lead, for now, which you were grateful for.

“ So, you box, like for real. How long have you been boxing? How did you get started?” you asked him, intrigued. He smiled a little bit, chuckled, and answered your questions. You laughed as he finished with the story about being beaten by the 14-year-old. He shook his head and watched you laugh.

“Have you ever taught anyone to box?” you asked, curious. He shook his head. “ I tried to teach my girls, but none of ‘em got interested.” he imparted.

“ Yeah, my son used to go to a boxing club back home but stopped, never really said why. I always thought it would neat to learn, just never had the time.”

“ I could teach you, I mean, I can try to teach you, if you want.” he offered.

“ I don't know if I want to subject you to that. I'm incredibly uncoordinated and boxing looks like it requires coordination,” you said self-deprecating. “ Thank you for the offer, though, can I rain check and take you up on it later?” you asked tentatively, raiding you eyes to meet his blue gaze head on. The compassion and understanding in his blue eyes in his blues took your breath away. You realized that you could easily fall for this human being and you needed to protect your heart if you didn't want it broken. He considered you for a few minutes.

“ Raincheck it is. Imma hold you to that. So I know you got good taste in music cause you listen to me.” he said, smirking at you, you chuckled. “ What other artists you listen to?”

“ Oh, buddy, you just opened a flood gate with that question.” you warned him.

“ Hit me. I wanna know. Is it all rap or do you like other types of music?” he asked, curiously, hid gaze intent on you. You weren't used to such attention and part of you blossomed but the other part was waiting for him to put the breaks on and friend-zone you. You took a deep breath and thought for a moment.

“ Imma be honest, I grew up listening to 8 tracks and records on my parents Hi- fi. I grew up with classic country, 50’s, 60’s, and 70’s music. My parents got me a record player for one of my birthdays, one of those that had a tape deck as well? So I grew up listening to all their old records. Then I was a band geek, and a theatre geek. The band guys were into heavy metal band and garage bands so I have an appreciation for that. And I loved early rap, like the 80’s and early ’90s. Loved the Beasty Boys, MC Hammer, and Regulator by Nate Dogg and Warren G. And of course DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince. Salt n’ Peppa, Run DMC. Then when I got married my then husband listened to a lot of 80’s hair and and classic rock as well as classical music and some show tunes. I got away from rap because it was too violent and too vulgar and misogynistic. It wasn't fun like the early rap I listened to. Plus my then husband wasn't a fan so that influenced my listening tastes. It wasn't till after I was divorced and my middle son started bumping rap and playing it for me that I got interested in the genre again. Then I became obsessed and devoured everything I could about hip hop and the culture. As you said in “ Kamikaze,” it made me feel strong at one of the weakest points in my life, and the more I listened, the more strength I drew from you and other hip-hop artists the more I sought to understand the culture and why rappers rapped about what they did. That's the beauty of music, it is universal and it’s a way of connecting to others and telling your struggles that others can relate to and maybe gain strength from the fact that someone else is struggling and you aren't alone in this world. That there are others that do understand and its a comfort and a solace.”you told him, gauging his expression. He listened intently and nodded at points, made agreeing noises at others and didn't look surprised by you statements about rap and why you got away from it. He looked a little sad at that but perked up when you talked about your renewed interest in it and watched, intrigued by the passionate way you spoke about this art form and culture that he was in love with so much and that had given so much to him and his family. That he strove to give back to and pay homage to whenever and however he possibly could. He found himself wanting to know more which was an oddity. He was saddened when he saw you look at your watch and start and knew you had to go.

“ You gotta go?” he asked quietly, looking down at his drink

“Yeah, I told my son I’d be back around 10:30,” you told him regretfully, finishing your now very cold cup of coffee. You moved to stand up and return your cup. He stood up as well and grabbed his drink and took yours from you despite your protest. He quickly silenced your protest with a warning look. You smiled at him in thanks. You thanked the cashier and barista and made your way to the door. He helped the for open for you, which you thanked him for. You talked and joked with each others. He walked you to your car. He watched as you unlocked your car and as you quickly checked the back seat before he opened the door and held it.

“ I’d like to see you again. “ he told you seriously. You looked him, confused. He clarified. “ I mean, I know we are going to see each other at the gym, but I'd like to, you know, kinda like take you out.” he got out. You looked up at him and smiled warmly.

“ Yeah?” You asked in wonder. He smiled at that, more certain at your humbleness that he wanted to get to know you more.

“ Yeah, I do.” he breathed, looking at you.

“ I'd like that, too. I kind of like you, Marshall Mathers.” you said sweetly, bashfully, blush on your cheeks as you admitted that to him. He leaned down and brushed a kiss to your cheek and whispered in your ear, his voice husky: “ Yeah? Wanna know sumtin'? I kind of like you too, y/n.” he felt you shiver as his lips brushed across your skin, and he bit back a smile, liking that he could affect you like that. He pulled back and gave you a small smile. You smiled shyly up at him, hardly believing someone like him was interested in someone like you.

“ Good night, Marshall. See you tomorrow night? “ you asked, starting your car, smiling as her engine came to life. He murmured his assent and closed your door. You rolled your window down

“ Sleep tight, sweet dreams, Marshall Bruce Mathers.” you told him, smiling at him.

“ You, too, y/n, you too. Text me when you get home.” he reminded you. You nodded and waved at him as you rolled up your window. He smiled as he caught Tupac’s “ I Ain't Mad Atcha” coming from your speakers before the window closed. He watched as you pulled away then made his way to his vehicle and made his way home.

