#yes i love tim riggins what of it

[kiri-cuts]

A bid for Black Sabbath bravado in “Friday Night Lights”

Within the pilot episode of the masterful mid-’00s teen drama “Friday Night Lights,” we’re presented with two best friends. There’s the all-American, wholesome good boy, Jason Street (Scott Porter) -- the star quarterback of the Dillon Panthers, with little else but a bright future glistening in the crosshairs of his steely focus. And then, there’s his lifelong pal, Tim Riggins (Taylor Kitsch) -- a lovable party boy who turns up to practice with vodka on his breath, and who has seemingly accepted the inheritance of a dead-end future from his deadbeat dad. If Lux Lisbon would have survived “The Virgin Suicides” to have a kid with Trip Fontaine, it would have grown up to be Tim. 

Set in the small town of Dillon, Texas, the two teens occupy vastly different corners of the pigskin pressure cooker within which they exist. Nice guys like Street do well a place like Dillon, and he has everything going for him -- incredible career prospects, a head cheerleader for a girlfriend, and the entire town’s adulation. 

Meanwhile, Riggins is shown to be a reckless rogue, forgiven for his sins only because of how great he plays ‘ball -- and how much the ladies love him. You can see him souring between scenes and his burnout feels inevitable and overdue -- living with his brother amidst a blur of blondes and beer bottles, with nary an emotion in sight. While Street trains and studies and earns his place on the pitch, Riggins emerges with all the discipline of Iggy Pop on a stage full of broken glass -- raw and wounded, he takes whatever fire might fuel that inevitable burnout and pours it like kerosene onto the field. 

At a Panther’s Party hosted at Garrity’s Automobile -- the hottest ticket in town, folks! -- Dillon’s mayor, Lucy Rodell, squares up to Street to tell him some home truths. “You’re a nice boy,” she tells him. “And you got great manners.” And while he’s politely Yes ma’am-ing it up in response, she cuts to the chase. “Knock it off. You can't go into the game tomorrow night like that,” she proclaims. “Carpet bomb 'em, you understand? ...  Chew 'em up, spit 'em out.”

A closeted lesbian who clearly knows her way around unleashing a certain amount of repressed energy wherever she can, Rodell recommends that he listen to the early work of Black Sabbath, assuring him, “It’ll make you mean.” Boys can’t be soft and nice. Winners have to be mean and gristly. The survival of the town depends on this mentality: It chugs at a fountain of toxic masculinity and it lays waste to those who cannot swallow the broth and conform. 

During an episode of the podcast, “It’s Not Only Football: ‘Friday Night Lights And Beyond,” Porter revealed that the sequence wasn’t scripted. But it certainly sets up the tone for the rest of the episode, if not the rest of the show. After all, it was Black Sabbath who performed, “Killing Yourself To Live” in 1973, with singer, Ozzy Osbourne -- a good boy who arguably had to make himself mean to survive -- singing, “How people look and people stare, well I don't think that I even care. You rot your life away and what do they give? You're only killing yourself to live.”

And while the song’s lyrics may be about the hollow nature of the music industry, the song could certainly apply to a small town community that rests all its hopes, fortunes, and futures on the score card of a teenage sports team -- no matter the cost. 

That certainly feels true when Street becomes paralysed after experiencing a catastrophic spinal injury during a tackle on game night. The Rodell scene might have been played for laughs, but it lurches back into focus like a harsh foreshadowing: Was Street too nice? Too polite? If he would have been tougher, meaner, nastier, would his body have experienced the impact of another body differently? Would he have been protected by the dark arts of Black Sabbath?

Obviously, the answer is no. As Coach Taylor (Kyle Chandler) reaffirms to Street, his team, and just about anyone else who needs to hear it, the tragedy was blameless. Unfortunate but unavoidable. Life is cruel. Unpredictable. Much of “Friday Night Lights” pivots around this problem -- like a coach drawing up the strategy of an upcoming game, you have to decide how you’re going to play against the obstacles of being alive. 

Alas, though apt, “Killing yourself to live” isn’t the mantra of the Dillon Panthers, but rather the searingly motivational, “Clear eyes, full heart, can’t lose.” Like much of the storytelling on “Friday Night Lights,” the team motto doesn’t just apply to football -- it’s also a sturdy life affirmation that just about anyone in need can scribble onto the desperation of their morning journals. It’s a statement that urges anyone who can pay attention to it to remain sweet and vulnerable in the face of adversity. You’ll be dealt tough tackles, the mantra insists, but don’t lose yourself in the pursuit to overcome them. 

Ultimately, it’s a mantra that suggests that softness, sweetness, and niceness can also create winners -- but it’s all about strategy. It’s no good being soft, sweet, and nice if you don’t how to apply those qualities properly. Alas, the universe -- and other people -- are generally not so kind. Make yourself too pliable, and life will contort and reshape you into something you may not recognise -- or at the very least, may not want to recognise.   As the show progresses, it becomes evident that much of “Friday Night Lights” also pivots around the “Can’t lose” aspect of that mantra. Say it isolated, without the eyes and the heart, and it sounds desperate -- almost deranged. For many of the male characters, their arcs in the show center around how they reckon with failure, tragedy, and defeat: What loss does to masculinity and how others perceive it. 

For Street, it hardens him. But it’s earned. 

During an appearance on “It’s Not Only Football,” the showrunner of “Friday Night Lights,” Jason Katims, revealed that in the development of the show, he was drawn to the idea of producing stories about marginalised people. “There were very few shows at the time -- or movies for that matter -- that really looked at real small town America [and that were] about people that weren’t privileged,” he explained. “Television, even the good television, was really about privilege.”

In the world of “Friday Night Lights,” all fortune is predicated on football. If you’re within the vicinity of the ball, then you wield a certain amount of privilege. Whether you’re a player, a coach, a financer, or a loved one of any of these people, then you probably have a little of power to leverage within Dillon. But that isn’t to say that this power is versatile or something that can be wielded within the real world.  After all, it becomes quickly apparent that being a part of the game doesn’t protect any of these characters from the indignities of prejudice. Nor does it salvage against the sort of failure that becomes of a person who isn’t equipped with the same access to opportunities as those with more privilege.

With the exception of a sacred few well-to-do, able-bodied white folk in the show, “Friday Night Lights” is populated by characters who are weighed down by obstacles related to poverty, abuse, race, gender, addiction, homophobia, and disability. However, part of the show’s charm is how it centers on these characters not so much overcoming these obstacles, but rather rising above the prejudice and bullshit of it all so they can figure out how to live their lives on their own terms. Even if that means leaving small-town Dillon, Texas -- and the team -- in the process.  

In the pilot episode, Street is presented as being perhaps the most privileged person in Dillon. His parents appear to be happily married and of a fair, stable income. He’s straight, able-bodied, athletically gifted, good looking -- and, impossibly, almost ridiculously humble about all of it. But with one injury, much of that changes. He’s forced to reckon with being paraplegic while watching his family’s savings and income be stripped to the bone due to medical expenses and rehabilitation. 

He’s reconfigured by the community that once heralded him a hero, and he loses access to almost all the corners of the world and the people that meant anything to him: His game, his girlfriend, his best friend. 

While Street reconfigures his idea of masculinity -- featuring some bold declarations about simply being a cripple who wants to listen to Nirvana, moooom -- and toughens up in the process, Riggins stops fighting his emotions, and softens up, instead. When Street becomes paralysed, something inside his best friend breaks open and for episode after episode, he lets life pulvarise him into a tender steak of emotional frailty -- and it’s rare that he ever gets a swing in, himself. It’s a far cry from the beer chugging emo-void of episode one. Regardless, although Street accepts a tougher interior, he nevertheless maintains his heart. He might speak up for himself more now, but his actions are rarely cruel or without merit. 

The character arcs of “Friday Night Lights” lean against this same principle again and again -- the people who prevail aren’t necessarily the ones who give in to the impulse to strike back and be spiteful or seek vengeance. But rather, its those who allow themselves to be vulnerable -- who take the hits without striking back and who rise above, soft and strong. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose. 

But there’s someone who can put this far better than I ever could. At the end of the pilot episode, Coach Taylor makes a rousing speech to his wounded team. They’ve just watched their friend and teammate be carried off the field, his parents and girlfriend screaming from the rafters. Pushing their feelings aside, they were forced to continue the game and not lose sight of the goal. 

“Life is so very fragile. We are all vulnerable. And we will all, at some point in our lives ... fall. We will all fall,” he tells them. “We must carry this in our hearts, that what we have is special. That it can be taken from us, and that when it is taken from us, we will be tested ... It is these times, it is this pain, that allows us to look inside ourselves.”

Crucially, “Friday Night Lights” hangs its cap upon the stern fist pumps of this speech. It’s a sentiment that offers the reminder that nothing is owed, and everything is earned. Mayor Rodell had it wrong when she encouraged Street to get mean and obliterate the opposition. What the show suggests is that the only path to true success and accord is to leave yourself open to being the one to get chewed up and spat out by life, not the other way around. The victory can be found in however you emerge from the other side. It takes courage to be vulnerable -- and to be vulnerable requires a period of transformation.  Even Black Sabbath dropped their meanness and bat-snacking to reckon with heartbreak via a piano-ballad, “Changes”  -- “The world had its evil way. My heart was blinded, love went astray.” Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose, boys. 

[karajaynetoday]

clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose | ashton irwin

image source 

hello friends! yes it is after 2am in my timezone, OOPS. But the inspiration struck, and the writing gods blessed me with motivation and words, so here’s part 3 of charlie rose, ten fingers, ten toes. apologies for any typos, i’m a lil delirious right now. Thank you so much to everyone for their lovely feedback and shares with the previous parts. Also shout out to any Friday Night Lights fans who got a lil kick out of the title of this one lol. Enjoy!

Read Part 1 here | Read Part 2 here 

Word count: 4.1k

Warnings: none

(This is a fem reader insert)

More writing here | send thoughts/feedback/suggestions here | if you’d like to be on my taglist go here

After your quiet moment of togetherness on the beach that evening, you felt more comfortable around Ashton than ever before. Previously small touches were held for longer; instead of accidentally waking up in each other’s arms, you purposefully went to sleep that way; and Ashton’s hand slipped into yours whenever he could manage it.

Charlie Rose still crept into your bedroom every morning for her favourite snuggles, and then she began joining her Uncle Ashton out on the deck for some morning yoga every day as well (which was possibly the cutest thing you had EVER seen). Charlie tried her best to follow all of his poses and stay as quiet as she could, but her favourite part was when the yoga was over and Uncle Ashton used her as a body weight for his push-ups and bench presses, bopping her nose between each rep and earning a giggle in response. Again, a contender for the cutest thing you’d ever seen. 

You spent your days on the beach or relaxing in the villa, and your nights eating out and then stargazing on the deck. You were getting far too used to paradise, and you had to keep reminding yourself that the holiday would soon come to an end. You noticed Ash spending more and more time looking at emails on his phone as your time in Maui progressed, and it started you thinking about how busy his life was about to become. Tour was kicking off a few weeks after you were due to return from Hawaii, which meant Ashton would be criss-crossing all over the US for a few months, before a short break and then heading to Europe and eventually Australia. 

As you watched him build yet another sandcastle with Charlie on a lazy afternoon, you realised just how much effort Ash was putting into spending time with Charlie and making memories with her. Of course, you’d had a lot of Charlie Rose quality time as well, and spent some nice one-on-one time with Alice that you hadn’t really had since Charlie had arrived (naturally, Alice had tried her best to pry information from you about exactly what was going on between you and Ashton, but you didn’t quite know yourself yet, so you’d brushed it off the best you could). But Ashton had barely gone a few weeks without seeing Charlie her entire life, and especially now that she was a little bit older, she was definitely going to know that he was away, and you weren’t quite sure how she’d take it. You also weren’t sure how you’d take it, either. 

Your mind was running into overdrive with increasing anxieties, and you just didn’t know how to voice any of them. On your final night in Maui, after another incredible beachside dinner and a trip to get Charlie’s favourite ice cream, you were folding clothes from the dresser into your suitcase quietly while Ashton was in the shower. You know you needed to talk to him about how you were feeling, but not quite knowing what that even was was driving you up the wall. You hated the overbearing sense of uncertainty. Did Ashton even want something more than a holiday romance from you? You’d only kissed again a handful of times, and despite increasing tension between you, the only thing happening beneath the sheets of your shared bed was some very wholesome spooning (not that you were complaining). Was more-than-friends even on the table? Did you want it to be on the table? Could you handle months of Ashton being away on tour, and the critical eye of his fans and the media? Were you reading into everything too much? Oh god, why were you like this?