[ethanhuntfemmefatale]

re: Ethan's gentle reserves nature - not sure if you've watched TGM but I'm curious if you get the same vibes from older Mav? for me it's a tossup if TC is just like that in recent roles or if Ethan in particular has terminal eldest daughter syndrome because all his spy parents/mentors sucked and he just didn't have any siblings to shepherd around until GP

Ok so I have to be honest TGM was the first non-MI TC movie I watched so it was a while ago now. And so I don’t feel like I’m entirely qualified to speak on it. That being said from what I remember Mav is—very kind, and definitely tired, but he doesn’t seem to have Ethan’s particular kind of careful reserve around people. He’s very outspoken in general, and it shows in his demeanor and his body language. I remember him as being somewhat more physically expressive than Ethan, and although they have a similar sense of kind playfulness I wouldn’t necessarily describe Mav as intentionally gentle (when he is, it’s more situational and less of a character trait). Mav is also quicker to anger than Ethan, and quicker to get drawn into petty disputes than Ethan, who keeps himself very carefully cut off from that sort of thing. Mav engages with the kids and tests and teases and pushes them where Ethan tends to treat even his closest teammates with—lots of care, but a constant emotional distance, rarely if ever bringing up grievances/past hurts. For example, I can’t imagine mcquarrie era Ethan shoving a teammate the way Mav shoves Rooster in TGM. TC’s later roles….with the exception of Nick Morton and Barry Seal (love of my life hiiii) you tend to feel their age, a sense of tiredness, a stubborn doggedness, but IMO there’s not one of them that has Ethan’s particular carefulness and gentleness when dealing with people. Thinking here of Nick Morton, Barry Seal, Maverick, Jack Reacher in Never Go Back. That was part of why I was so struck by that quality of Ethan’s on rewatch, cause my first experience with TC was mission impossible and I unconsciously ascribed a lot of that quality to an older TC’s general vibes—not realizing that…in a lot of his other movies, including the later ones, he usually plays relatively brash characters. Ethan is a kinda unusual TC protagonist and what’s more, TC didn’t have to act him that way…the writing doesn’t demand it, although it occasionally subtly suggests it. Most of that gentle quality is coming from the acting. Anyway it’s interesting to me that Ethan is TC’s longest-running role. Would love any TGM-loving mutuals to weigh in on all this if you have thoughts btw

[mrbensonmum]

TV Show - CSI: Las Vegas

As mentioned in the last post about Dr. House, I felt like watching a crime series. The temptation was strong because Prime added the first three seasons of Rizzoli & Isles to its program. But I decided to go with CSI: Las Vegas because it's been longer since I last rewatched it compared to Rizzoli & Isles.

Right in the first two episodes, I notice a lot of details, and I might end up writing a lot about them. Let's see how long I can keep it up!

One thing that stands out right away is the age of the series. And by that, I don't mean a specific year but the aspect ratio, which is still in 4:3. 16:9 will come later, but I can't remember exactly when. I'm curious to find out.

Catherine Willows already shows character traits here that will later drive me crazy. I remember finding her very demanding in the later seasons. She always comes up with arguments to bend the rules so she can break them later. However, in the successor format CSI: Vegas, she becomes interesting again.

During the autopsy scene where Grissom and Nick help, you could see the eyes of the millionaire blinking. I always find such details interesting. Sometimes you can see the "corpses" moving their chests, the carotid artery pulsating, or a body part moving. If I remember correctly, some shots use a still image to avoid such mistakes.

We still miss important characters like Super Dave and Doc Robbins. But one person we see very early on is the firearms specialist Bobby!

I also noticed Grissom's mood during the dummy experiments, which reminded me why I find him so intriguing. He's a man of facts, and as the series progresses, he becomes less and less able to deal with society and its quirks.

Voices are another topic because we have two very distinctive voices right from the start, one of which stays with us. Holly Gribbs is voiced by Sandra Schwittau, who is the German voice of Bart Simpson, played by Nancy Cartwright. Nick Stokes (George Eads) is voiced by David Nathan, who is not only one of the most distinctive German voices but also the regular voice of Johnny Depp and Christian Bale.

I'm thrilled to be back in Vegas, to see how everything unfolds, what cases they work on, and what questions arise. Because I already have one question: Even though Warrick was overseeing Gribbs since she was new, no one asks what happened to the officer at the crime scene where Holly was shot. Sure, Brass was reassigned, but that's about it. I find it extremely strange. (Although I'm aware that this is used to show the tragedy surrounding Warrick's character!)

Otherwise, the first season is always the most interesting because this is where the series is still finding itself, and many things are still changing. There's a lot to discover and admire, especially when it comes to the development of the characters.

I'll also thoroughly enjoy all the special effects because many of them were created without CGI, and practical effects are still among the best because they are tangible and provide a sense of depth that CGI simply can't achieve. I know, it's a big debate, but it's like photography. Digital photography is great, no doubt, but that final step to achieve exactly what's possible in analog photography is still missing. It's not much, and I know both sides very well, but it's just that tiny bit that's still missing!

In the German version, when Nick talks to Sanders, it's briefly mentioned or asked if Sanders is already playing the "Football game on Dreamcast." Once again, it shows that someone involved in writing the dialogue didn't have a clue. That always annoys me. Either video games look terrible in movies/shows, or they mix up everything and leave out details.

[grimmmviewing]

S1E8: “Game Ogre”—B/C+ (Watched 2/29/24)

“No record of where he was born, no record of a family. It’s like this guy just fell out of the sky.” – Hank re. an ogre/giant (Got a, not exactly unhappy, groan from me!)

“Just the facts, right?” – Monroe to Nick/Hank re. the ownership of an important watch (Bonus points for Dragnet reference?)