You were snapped out of your trainwreck of thoughts by the bathroom door opening, and in your peripheral vision you saw Ashton step out with a fluffy white towel wrapped around his hips. You busied yourself with folding more clothes, but your hands faltered as you felt Ashton come closer, and you sucked in a breath when he slipped his arms around your waist and pulled your back against his bare chest. 

“Why are you packing already, darlin’? We’ve still got the whole night to enjoy.” Ash whispered against your ear, before pressing soft kisses down one side of your neck. You closed your eyes for a moment, enjoying the sensation, before all of the anxiety you’d been grappling with came flooding back into your mind and without meaning to, your entire body tensed up. Ashton immediately sensed the change in your demeanour, and stopped what he was doing. He let go of your hips, and gently tilted your head to face him.

“What’s on your mind?” He tried gently, knowing that you hated confrontation (Ashton’s love for it was a huge part of what intimidated you in your first few interactions all those years ago). 

You sighed, before turning around to face him completely as you perched on the edge of the bed. Ashton sat down next to down, and loosely linked his hand with yours. 

“What… what are we, Ash?” You whispered, not wanting to meet his gaze as your heart started beating faster and faster.

“What do you want us to be?” Ashton countered, squeezing your hand softly.

“I want…” You trailed off, closing your eyes and inhaling deeply. “I want us to be as close as we are, always. I want to have you by my side, while we get to be Charlie’s godparents and watch her grow up and support her achieving her dreams. I want everything we’ve had in Maui, and I want more, but I just… I don’t know how this all works, once we’re back in LA and I’m stuck working a 9-5 while you’re touring the world meeting incredible, probably attractive people, and then I started thinking about what would happen with Charlie if we didn’t work out and I… I don’t know how to make this work. “ Oh god, you were rambling now, but every anxiety that had crossed your mind in the last few days was tumbling out and you couldn’t stop it now.

Ash waited for you to stop talking, and took your other hand in his. 

“That’s all valid, babe. I don’t know how this works either. I’ve had relationships while I’ve been on the road before, sure, but this is different. Because it’s us. You… You mean more to me than anyone else, but I know it’s scary. For both of us.” Ashton said softly, raising your hands to his face and kissing them. 

“Charlie’s going to be important to both of us for the rest of our lives. We’re going to be there for her, like you said, and that means we’re also unavoidably going to be around each other. If we date and it doesn’t work out, we can’t let that get between us being the best godparents Charlie Rose could ever have, because I know we both love that little girl more than anything… but, I also don’t want to let the fear of us not working out hold us back from even trying, you know?” 

Damn it. Why did he always have to be so wise? A wordsmith, of sorts. 

“I know, Ash. I know it shouldn’t hold me back, and I’ve let fear hold me back from a lot of things, too many things…” You paused, as your mind flashed back to the last time you had a serious conversation about a relationship with someone. Someone who’d ripped your heart out and stomped on it several times over. You shook your head, trying to shake away the memories. 

“But I don’t want you to think that I don’t want to give us a chance. I do. But I’m a little out of practice at this, and the last time I tried, it didn’t go so well.” You grimaced, as the flashbacks continued no matter how hard you tried to block them out. 

“And I respect that you’re going to need time to feel comfortable with whatever this is. I can’t promise to wait forever, but I can tell you that right now I’ll give this a chance, if you’ll let me.” Ashton spoke firmly, ducking down to meet your eyes.

“Okay. But slowly, right?” You looked at Ash properly for the first time all night, and his hazel eyes gazed back at you steadily, with a glint of excitement at your agreement. 

“Slowly. I will cancel the romantic beachside dinner with a string quartet, and put a hold on asking you to move in the minute we land at LAX.” Ashton said solemnly, before cracking a grin at what must’ve been a slightly panicked expression on your face. 

“I’m kidding, you dork. We’ll take it slow. I’m going to be gone for a while anyway, so we’ll have to kind of take it slow thanks to circumstance anyway. But you’ve got to let me take you out a few times before then, deal?” Ashton stuck his hand out, and you shook it, rolling your eyes at his antics.

“Pleasure doing business with you. Now then, I should probably put some pants on…” Ashton murmured, looking around the room for his clothes and getting up from the bed to pull some shorts out of his suitcase by the door. You were, quite frankly, ogling his toned back and shoulder muscles, when a knock at the door snapped you back to reality.

“Charlie wants both of you to come read her bedtime story, please!” Alice’s voice sounded through the door, sounding tired and a little on edge. For a tiny human, Charlie sure knew how to make a big performance out of bedtime. Ashton finished getting dressed, and he tugged your hand into his as you made your way over to Alice and James’s room where Charlie was snuggled into her cot. Tonight’s book of choice was from the Little Feminist collection you’d bought Charlie when she was a baby, and you read all about Malala, and Ruth, and Frida, and Rosa, until her little eyes closed and her breathing steadied. You and Ashton took turns to lean into the crib and kiss Charlie’s forehead silently, before making your way back to your own bedroom for one last sleep before your scheduled return to Los Angeles. 

Leaving Maui felt much harder than arriving - not helped by the tantrum Charlie threw when you explained there was no time for yoga or sandcastles. After James had calmed her down and negotiated one final quick walk on the beach while the rest of you checked out of the hotel, you made your way to the airport and onto the first flight and then the second with ease. You’d learnt your lesson from the previous long-haul flight, and Ashton had downloaded a few more Charlie-friendly apps onto his iPad that she happily engaged with. She barely left Ashton’s side for the whole flight, and you started to wonder if she’d sensed his impending departure on tour. Sure, Charlie was only small, but her emotional intelligence was remarkable (I mean, as her godmother you were maybe a little biased, but maybe you had a child prodigy on your hands, who knows?!) and you weren’t looking forward to seeing them bid each other farewell in a week or so. 

You and Alice shared an iPad and watched a few episodes of Friday Night Lights. It was one of your favourite shows that you’d binged watched together one summer, and rewatching it brought you comfort (and a fair dose of fangirling over Tim Riggins, and a recurring debate on whether or not he should’ve ended up with Lyla or Tyra). It was an emotional rollercoaster, and the small town of Dillon in the show reminded you of the one you’d grown up in (albeit a little more Texan, and a bit more enthusiastic about American football specifically). After landing at LAX and disembarking, you made your way to the long term parking garage and helped James and Alice load their luggage and Charlie into their car. You were about to get in yourself, when Ashton cleared his throat behind you.