Exactly how much silliness I find charming and at what point the goofiness should result in some sort of deduction for review purposes are questions I find myself thinking about a lot while watching Grimm. Even the episodes I’ve scored as “A”s have their Moments. And if I had to sum up my feelings about “Game Ogre” I would say that it starts as a fine enough monster of the week story but then, perhaps fittingly for an episode that prominently features a watch early on, it accumulates enough “complications” that it becomes genuinely interesting or noteworthy.

First—the central role of Oleg Stark, an ogre. I did love the very physical performance, which has a lot of stiff-bodied stomping around and grunting and growling. It had to have been fun to try to play that role and to try to make yourself seem as big, burly, and dense (in more than one sense) as possible. The way the camera frames this big boy and the way that shots of him getting physical are filmed and edited to make him feel as large and powerful as possible is just very entertaining. Definitely goofy, but also definitely fun in a C+ sort of way.

Another entertaining C-sort of goofy detail is how the initial murder victim is a judge, and we know that because he’s just got a gavel sitting out on his desk at home. It’s used in his murder to help suggest that the crime was personal, of course, but the placement is still such a ridiculous way to communicate the man’s profession, especially when you consider that we’re also explicitly told he’s a state judge when Sergeant Wu and his partner are investigating the scene of the break-in.

There are some similarly unnecessary-feeling, awkward quick flashbacks in the mix—back to Nick being brutalized by the ogre in his house and to the ogre-killing poison and gun in his trailer. Of course, one way of looking at these is as part of the TV series package: Commercials are a thing, and people come in late. You have to catch up the late-comers and maybe re-establish a sense of drama and of the critical details for folks after the ads. This is one of those things I struggle to identify as a positive or a negative in my subjective assessment since Grimm being so obviously What It Is is absolutely part of the charm and was part of what I wanted out of this whole experience.

And there are a couple of plot oddities here, too, like just how long it takes for someone (Wu) to put together the idea of using Hank as bait for the vengeance-seeking Oleg. Captain Renard going along with Hank to a suspect’s place probably shouldn’t feel weird, but it does since, as far as I remember, this is new behavior for him.

It’s the mounting “complications” that ultimately elevate the episode, though, because of their novelty. Actually seeing Nick kind of shaken and vulnerable after he’s hospitalized from Oleg’s attack offers a new emotional angle from which to view him. He hasn’t been this badly beaten by a Wesen before. Hank similarly gets pushed emotionally in this episode, and the exact nature of the strain on him ends up being a nice twist, with how he and the DA colluded to “lose” evidence that might have gotten reasonable doubt for Oleg at his trial years ago.

The trust that Nick places in Monroe, a Wesen, by revealing the trailer to him is very much understated and great for it. The fact that Monroe ends up being the one who has to put Oleg down is also a cool, interesting wrinkle. The focus on the .600 caliber “elephant gun” bullets that are over 100 years old in the final scene with Renard and Hank is just a delightful little bit of quirkiness and suspense. That the weapons from the trailer are actually deployed here is something I was glad to see. It certainly makes sense for Nick to use his service weapon rather than swinging around a sword or flail or something, but that armory has been essentially teased up to this point, and it was just good to see some of it put to use.

[stopthatfool]

Concerning getting to know one's fic writer, inquiring minds must know: 8, 16 & 18

Inquiring minds would also like you to choose one question you're hoping someone will ask and answer it! (It always pains me when I desperately want to discuss something, but the prompt is never picked! So, pick that question! :])

Thank youu, I can't wait to learn more about your writing process!! <3

Woodsy!! Thank you so much for the ask (omg i'm so excited to answer these)!!

8. Do you prefer the beginning, middle, or ending of a story?

Hmmmm... I think when it comes to fic writing I like the middle. Because i can just keep adding things and I don't have to worry about tying it all together to actually mean something. And the beginning is very intimidating. It's like the first page of new notebook or sketchbook. And the ending is very scary too, cuz that means it's over!

It's interesting though because whenever I watch movies, TV shows etc., etc., I always like the first movie/episode/season the best!

16. How many fic ideas are you nurturing right now? Share one of them?

I have kind of a one track mind when it comes to writing, so I'm pretty much only thinking of Your jeep. Your teeth. The coffee that you bought me. and that 'universe' (omfg why did i pick such a long name). BUT! I have been playing around with the idea of telling this story through the perspective of Ice... I would love to get up all inside his head and figure him out!

I've also been thinking about like a 'prequel' to this story. Like what happened in '86 and when 'my' Mav and Ice taught at TOP GUN together. I, of course, have ideas and I have alluded to what their relationship looked like in flashbacks and some of Mav's internal monologue, but I think eventually I would love to actually put it in writing and map it all out.

18. Do you title your fics before, during, or after the writing process? How do you come up with these titles?

I came up with the title of this fanfic during the writing process! And all of the titles are lines from Richard Siken's Crush-- which i had just finished rereading as I was writing the first part of the first chapter. The line "Your jeep. Your teeth. The coffee that you bought me." really stuck out to me as I was thinking about IceMav, because I've always really liked Val Kilmer's teeth (which sounds weird as i type it out.... but it's purely from an artistic standpoint and fascination). So the jeep that Ice has in the fic, along with the coffee scene after Mav is let out from the hospital were really inspired from this line!

As for the chapter titles, I decided to keep going with the Richard Siken theme. Whenever I need a break from writing, typing, or editing, that's when I begin to brainstorm chapter titles. I'll look back at my fav lines that I wrote down, or I'll just straight up reread poems to find something that fits whatever things are happening in that chapter.

Initially, chapter 6's title was "Dear Forgiveness, I saved a plate for you" because of the first scene when Mav holds out a plate for Bradley. It wasn't until guns were brought up for like the third time that I changed the title to "It's a down right shoot-em-up."