“Can I give you a lift? You’re just around the corner from me, it’s not out of the way.” Ashton said brightly, pre-empting any excuses that you were about to come out with about you being a bother. You agreed, and he took your suitcase from your hands and led you towards his car that was parked nearby. The car ride home was quiet, and when Ashton pulled into your driveway, you didn’t want to unbuckle your seatbelt and get out of the car. Because that would mean that the magic of vacation was truly over, and you didn’t like that idea at all. 

“Come on, slow poke. I’ll help you carry your stuff inside.” Ashton tapped your nose, disrupting your internal dialogue. You reluctantly followed his lead and got out of the car and headed inside, groaning to yourself about the idea of having to do laundry and all of your unattended life admin the next day, to ready yourself for a return to work on Monday. Ashton pulled your suitcase into your bedroom, and laughed when you flopped down onto the bed and moan in annoyance into the pillow.

“Post-holiday blues, gorgeous?” His tone was teasing, and you could hear the stupid smirk on his face. 

“Not all of us have the luxury of a rockstar lifestyle, Irwin. No more late nights or sleep ins for me. Back to the daily grind.” You sighed, pushing yourself up onto your elbows at the edge of the bed.

“Well…” Ash crouched down so your faces were level. “How about I make it a bit less of a travesty by taking you to brunch tomorrow? Just us.” He shot you a wink as he spoke.

“Just us?” You felt yourself smiling, and oh yes, there were those butterflies again.

“Just us. Pick you up at ten.” Ashton beamed as you nodded, and he quickly pressed his lips to yours before you could say anything in response. You reached up and linked your hands behind his neck in an attempt to deepen the kiss, but Ashton caught onto your arms and untangled them, before pulling away.

“Slowly, remember? Gotta keep something up my sleeve for you, darlin’.” Ashton smirked, pressing one final kiss to your lips and standing up to his full height. “I’ll see you tomorrow at ten. Sweet dreams, babe!” He shot you another wink, and strolled right out of your bedroom without another word. Damn, he had you good. 

Brunch was delightful, there was no other way to describe it. Conversation between you and Ashton flowed easily, but there was also comfort and content in the silences you shared as well, sipping coffee and eating your smashed avocado. Ashton had a few days of final rehearsals and meetings this week before flying out for the first tour date on Friday. On Thursday, you were scheduled to babysit Charlie, and you’d suggested to Ash that perhaps you could go to the nearby park and play on the playground. He’d agreed, and was going to see if Calum wanted to come along and bring Duke. Charlie Rose loved her godparents, but she also loved dogs, especially ones that were a little more Charlie-size friendly. She did not love Calum (yet), but that was mostly because he liked to rile her up with arguments about who Ashton’s best friend was (logically, it was Calum, but emotionally, Charlie was definitely giving him a run for his money). 

On Thursday the sun was shining, so you headed to the park with a bubbly and chatty Charlie Rose in tow (once you’d ensured you’d both slip, slop, slapped for sun safety, of course). Charlie had insisted on wearing her brand new overalls that Alice had hand-embroidered her name and a series of colourful roses onto, and a bright yellow sunhat to match her seemingly sunny disposition. The park was fairly empty when you arrived, and you easily spotted Ashton and Calum resting on a park bench by the swings. Charlie spotted them also, and tugged on your hand for permission to run over, which you gave her.

“Charlie Rose! How’s my best girl?” Ashton’s voice boomed across the park, as he lifted Charlie up into a hug and then swung her around, causing Charlie to shriek with excitement. You reached the park bench and set down the tote bag you’d brought along, and Cal stood up to hug you hello with Duke in his arms. 

“Thank god you’re here, mate. We were starting to get some weird looks from the mums over there.” Cal muttered, pulling away from you and setting Duke down on the ground.

“Duke! My best puppy!” Charlie yelped excitedly, wriggling out of Ashton’s arms to greet her favourite furry friend, who patiently stood still while she petted him softly and wrapped her arms around his neck.

“Gentle, Charlie,” You reminded, crouching down to her level. “Did you say hi to Cal? He brought Duke to the park, just for you.” You gently prompted, smiling encouragingly at your goddaughter, who eyed you suspiciously before fixing Calum with a glare. 

“Hi. I guess.” 

You had to stop yourself from cracking up at Charlie’s blunt tone in greeting Calum, and you could see Ashton doing the same. Cal just smiled at Charlie, before producing a tennis ball from his back pocket and offering it to her.

“Wanna play fetch with Duke, Charlie? I’ll let you have the first throw…” Cal offered cautiously. Charlie grabbed the ball from his hand and bounded off with Duke on his lead, and Calum scrambled to follow her. 

“You got it, Cal?” Ash called after him, half-serious, half-laughing.

“Yep! Got it! We’ll be best friends in NO TIME, just you wait!” Calum called back, as Charlie stopped a few metres from him. She liked to push the boundaries sometimes, but Charlie Rose also knew the rules, and not to go too far from her grown ups when you were out and about. 

Countless rounds of fetch, a few turns on the swings and one too many trips down the slide (both Calum and Ashton almost got completely stuck) later, it was time to take Charlie back home so that James could come by after work and collect her. Ashton offered to walk you back, and Charlie clapped her hands in delight when he let her climb onto his back for the journey home. She kissed Duke goodbye and mumbled some sort of farewell to Calum (which was progress), and you headed out of the park towards your house.

You’d noticed that Ash had grown reserved on the walk, but he was still listening intently to the story Charlie was telling him about how proud she was of Duke for learning how to play fetch. When you arrived home, he set Charlie down on the couch with an exaggerated groan and a kiss to the forehead, before heading into the kitchen to get himself a glass of water. You followed, sensing that something was up. Ashton was facing away from you at the sink, but he didn’t flinch or react when you brushed a hand along his shoulders reassuringly.

“You okay?” You asked quietly, trying to meet his gaze.

“Yep. Just gotta do the pre-tour goodbyes to my two favourite girls. Sucks, but no avoiding it.” Ashton said, his tone laced with sadness. He gulped down the rest of the water in the glass, and set it on the sink, before turning to you and pulling you into a brief hug.

“Time to rip the bandaid off.” Ash whispered, pressing a soft kiss to the top of your head before heading back into the living room.

“Charlie Rose, can I talk to you for a second?”

Charlie looked up from where she was playing on the floor with a teddy bear you kept here for her, and cocked her head to one side, eyeing Ashton curiously.

“I suppooooose.” She drawled out, making you chuckle. This child had a flair for the dramatics. Ashton crossed the floor of the living room and picked up Charlie, sitting her on his lap as he settled onto the couch.

“Do you remember how I get to play my drums with Calum, Luke and Michael?” He asked slowly, brushing the hair that had come loose from Charlie’s pigtails out of her eyes. She nodded, looking up at him curiously.

“Okay, good. So, there are lots of people that like to hear us play, all over the world. And that means I have to go away for a little while, so we can play our music for them.” Ashton continued, and you could tell he was struggling to keep it together. 

“Oh! So we get to go on more airplanes, like Maui?” Charlie said, excited at the prospect of another adventure.

“You don’t get to come with me this time, Charlie Rose. Maybe you and auntie, and mama and dada can come visit me for a bit of it, but I’m going to go by myself for a little while. But I promise I’ll still FaceTime you lots, and read you stories, and you can tell me all about your adventures with auntie, okay?” Ashton was trying to keep his voice calm and steady, but it was starting to waver, especially as the realisation dawned on Charlie Rose and her bottom lip began to wobble. Ashton noticed, and pulled Charlie in close, whispering reassurances into her ear and rubbing her back as she began to sniffle into his shoulder. 

“What about auntie?” Charlie asked, her voice muffled into Ashton’s shoulder. You sat down on the couch next to Ashton, and rubbed a hand along Charlie’s shoulders.

“What about me, Charlie Rose? I’m not going anywhere, lovebug.” You coaxed reassuringly, giving Charlie a small smile when she turned to look at you and rub her face.

“Yeah, but… but won’t you b-b-be sad that Uncle Ashta’s gone too?” She hiccuped, looking at you with worried eyes and a frown, as her tiny mind tried to process everything that was happening. You saw Ash glance at Charlie in wonder, but then admiration, when he realised what she was trying to say. 

“You’re right, lovebug. I will miss him,” You began, pausing to note the flicker of a smile that crossed Ashton’s face. “But, just like you, I’ll get to call him on the phone heaps, and then maybe we can go and visit him on tour, won’t that be fun?” You tried to speak as brightly as you could muster, but you could feel the anxiety and emotion starting to build in your own chest. If only you could get away with throwing a temper tantrum, but alas.

“Mmm, fun. But… how will you sleep?” Charlie asked, confused.

“What do you mean, bug?” Ashton asked, bopping her on the nose which made her wrinkle her face in confusion. 

“How will you sleep without snuggles?” Charlie asked so innocently that you had to stifle a laugh and partly a cry, because honestly, you had no idea how you were going to cope with the next month or so apart from Ashton. It seemed silly, given you’d been friends for literally years before this, but something had shifted in those close moments you’d shared in Maui, and the sense of content you’d found with Ashton at brunch and the park and other places in between was going to be hard to go without.

“It’s going to be tricky, Charlie, you’re right. But remember, you can always feel your loved ones and how much they care about you, even if they’re not with you, right? And you can do anything you set your mind to, can’t you?” You said softly, as Charlie reached over to you for a hug and pulled you closer to Ashton in the process.

“Yes, we can.” She mumbled, giving you and Ashton slobbery cheek kisses in response.

“What does mama say to auntie when I get frustrated or sad, can you remember?” You prompted, returning Charlie’s kiss on the cheek.

“Oh! Clear hearts, full eyes, can’t lose!” She exclaimed, proud of herself for remembering. You laughed, and Ashton joined you, throwing his arms around you and Charlie in one warm embrace.

“Almost, lovebug. Clear eyes, full hearts, can’t lose.” 

You knew getting through these next few months was going to be a challenge, but in that moment, it felt like you were ready for anything that the universe was going to throw your way. 

More writing here | send thoughts/feedback/suggestions here | if you’d like to be on my taglist go here

Taglist: @suchalonelysunflower​ @blackbutterfliescal​ @redrattlers​ @loveroflrh​ @spicycal​ @notinthesameguey​ @metalandboybands​

[meerschweinchen-archive]

What are some of your favorite poems/pieces of writing?

general disclaimer that im much less well-read as my carefully curated internet persona might lead on... but these are some pieces of writing that make up the mycelium network of my mind’s undergrowth:

tim riggins speaks of waterfalls - nico alvarado

as from a quiver of arrows - carl phillips 

what the dragon said: a love story - c. valente

hunting season - steven chung

yes, think - ruth stone

from blossom - li-young lee

psalm - dorianne laux

sleeping in hte forest - mary oliver

percy wakes me (fourteen) - mary oliver

here there are blueberries - mary szybist

try to praise the mutilated world - adam zagajewski

de profundis - christina rosetti

new bones - lucille clifton

morning love poem - tara skurtu

forfeiting my mystique - kaveh akbar

that kind of good - natalie wee

the mower - philip larkin

valentine - carol ann duffy

happiness from paul schmidtberger’s design flaws of the human condition

we ate the birds - margaret atwood

i want to tell you yes - kallie falandays

ode to buttoning and unbuttoning my shirt - ross gay

not the beloved from anne carson’s erso the bittersweet

after the movie - marie howe

accident report in the tall, tall weeds - ada limón

in tennessee i found a firefly - mary szybist

when i put my hands on your body - david wojnarowicz

the mystery of grocery carts - john olson

your night is of lilac - mahmoud darwish

a dead thing that, in dying, feeds the living - donika kelly

please read - mary ruefle

dudes, we did not go through the hassle of getting these fake ids for this jukebox to not have any springsteen - hanif andurraquib

we lived happily during the war - ilya kaminsky

while the child sleeps - ilya kaminsky

the forgotten dialect of the heart - jack gilbert

what the living do - marie howe

eleven - sandra cisneros

revolutionary letter #4 - diane di prima

elegy for my sadness - chen chen

[zalrb]

OTH 2x15 Rewatch

1. IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII DON’T WANNA BE ANYTHING OTHER THAN WHAT I’VE BEEN TRYNA BE LATELYYYYYYYYYYYYY

2.

3. And it’s not that I don’t understand what Nathan’s mindset is and it’s not that I’m unsympathetic it’s that James’ acting isn’t good so rarely does it seem like he’s going through something, it just seems like general teenage angst and in the back of my head I’m screaming, enough already. Which is my issue with a lot of the acting and/or writing on this show, it lacks nuance and makes a lot of the characters insufferable a lot of the time.

4. “In 1955, students at Tree Hill High School created a time capsule which was to be opened in 50 years. They were simply asked to talk about their lives. Isn’t it interesting how things haven’t changed much?” Yes, except, you know, civil rights. But, details. Amirite?

5. Imagine giving THIS up

for LEYTON.