Anyway! Long story short, it's just a process of going back and forth and reading poetry!

14. How do you write emotional scenes? Do you ever feel what the characters feel? Do you draw from emotional experience?

(the question i picked myself) I absolutely feel what the characters feel and draw from my personal experiences!! Most of Bradley's expressions of anxiety and sadness is inspired from my own teenage self (which was absolutely traumatic to look back on). Along with Bradley wearing Carole's old bracelet and Nick's old t-shirt!

One of my biggest goals within this story (along with other things), was to make these characters more human and really focus on their struggles-- therefore i write about things i know, aka my own personal experiences. Which can sometimes make things difficult to write, but usually it's okay!

Thank you so much for the ask Woodsy!! This was so much fun!! <333

[estel-eruantien]

Hiiiiiiiiiiii I'm here for Crystal Force NSFW headcanons please? Can we just do the full alphabet. List 2, the Sexy ABCs please?

ABC List 2

CRYSTAL FORCE

Aspen/Abbie/Nick/Cherry/Nyx/ + Kenzie

A ─ After care.

This group is so good about taking care of each other. Nick, as their mentor, is very good about being both the firm hand (sometimes literally) and the gentle caregiver.

He and Kenzie both are quick to spearhead aftercare duties (Kenzie because she doesn’t participate in intercourse, but is all for some cuddles)

Aspen and Abbie are likely to stay curled up together for hours after sex, and oftentimes others join them, just laying together in silence.

Everyone in the polycule loves to cuddle!

B ─ Breeding.

I didn’t really think yes to this one until Mad suggested Cherry and Aspen and now FULL SEND it. They absolutely indulge in that kink when it’s just the two of them.

C ─ Condoms.

Yes, they especially use them with Abbie, even after they’re no longer rangers.

D ─ Dreams.

Cherry probably has the most wet dreams out of the crew, oftentimes jumping whoever was the target of her dreams (oftentimes Aspen or Nyx because because she enjoys domming them)

E ─ Experimenting.

They all like to experiment. Abbie, due to her abilities, takes things slower than the rest, but still enjoys trying new things. The whole group has such a unique dynamic that they have to try new things to suit everyone’s tastes.

F ─ First time.

Aspen wasn’t shy toward sex when his relationship began with everyone. He had sex with Nick first, and Cherry a close second.

G ─ Games.

I love the idea of Nick and Cherry playing a game to decide who’s more dominant. And I imagine Cherry is one to play fight and wrestle her partners.

They are all definitely interested in roleplay!

H ─ Humour.

Oh yeah, absolutely. The goofiest bunch

I ─ Infidelity.

No, these guys are so loyal to each other. They were all raised by rangers, they all know each other in a way no one else would. They will always support one another.

J ─ Jewellery.

Kinda like his Papa, Aspen likes the idea of collars and piercings.

K ─ Kissing.

Aspen loves kisses. Cherry kisses him all over, leaving lipstick stains across his skin. He loves Nick’s biting kisses. And he loooveess to kiss Nyx and Abbie softly, all over their faces and on top of their heads.

L ─ Lingerie.

Nyx and Aspen have some “matching sets” that Cherry picked out for them. Abbie also has a few. Nick doesn’t have any, but he appreciates that everyone else does.

M ─ Masturbation.

Aspen loves it when he’s ordered to masturbate in front of his partners. That’s the only time he really does it, and he is very open to toys.

N ─ Nudes.

Cherry and Abbie have a contest every once in awhile to see who get a reaction out of Nick first with the amount of nudes they share with him. It’s like a double win if he sends one back!

O ─ O’clock.

Normally in the evening as it’s a good way for them to wind down, but they are no stranger to the quickie when the need strikes.

P ─ Public.

Aspen and Nick have done a little, Cherry once or twice at a club or concert, but not much.

Q ─ Questions.

They are all great at communicating and value that as a priority in their relationship. There are no taboo themes, they are willing to talk about anything with each other.

R ─ Recording.

Hell yes! They go back and watch them together, sometimes as a way to tease them. “Look at how pathetic you sounded,”

S ─ Spanking.

Aspen likes it a bit, but only from Nick. None of them are really physical with one another like that.

T ─ Turn ons & offs.

Aspen is a brat as a submissive and a softy of a dom. He loves to rile up and tease Nick and Cherry, and in some ways for Abbie and Nyx as well. Aspen enjoys making Nyx blush.

None of them would do anything super gross, no potty stuff.

U ─ Unusual.

Aspen and Cherry went camping and had sex in the tent, which was pretty fun.

V ─ Video call.

Aspen definitely would if he had to be long distance with his partners.

W ─ Walk of shame.

Stealing from Mad on this one - Kenzie has definitely shown up at the wrong time many times. Aspen tried to make up for it with snacks and extra kisses at night.

X ─ X-rated.

Yeah, I think they might watch a little porn for inspo and whatnot.

Y ─ Yucky.

No potty stuff!

Z ─ Zones.

Aspen’s neck and sides are particularly sensitive and he loves having his hair played with. His partners can read him like a book, so they all know where he’s sensitive haha

[alittlefrenchtree]

Hi! I'm really curious about this cause I've seen similar opinions online and I love reading stuff like this! It makes me understand myself better and makes me understand why I like things more. You can call me Curious Anon, lol, cause I'll send 2nd and 3rd ask but you wrote this when someone asked you if Taylor's acting was good and part of your reply was: "I met him with Alex, so let’s start with Alex. Unlike many, I was more pulled in and hooked by his performance than I was with Nick’s one. (Not saying Taylor’s better than Nick (nor the other way around), let me finish)". How were you hooked more by Taylor's performance as Alex than Nick's as Henry's? Could you please elaborate on your first viewing experience with RWRB a d how you came across it?