6. HA.

7. Keith buying Jules a house, men stay buying houses for their love interests in shows.

8. Jules, WHAT is your endgame here? Like how did you see this life going?

9. She didn’t even know your middle name, Lucas.

10. This makes me laugh

You couldn’t just take the picture down, Nathan? BUT IT WOULDN’T BE A STATEMENT.

11. Karen is annoying, but I just don’t like Moira Kelly as an actress, I was happy when they got rid of her on The West Wing.

12. Tim!

13. “Don’t be a dick and drive drunk!” “I’m not even buzzed!” “IT’S STILL AN OPEN CONTAINER!” I think the message here, kids, is that it’s wrong to drive drunk.

14. Jake saying he had to call in a few favours for the breeze and the stars to be perfect for Peyton would be insufferably corny if Bryan and Hilarie didn’t have chemistry and if Bryan’s delivery didn’t hit the right note of banter and casualness, so instead it’s just charming.

15. LMAO you couldn’t even move to the side! EVERYONE WALK AROUND THE TWO TEENAGERS MAKING OUT

16. If this was a basketball town, they would not be arrested. In FNL, Tim goes to a beer store and his fake ID straight up says Sgt. Tim Riggins and the owner is like “Have a nice night, Mr. Riggins” knowing FULL WELL who he is.

17. “Wow, your own mom can’t stand you.” Lol, Nathan.

18. LMAO it took me a minute to get this when I was younger

19. OTH’s favourite word is threatened. “Were you with Chris?” “Why are you threatened by him?” “You’ve been spending time with Taylor.” “Why, are you threatened by her?” “You’re chasing after a father who doesn’t even want you and I’m pathetic?” “Would you just let it go? Why are you so threatened by that?”

20. It bothered me so much that they changed Brooke’s confessional to her showing her boobs.

21. But iiiiiiiiiiiiiiii’m flying so hiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh

22. Hilarie’s face is priceless

23. I also like this scene because in the commentary Bryan was talking about how Mark wrote this really poetic, long speech for Jake to say about how they should wait and Bryan was like that’s not really who Jake is, why doesn’t he just say “let’s go slow” and Mark doesn’t change the script for anyone but he changed it this time because Bryan was right.

24. I also like this scene because Bryan was like you have this whole “let’s go slow” thing and we’re going at it like rabbits in the next episode!

25. I’M NOT ONE OF THOSE GIRLS. WHO DO YOU THINK I AM? BROOKE???

26. I like how Jake having a daughter means that he’s “way more experienced”, you only have to have sex once to make a baby, guys.

27. BUT THEY’RE SO CUTE

28.

I might lose cool points for listening to your concerns and making you feel safe and comfortable and not pressuring you at all. This is how you know a man wrote this episode, jesus christ.

29. Where is Hilarie Burton from? I always thought I heard an accent in this scene.

30. Ah, Virginia.

31. They’re super lusty though

32. I just wanted Relationship Brucas and Relationship Jeyton AT THE SAME TIME.

33. So, what happened Jules? You were like, Dan, meet me at church? OK.

34. I mean, it’s not like a service is happening and it’s not like anyone else is here, Jules. It’s a conveniently empty church for you two to have this conversation and for the imagery, calm down.

35. “I just ended up here, back in the closet.” WORDPLAY.

36.

I swear, Lucas is the only one who appreciates how funny Brooke actually is 

37. Maybe Julian does, idk.

38. Nathan, these are all your family members, it’s your dad, your uncle, and your mother.

39. I think what it is, is Nathan should be like Connor when Wes died in HTGAWM, like Connor was an asshole during that period and he said some pretty unforgivable things but Jack’s acting made it so clear that Connor was drowning, he was lost, he was sad, guilty

and i’m just getting

40. This is my favourite Nathan/Lucas moment (and when they play basketball later) though because Lucas actually says something REAL as Peyton would say

41. OTH also does something that works with Brooke/Lucas/Felix. When Brooke runs her campaign, Felix tells her to go negative

while Lucas tells her to be honest,

she goes Lucas’ route and it works for her.

He also helps her with her speech by showing her a book with a speech and telling her to just be who she is

At the beginning of this episode, Lucas gives Brooke a book of quotations that has the same speech in there,

while Felix decides to throw her a party.

Brooke gets to the party and realizes that at this moment she’s outgrown that aspect of her life

and when Felix visits her in her room, she’s reading the book that Lucas got her,

which furthers her individual development while also linking it with Lucas. She even starts quoting obnoxiously like he does

This is much stronger writing than Criminal Minds-esque webcam stalking. But Lucas didn’t say ‘your art matters’ so idk.

42. Legit, the only time I feel like they’re brothers.

43. The ending reveal with Whitey would mean something to me if I liked his character.

[ificouldhelpyouforget]

[16] 33's Coming Home With Me (Tim Riggins x OFC)

MASTERLIST | DWHI MASTERLIST

Warnings: none

Words: 2k

Panthers fans gathered around the team's bus while the football team mingled with family. Everyone was hyped to be going to State again and the energy surged through the gathering.

"Are you ridin' with us, Catherine?" Mrs. Taylor came over to me with Julie.

I nodded. "If you're still okay with it."

"Of course! We love your company."

Julie smiled. "We can talk about Matt and Tim."

I glanced at Mrs. Taylor, remembering the day Coach walked in on his daughter and Matt. Julie was horrified, but her parents were mortified. I didn't want our conversation to go down that path for her mom's sake. 

"Uh, yeah. We can talk about how great they're gonna do at the game and only that, Jules." I shifted my eyes over to Mrs. Taylor so she would catch the hint.

Julie rolled her eyes.

Both women looked past me and Julie grinned just as arms snaked around my middle.

"Hey, Tim," she said. Mrs. Taylor greeted him, too, though less enthusiastically as her daughter.

"Hey," he said back, kissing the side of my head.

I was so happy when Julie and her mom gave us some privacy.

"Julie's insistent that we talk about you and Saracen on our way to the stadium." I turned in his hold, brushing his hair back.

"Yeah?"

"My guess is we'll talk about Matt the most." My lips curled up into a smirk. "Saracen isn't too bad on the eyes, ya know."

Tim's lips neared my ear. "I would hate to miss my bus because I had to remind my girlfriend who she goes to bed with every night."

Laughing, I molded my mouth to his. "Don't worry, Riggins. She knows who he is and is very happy."

"Good."

I straightened Tim's shirt. "Are you excited? Senior year and y'all are off to State for a second time."

"It's great." His smile was sweet.