Hi there, Curious Anon ☺️

Again, thank you for taking interest in my opinions and giving me opportunities to ramble some more 💜 I really appreciate it!

How were you hooked more by Taylor's performance as Alex than Nick's as Henry’s?

It’s hard to define how, to be honest. I can give lines of thoughts but I’m not sure how much each played in the part.

Part of this is actually related to being hooked first by Alex himself as a character, so it’s hard to tell how much is thanks to the character himself and how much is about Taylor’s work. I guess it’s also because it’s very much a story from Alex’s POV and you have to wait a bit to have a close look at Henry.

About the performances themselves, and I’m going to try to not elaborate too much on that because the answer will overlap the ones for your second ask, but the general idea is:

I knew nothing about both of them before watching the movie. Have never seen a second of any of their work nor of videos as themselves so I knew nothing nothing about them. So there was no "oh that’s not Alex, that’s Taylor" moment nor "that’s Nick and definitely not Henry right there" moment per se. That being said, Alex was just Alex from start to finish. I was just watching a real person, organically existing on my screen. 

For Henry… There were some scenes, during my first watch of a movie, when my feeling was closer to "I’m watching an actor act" than "I’m watching a real person experiencing life". A bit like seeing the ropes I guess. In my eyes, it doesn’t mean it’s a bad performance or that one is better than the other. And again, I have reviewed and nuanced many aspects of this opinion since then, it really doesn't mean anything at all anymore. Nick’s people don’t come for my throat just yet please 🙏 I’ll elaborate more on Henry and Nick in the next ask. Click here to read me gush about Nick.

Could you please elaborate on your first viewing experience with RWRB a d how you came across it?

There are some elements of answer here.

Like said, romcoms aren’t really my thing but I had a good time. I thought it was flawed but refreshing and cute. Most of all, I’m happy it exists and is successful for all the reasons that queer people deserve good, light, silly and positive stories for entertainment. 

Honestly I didn’t expect to post that much about it and certainly didn’t know I would still be talking about it months later and harassing prime video for a sequel announcement. And to be honest, I’ve read the book only once and didn’t watch the movie that often. I’ve already spent more time reading fan fictions about it that consuming the source materials. It’s a weird kind of addiction, actually 😂 I’m not sure how much or in which directions you wanted me to elaborate on that point, but I was like "I like it ok" but kept going back to it because I wanted more soft fun and more funny softness from them (and for them).

[countlessrealities]

Kinda 👀 Prompts || Selectively accepting !

@mcltiples sent: [KNIFE] sender uses a knife to rip receiver's clothes { To Evil Rick from Weird Rick >:D }

There were a lot of things that Rick found fascinating about his partner. Some more entertaining, others more frustrating, but all undoubtedly worth his interest and attention. Even when he wasn't directly involved, he liked to watching, observing the other going through his motions, speeches, choices, hows and whys with the same focus he usually reserved exclusively to his experiments.

His alternate's mood were one of Rick's favourite phenomena to monitor. They were so volatile, and mostly unpredictable. They could be as explosive as the weapons the man enjoyed building or as subtle as a the light twitch of an eye. They jumped from an emotion to the other, always close to the extremes, always shying away from mildness.

He could tell that his partner wasn't being honest with his feelings whenever they were played out with strict moderation or calm.

However, this didn't mean, as one could think, that apathy was something unknown to his alternate. It was a rare show to witness, but it did happen. Just as everything else, it was deep, absolute, totalising, and it required a very special, very careful handling.

That, though, wasn't the situation at hand. Rick wasn't dealing with one of his partner's most violent moods, whether on the heated side of anger or with the ice cold quality of pure detachment. The other seemed to be in a quite cheerful mood, lively and playful, with a clear side of mischief.

And, of course, lustful too, judging by the way his alternate had shoved him into the closest wall and was assaulting his neck with his teeth and tongue. Judging by the viciousness of the attack, by the time their encounter ended, he would have sported quite the collection of bruises.

One of those hands was insistently grabbing at the front of his shirt, alternating pulling at it and pressing against his chest, as if to make sure that Rick's back would remain firstly pinned against the wall.

His partner's other hand was somewhere by his side, oddly not trying to touch him as he would have expected, and the reason for it became instantly clear when the sound of cloth ripping filled the air between them without a warning. Oh, so this was the game of the day.

The blade was so sharp that it cut through the fabric as if it had been melting butter and nicked the flesh underneath, drawing a steady red line from the top of Rick's sternum to the line of his navel. Thick droplets of blood gushed out of the wound, their warmth in contrast with the cool air of the underground hideout.

Rick's only reaction was a raised eyebrow, conveying the barest hint of judgement. He didn't mind the sting of the wound since pain had little meaning to him nowadays. If something, under the right circumstances he could even appreciate the way it lit up his nerves, forcing his whole being to feel connected, even if just briefly, with the universe that surrounded him.

In a different situation, he would have given into the urge of voicing what his gaze was already hinting at, but his partner seemed delighted and even more turned on by his handiwork. He could tell by the way the other was leaning more heavily into it, hard, hot and solid against Rick's thigh. Those hips were moving, slow and almost imperceptibly, seeking from his body a hint of satisfaction that could take the edge off.

How could he deny this pleasure to the man who owed each and every atom of him?

His features relaxed back into a more neutral expression and he let his nape rest against the wall, focusing on the feeling of that tongue teasingly lapping at the cut. His alternate's hand had slipped under the torn shirt, wrapping itself around his side, tight and possessive.

Rick's fingers found their way in the other's hair, tugging sharply at those blue locks and using them to press that face more into his chest. He wanted to smear his partner's chin and cheekbones with his blood, so that he could lick it off later.

A hum rumbled in his chest, as the knife worked to get rid of his belt and slash through his trousers, leaving behind more stinging cuts. Clothes could be easily replaced, he mused, distractedly registering the fabric falling off him piece by piece, until he was left bare for his partner's eyes to feast on.

This man who had made himself into a god and the twisted, unbreakable thread that linked them together? It was one of a kind even in a universe made of infinite realities.

[abbatoirablaze]

Bad Girl's Club, Chapter 9

Word Count:  1.8k

Warnings:  slight homophobia, discussion of transgender/gender identity/sexual identities, angst, age gaps, taboo relationships, mention of illicit sex, mentions of smut, threats, mentions of aggressions.

“Thanks again for hosting, Nick,” Lance smiled, clapping his best friend on the back as he helped him line up the pizza and beer along the counter, “I know the guys are glad that you’re finally jumping in as a full member in our poker night.”

“Yeah…I liked playing with the DC guys, but it doesn’t make sense to drive into the city or up to New York anymore…plus with Lee in Ohio again and Steve and Bucky back with the Avengers in New York and pissed off with each other over what happened with Cami…it’s just turned into a mess,” Nick admitted, “I’ve been meaning to talk to you about Jenna’s first week though…it’ll be good to get some perspective on how she’s been handling the transition.”

“I-I fucked up,” Lance told his friend sadly, “I-I called her Darren in front of the other girls, Nick.”

“She told me,” he said in a sad tone, “she was really upset about it.  But she gets that it was a slip of the tongue, Lance.  She knows that you don’t see her as a boy.”

“She’s definitely not a boy…”

Nick chuckled, trying to brush off his friend’s comment, “I’m just glad she made some friends.  She’s over at a girl’s house having a sleepover.”

“Th-that doesn’t worry you?”

“Lance…she’s a straight girl.  She’s not interested in girls,” Nick laughed, “she-“

Lance’s brow furrowed as he cut his friend off, “wait…you mean you two…”

Nick nodded and sighed, “her and I have talked about her sexuality before.  We’ve had quite a few in-depth talks about how she identifies in all aspects of her life.  She said she’s always felt like a girl.  And always liked boys…it’s funny you know.  When her and I were talking about it, I asked how she knew.  And you were her reason.  She actually told me that you were her very first crush.  She always just played along when you came over because she thought she was going to marry you one day.”

Lance blushed, clearly being thrown off by what his friend was saying, “well…I hate to break it to you, but that’s another reason I came over early and offered to help you set up.”

Nick paled; his attention being pulled from the set-up.  He shot a deadly look towards the younger man as his thoughts darkened, “what the hell are you talking about Lance?”

“Well…you know Jalen and I broke up…”

“Jesus christ Lance, if you so much as touched a hair on Jenna’s head-“

“I think I’m gay!” he blurted out, cutting his friend off.  Nick looked at him in a stunned silence for a moment.

“You what?”

“Jalen had been talking more about a future and kids and stuff, and I just-I didn’t want that,” he admitted nervously, “you know…I almost went full throttle with Nia only to find out that I wasn’t actually the kid’s father…and it was a relief.  And I realized it’s because I’m not ready to be a dad…and I don’t know if I want to be one…”

“So you’re just gonna start taking it in the ass so you don’t have a kid?” Nick asked, raising his brow at his friend. 

Lance frowned, “I never told you about it, but after Nia…I did some experimenting…I-I’ve always been interested in men too…but I just…I don’t know.  I started watching some stuff after Jalen and I broke up…”

“After you and her broke up…”

“Okay…a little before…but it wasn’t why we broke up!” he said quickly, “it was beca-“

“Because you want to take it in the ass…”

“Fuck, Nick…I’m trying to come out to you,” he said anxiously, “you’re my best friend…and you have a daughter that’s trans.  I thought you of all people would be able to understand and even be a little sympathetic about it.”

“Look, I’m not saying that I’m not, it’s just-“

Both men stopped speaking when the doorbell rang.  Nick cursed and looked away from his friend, towards the door.

“Y-you don’t think I should tell the guys…do you?”

“I don’t know,” he shrugged to himself, “if you want to tell them, go ahead…but I just-I don’t know how they’ll react Lance…”

“Well…you’re still my friend…right?”

“I’ll always be your friend, Lance,” he offered, “so long as the stuff you were watching wasn’t trans porn…last thing I need is for you chasing Jenna around because right now she’s got fake tits and her original male parts…”

Lance paled as Nick turned around and started walking down the hall to get the door. 

The drinks were flowing, and the guys had more than their fill of pizza.  They were laughing between the rounds of poker, when Johnny spoke up, “listen man…I need to talk about something right quick!”

The guys chuckled, but Johnny snapped his fingers drunkenly until Chase was looking at him, “what do you want you big flame ball?”

The men laughed and Johnny waggled his finger at his friend, “I know a dirty little secret about you…a dirty little birdy told me that Sam’s been blowing you after school.”

The men stopped laughing, their attention being drawn between Chase and Johnny.  Chase paled, thinking that his ass was about to get kicked by a superhero, “Johnny…it’s not…it’s not what you’re thinking...I jus-“

“What?” Johnny asked in a mocking tone, his voice becoming far too serious.  The air around the men became tense, “you didn’t mean to throat fuck my baby sister?  Sam told Sue all about it…”

Chase paled even more, “I-I care about her.  It isn’t just a-“

“I’m fucking with you,” Johnny shrugged, cutting his friend off, while instantly breaking into a drunken fit of laughter.  The rest of the men released the breaths they were holding in as Chase felt his cheeks unclench, “if you want to get serious with her, go for it.  She’s eighteen.  And I’d rather her be chasing down someone like you.  I know you’re a good guy.  You’ll treat her right.”