"I thought you'd be more excited," I said.

"Yeah, well I've gotta save the excitement for the game." He kissed my forehead. "I've gotta make sure I have enough energy to show off for my girl."

I rolled my eyes and hugged him. "I'll see you at the hotel, yeah?"

"You bet."

We kissed once more before we split off to our respective rides.

*****

"Who are you stayin' with, Catherine?" Mrs. Taylor asked, peering at me through the rearview mirror.

"Tyra is supposed to be my roommate, but she's working on her application essay. I think Landry is trying to get her to come to the game. If he can't, then I won't be rooming with anyone else."

"Are you thinkin' of sharin' with Tim Riggins?"

Heat rose up my neck and settled on my cheeks. "Um, he has a room to stay in, Mrs. Taylor."

"Mom," Julie whined. "Who cares if they share a room? They love each other, right Cat? I mean, they basically live together."

"Yeah, but there are rules, Jules. It doesn't matter if we love each other, we shouldn't share a room during a school trip," I said.

Mrs. Taylor glanced at me again. "And Tim is okay with obeyin' the rules?"

"He doesn't care much for them, but he cares about me, so he promised to behave."

"He stayed with you last time we were at State," Julie said. "You looked so cute sleeping together."

"That was different. We weren't datin'."

"So it's different that you are now?" Mrs. Taylor asked.

"Uh, yeah. Very different." I could see the realization cross over her face.

"Are you bein' safe?"

Julie groaned.

"Yes, ma'am. Always."

"Do you use whatever it is the right way every time?"

I couldn't keep my half-smile off my face. "I mean no disrespect, Mrs. T., but we are talkin' about Tim Riggins who's been with a lot of girls. He didn't get any of them pregnant, so I'm confident we're using protection correctly." I smiled at her through the mirror. "I appreciate your concern. It's nice to know someone is lookin' out for me."

"You're welcome, Catherine."

The Taylors were a family I adopted as my own once I figured out my own family wasn't close. I didn't come to Mrs. Taylor for life advice, but I listened to what she had to say to me as if she was my own mom. Julie was like a little sister I felt obligated to protect as she grew up. It pained me that she was trying to push her parents away. I hoped Eric and Tami saw me as someone who could mentor their daughter if she kept going down her rebellious teenage path.

"What's that smile about?" Julie asked. "Thinking about Tim?"

I shook my head. "No. I'm thinkin' about you and your family and how much y'all mean to me. Thanks for being my second family."

Julie instantly teared up and Mrs. Taylor smiled through the mirror.

"We'll always be here when you need us," Julie's mom said. "No matter where you go, we'll be here."

"I'm glad."

*****

I gazed at the sign I made. Before the game, me, Tyra, and Julie gathered in our hotel room with poster paper and all sorts of markers and photos. At the time, I loved what I put together for the game. Once I was sitting in my seat next to the girls, I felt like I pushed it too far.

"I can't believe I wrote this on a sign," I said to Tyra.

"You were pretty excited about it this afternoon." Tyra smirked at it on my lap. "I think it's cute."

In bold blue and yellow lettering, I wrote out, "33 is coming home with me." I even had a photo of Tim in his uniform on the poster. It was pretty embarrassing considering we were in a huge stadium where several hundred people would be filling the seats within the hour.

"I'm pretty sure I had a lapse in judgment. There's no way I can hold this up. What if people see it?" I curled it around itself.

Julie laughed. "I think that's the point."

I peeked at it again. "Do you think Tim will hate it?"

"The fact that it hints you're sleepin' with him, he'll love it." Tyra leaned back in her seat. "If you don't hold that up during the game, we won't be friends anymore."

"It does not hint at that and that's a little aggressive, Tyra."

She shrugged. "It definitely does. If it makes you feel better, hold it up when they come runnin' out. Tim might actually see it."

"Then you don't have to hold it up again," Julie said. "You are wearing his jersey."

And it was easy to tell it didn't belong to me. Even with it tucked into my jeans, it spilled over my waistband, covering my pockets. Tim thought it was adorable when he picked me up from my room for breakfast. Tyra and Julie thought it was hilarious.

"Fine. I still can't believe I made this."

"The girls need to know he's spoken for, right?" Julie grinned.

I sighed and leaned forward to look past Julie at Tyra. "I know I should have asked you a while ago, but are you okay with this? Tim and I, I mean."

Tyra waved it off. "I had a thing for Riggins a long time ago. I don't mind you datin' him at all. Y'all have been together so long that it seems weird I ever had something with him."

"Really?"

"Yeah. You guys work together. Better than me and him and I'd say better than him and Lyla Garrity."

"You don't like Lyla very much," Julie pointed out. "Of course you'd pair Tim and Cat together before him and Lyla."

"Yeah, well..."

I chuckled and leaned back in my seat.

*****

I was on the edge of my seat the entire game. My voice was nearly gone as I screamed at them to get the football down the field. The Panthers were holding their own even with the scores even. Unfortunately, the game didn't end in the Panthers' favor. The stadium's volume cut in half as we felt the disappointment.

Mrs. Taylor led us into the locker room at the request of her husband once the team got in there. Friends and family of all the players gathered around the team still in their gear. It was quiet. Coach Taylor stood in front of everyone.

"Your friends and family are here because you played a great game." His eyes scanned over everyone. "We are proud of each and every one of you. We are proud of the way you played out there. Y'all should be proud of yourselves."

It warmed my heart when we applauded them. Some of the football players got teary-eyed at the praise. They made it to State because they worked hard. No one could deny their dedication.

Before Coach asked us to leave, I squeezed past a few players to get to Tim. He was still sitting on the bench with a forlorn stare. It went away the moment he saw me, a brilliant smile on his face.

"What a game," I said, leaning forward to kiss his forehead. "I'm really proud to call myself Tim Riggins' girlfriend."

His hugged my middle and rested his chin on my stomach. "Thanks."

"Are you okay? I know it's not quite how you wanted to end the season."

"Yeah, I'm okay." Tim's lips pressed against my stomach. "By the way, I liked your sign. I'm glad you want me goin' home with ya."

I blushed. "Ugh. I hoped you wouldn't notice. It's so embarrassing."

He chuckled.

Coach Taylor started ushering people out, so Tim kissed me shortly. "I'll see you later, Cat."

"Bye, Tim."

*****

Everyone went home after the game since there wasn't a party to celebrate. No one complained about it, ready to sleep off the loss.