Chase sighed, “y-you’re really okay with it?”

“Yeah,” Johnny nodded, “Just be careful, alright.  She may be legal…but she’s still a student there at the school.  One of your students.”

“Oh god,” Ransom groaned, far too drunk to pay attention to his own words, “I know what that is like!”

Curtis chuckled, taking a long sip from his beer, “what?  You’re fucking a student too, Drysdale?”

“Yeah,” he said in a daze.  The guys watched as the normally cocky man seemed to be lost in his thoughts, “man…I’ve been going to town on her for a while…fuck.  And we just got back together too…told each other we weren’t going to be together once she-”

“She a senior?” Chase asked, his brow furrowing, “at least tell me she’s legal pussy?”

“Jess Tarentum,” Ransom admitted, her name slipping off his lips like she was his own personal prayer, “God…she’s sex on legs…fucked the hell out of her last week after school.  She was wearing this little red number beneath her unifo-“

“Jess just turned eighteen a few days ago,” Curtis said abruptly, cutting Ransom off, “your kid made her wear a sash to my class…I confiscated it because it was a safety hazard.”

This time it was Ransom that paled.  The men remained silent as the air turned thick again.  He realized that he fucked up by admitting that he’d been having sex with her for a while, and as early as before she was legal.

“Shit.”

“How’s your daughter feel that you’ve been fucking her best friend since before she was legal?” Curtis teased playfully.

“Shut the hell up,” Ransom grumbled, suddenly becoming angry.  The guys were quiet for a few minutes before Ransom got a shit eating grin on his face, “look…let’s not pretend that any of us are innocent, okay?  I hear what goes on at the school…just like I’m sure each of you do too.”

“What the fuck did I get involved in?” Nick asked quietly.  Lance paled again as he looked at his own friend.

“While the active sex lives of the girls aren’t talked about much, we know that my kid has a crush on Curtis, just like Avery has a crush on fire fingers there.”

“Wait, what?” Curtis asked, his eyes going wide.

“Oh, come on…drop the little cool guy act,” Ransom groaned, rolling his eyes, “I swear to god if I have to hear any more phone calls where I hear my daughter mentioning how good you looked in class and how she wants to climb ‘Curtis mountain’ I’ll puncture my own ear drums.”

“WAIT!” Chase said quickly, his attention snapping to Johnny, “is that why you are okay with Sam and I?  Because Avery likes you?”

“Chase…it’s not like tha-“

“Not like what?” he asked, suddenly concerned about his daughter’s sex life, “have you touched her?  Did you touch my little girl, Storm?”

“The only ones that have touched any of the girls are you and captain pedophile over there!” Johnny growled, “how long has he been fucking Tarentum, huh?  Let her crash at his place for a while…didn’t ya, Drysdale?  She got a kid, right?  How long you been fucking her?”

Ransom instantly paled, his mind racing as he thought to Jess.  

To her son. 

How she’d never let him meet him, but how Lily had met him.  Then his grandfather’s words replayed in his head like a broken record, reminding him of the funds that he gave away every month…for the same amount of time that Jess had been with him. 

“I’m investing in your future, Ransom.”

Did Lily know? 

While Ransom was having an internal crisis, and Johnny and Chase were arguing with one another, Curtis sat, wondering how long the cute little spoiled rich girl had liked him.  Nick was staring at the five men who were all in the midst of arguments or existential crisis.  And that’s when he saw his best friend’s mouth open.

“Jalen broke up with me because she caught me watching tranny porn!” he admitted.  Nick’s jaw dropped as he looked at his friend, his daughter instantly coming to the forefront of his mind.  The guys stopped their conversations to look at Lance, who looked like he was going to pass out. 

“What did you just say?”

“Jalen-“

“Yeah…we got that part.  You like chicks with dicks!” Ransom said crudely.  Another grin appeared on his face as he looked to Nick, “Hey Fowler…isn’t your daughter trans?  She still got her firehose with those tits you bought her?”

“Nick…I’m not-I don’t-“

“You stay the fuck away from my daughter,” Nick warned, his voice a deathly calm tone while he glared at Lance, “and all of you get the fuck out of my house…right now.”

The men quickly clamored out of the way, evading the tense air that was forming around Nick and Lance.   It wasn’t until the door clicked shut behind him that Lance found the courage to speak.

“Nic-“

“Don’t you dare fucking talk,” he growled, “I’m going to ask you a few simple questions…right now…and I want you to answer with one word…and I want you to answer honestly.”

“Nick, I-“

“SHUT THE FUCK UP!”

Lance became silenced as his heart raced.  He fought shaking like a leaf as Nick seemed to look right through him.  And suddenly, it was worse than the inquisition he’d faced when he was dating Nia, and Ari had used Steve and Bucky to question him.

“Have you ever touched my daughter?”

“What?” he all but yelled, “No.  I’ve never touch-“

“Have you ever fantasized about touching my daughter?”

“Nick, I-“

“Answer the fucking question, Lance.  Have you thought about touching Jenna?”

“Ni-“

“Get the fuck out of my house…right now, Lance…before I cut you up and bury the parts in six different states.”

Chapter 10

[watching-pictures-move]

Put On Your Raincoats | Educating Nina (Anderson, 1984)

Educating Nina is notable for two reasons. One, it represents the feature debut of Nina Hartley, one of the true legends of the business, all the more remarkable because she managed to stick around for over three decades and seems like a well adjusted person to boot. Much respect. (I used "feature" debut because she has a Swedish Erotica short listed on her IMDb from a few years prior, but everywhere else I've seen this cited as her debut. When in doubt, hedge your bets.) People of my generation are most likely familiar with her as a more mature figure, having aged like fine wine, but time works both ways and like many of us, she too was young once as she is here. Two, it's one of the few directorial efforts of Juliet Anderson, who started in skin flicks and the like in the '60s and entered hardcore pornography in the late '70s, also staking out a name for herself in mature roles, and left the business after some bad business dealings related to this movie. (I'm a fan of her supporting performances in Taboo, Taboo II and Purely Physical.) In that sense it represents a passing of the MILF torch, from one of the OGs to one of the GOATs, a dynamic made explicit in the final sex scene where Hartley excitedly takes notes while Anderson and her friend Lili Marlene go to work on Dan T. Mann. (Apologies for the jargon, but it's important to be technical when discussing these things.)

As for why Hartley was taking notes, that goes back to the premise, where Hartley is a student doing her Master's thesis on the "positive effects of sexual fantasies", which she plans to study by getting her friends to re-enact the sexual fantasies of her subjects and making porno tapes out of the experiments. (In the scene where she recruits her friends, she wears a "Cat Lover" t-shirt and pets a cat, which is very important to note.) Now, I didn't do a Master's degree, but her academic rigour reminds me of the time I used a high school project about Canadian culture as an excuse to watch Strange Brew. (For research, you see.) But what this means for the movie is that we get a series of brief interviews in between sex scenes with a variety of scenarios depicted.

There's one where Aaron Stuart has breakfast in bed while his wife Karen Summer gets it on with their maid Nina Hartley (who shows up in a cute maid outfit, which is very important to note). Stuart eating breakfast is an important part of the fantasy apparently, so we get lots of close ups of him chewing on his toast and reading the paper while more interesting things are happening nearby. (1984 was an election year, so it's understandable the news had his attention.) And then there's Billy Dee as a male stripper in an impossibly sparkly outfit, showing off his dance moves until he invites Hartley to the stage to get it on. This is probably the most fun scene in the movie, as it feels the most dynamic in conception and lets Hartley put her experience in stage shows to use. And you can't argue with Billy Dee's dance moves. The next interview raises some concerns. The subject starts describing a fantasy that...I'm not going to judge, but imagine if you go to a fancy steakhouse and only have the bread. Guy, Nina Hartley is making you a complimentary personalized porno, use your imagination.

Thankfully, the scene that proceeds is nothing like what he was describing, and has Stuart spying on his wife Lili Marlene while she has a threesome with Mike Horner and Nick Niter (who strongly resembles Barry Gibb from the Bee Gees). Surprisingly, he seems pretty cool with it, conceding it's a fair price to pay to keep their marriage as strong as it is. (The guys are from a lawn care business called "Loving Hands", which seems a bit on the nose.) Then there's a scene where Dan T. Mann gets propositioned by Karen Summer, who compliments his posterior (he wears frighteningly short short-shorts) and takes him to a gym locker room to get it on. Mann returns in the final sex scene, playing a guy who's beating off to a layout of Juliet Anderson in a porno magazine while calling her for phone sex, and then through some miracle, she appears in his room with Lili Marlene for a threesome. During these years, I understand that if you wanted to rent one of John Cassavetes' movies to show somewhere, for a pretty reasonable fee, you could go up to his house to pick up the movie and get to meet him and Gena Rowlands. The scenario depicted here seems like a similarly good deal. (The end credits feature an ad for her phone sex line. I'm going to assume the number is no longer in service.) And then the movie ends with everybody saying they learned something from the proceedings, and Hartley announcing that her thesis went great and she plans to continue these explorations. (I assume she's doing a PhD.)

On one hand, the premise is clearly an excuse to string together a series of sex scenes with some nominal variety, but I did find it interesting the way it foregrounded the way the genre serves as a vehicle for fantasy. In that sense, it might pair nicely with Little Showoffs from the same year, which has a similar structure of interviews punctuating sex scenes, but I think it's quite a bit better as it interrogates that relationship a bit more thoroughly and is executed with a great deal more style. (In that movie, I detected a slight and not unwelcome twang in Lili Marlene's voice. Alas, that twang is absent here, thanks to her precise diction.) That movie had the benefit of being a presumably reasonably-budgeted film production, while this is a crude shot-on-video affair, replete with lo-fi title text and fairly static camerawork, with the odd zoom or pivot punctuating the extremely basic shot setups. (There isn't much of the fluidity or aggressive fourth-wall-breaking you see in some of the early gonzo efforts a few years later.)

That being said, I had a good time with this as the atmosphere is consistently pleasant. The cast is quite appealing and fun to hang out with, and while this is very much targeted towards a straight male audience, the movie does seem appreciative of the male cast, with hints of female gaze appearing in in scenes with Dee, Horner, Niter and Mann, which helps alleviate the tawdriness that might result bargain basement production values. As hokey as it is, the bit at the end about everybody learning a lesson does add to the good vibes here. And as for Hartley, while you can't credit this movie with the entirety of her success, it does seem like a pretty good showcase for her talents (even if it moves her to an observational role after the first few sex scenes, but I suppose she needs to learn by both seeing and doing to do her thesis). And most importantly, during the interview scenes she wears sweaters and scarves in consistently interesting colours as well as a gigantic pair of glasses that appealingly frame her deep blue eyes. The ideal version of this movie would have consisted entirely of these scenes, or at least had her in these glasses for the entire runtime, but alas, they don't make these movies for just me.