Mrs. Taylor dropped me off at school, so I could catch a ride home with Tim. She bid me a good night before driving away with a sleeping Julie.

The team bus was in front of the locker room door and Tim was already heading over to me. He seemed a lot happier than when he first got on the bus.

"Good ride back?"

Tim pushed me back against his truck and captured my mouth. He grabbed my head, tilting it to deepen our kiss. I got caught up in the moment, pulling him by his waist so we were flush against each other. I zeroed in on how soft his lips were, how he knew exactly what to do with them to make my brain malfunction. It was one of the best kisses he ever gave me. My eyes took a few seconds longer to open when he pulled his lips away.

"What was that for?" I asked, trying to catch my breath.

"I love football and everything about it." He kissed me again. "Now football is over."

"Yeah, it is."

"I'm madly in love with you and everything you are. I want everything to be about you now. About us."

"Really? You're want to drop football just like that?"

"I've got something better right here."

A slow kiss.

"Okay. Let's focus on us."

"You are gonna focus on college, Barton, and I'm going to focus on you and making your life easier."

"No college for you?"

He shook his head. "I don't like school now and I don't expect I'll like it in college. I'm sick of caring about my grades."

"You don't care about them now," I giggled.

"Exactly."

"Okay." I stood on my toes to kiss him again. "I support your choice."

"Can I go home with you now?"

I nodded and gently pushed Tim away from me. I laughed when his hand brushed against my butt. He tried looking innocent, but the glint in his eyes gave him away.

Tim took my hand the second our doors shut. I leaned over to kiss him before he pulled out of the parking lot.

[fromiftowhen]

The Rookie 3x06 Revelations Thoughts

THIS. EPISODE. I yelled a lot about it on Twitter already, but it was getting a bit much, so this is easier. I need to watch again for more coherent thoughts, but here we go. I'm going to try to go through the plot lines in the order that I cared about them, ranging from literally not at all (Nolan) to literally every fiber of my soul being on fire (Harper and Lucy and June.)

This got VERY long, so it’s behind a cut to save your dash. 

(TLDR? I LOVED this episode. My Chenford heart is happy, but my LUCY CHEN IS A BADASS, NYLA HARPER IS A BADASS, WOMEN RUN THE WHOLE DAMN WORLD HEART IS SOARING. SOARING. Read on for more.)

 First, to get the boring stuff out of the way. NOLAN. I AM SORRY. I get that this show wants me to care about its main character. And in the ways that he relates to Lucy and Jackson and Harper, I do. But I'm just entirely past the point of needing Nolan in separate plot lines. This episode, in particular, I could have done without his arc. Any time he interacts with Harper or Tim, I'm good. But that's because of Harper and Tim. This week he took time away from storylines I was MUCH more interested in, and I honestly didn't care. I know they use him to check in on current actual world events, but this show did that SO well with Jackson's story last week/etc. that this stuff with Nolan wasn't necessary this week.

 JACKSON AND HIS NEW LOVE INTEREST. As soon as they panned up to OFFICER ISAAC "A cop on a horse, yeah" YOUNG, I was like OH HELL, this is ON. I forgot about Sterling and then was like, "wait, he has a boyf.... wait, I DO NOT CARE" -- "You must've been looking in the wrong direction"/"Yeah, well, I am not now." And the scene at the end with the bikes! YES. Here for this. They IMMEDIATELY had more chemistry than Jackson and Sterling ever did, sorry. I hope he sticks around. Jackson finally getting a love interest who will (hopefully, presumably!) understand him as a cop and a person of color? NEED. IT.

 TIM BRADFORD AND BILLY RIGGINS MACK DANIELS. "YOU GET PRETTIER WITH AGE." (I am here for ALL references to this show understanding how beautiful Eric Winter is. ALL. OF. THEM.) Derek Phillips is a longstanding love of mine, and he just plays every minor role he's in so well. This storyline was heartbreaking and gave me SO many Tim (and Isabel!) feels. For some reason, even though I thought about this episode a million times over the last week, it NEVER occurred to me to think about Tim's reaction to the UC stuff as an extension of the Isabel storyline, which just... what in the world, self. That is clearly, if you've read my fic, one of my favorite of MANY aspects of Tim's character, and it just never occurred to me that it would play into this episode. So when he said Isabel's name, I had to compose myself. And how it played out, the multi-layered way it gave us a glimpse into Tim now and tied into his clear feelings about Lucy going UC, THIS is what this show does best. 

 When he administered the Narcan to Mack and did CPR, god, I HURT for him (and for Mack and his family) -- but TIM. He's been there. He's watched it tear his entire world apart, and the guilt he clearly still carries from that is just. Heart-wrenching. The scene at the end with Mack's wife and the scene with Sgt. Grey... so painfully good. The guilt. The honesty. Eric Winter is just knocking it 1000% out of the park every week this season. Honestly, I've loved many television characters with my whole heart, but maybe none more than I do Tim Bradford.

(Please know the restraint I’m showing by not writing one million words about Tim’s solo storyline and the Chenford of it all here. Trust me when I say I could have. But this episode ended up being SO MUCH MORE to me than what I thought it would be. I went in for WORRIED TIM and I got that! But in different ways than I thought, and SO MUCH BETTER.)

 TIM "GET CHANGED" BRADFORD PUT LUCY "YES, SIR" CHEN IN HANDCUFFS. WHILE ASKING IF SHE WAS OKAY. AND THEN HE TOLD HER SHE DID GOOD. "I kind of hoped that he would be proud of me... wow, that sounds stupid when I say it out loud." "I know she can. I trained her." Her little smile as he closed the shop door and the way he sort of hesitated before saying anything. It wasn't as much as I wanted it to be (but then again, will anything with these two EVER BE genuinely enough for me? Signs point to no), but it was still EVERYTHING.

 BE SCARED. BE WILD. BE UNPREDICTABLE. There are no words for how much the girl power part of this episode worked for me. From Tamara or asking Lucy for the interview to Lucy sneaking a peek in on Harper's presentation, the clear history that Harper and June have (which I want to know EVERYTHING about), to the end scene, which is one of my favorite things this show has EVER done.

 It ALL worked. I can't adequately express how much this Lucy storyline means to me. I could ramble for a thousand words about it, but to keep it somewhat coherent, I'm going to bullet point all of the moments that gave me every feeling. 

Harper’s look when she realized Lucy was listening. She wasn’t shocked at all. That was pride. 

June’s little glance at Harper as she told Lucy that if she wasn’t nervous, she wasn’t human. There are so many sides to Nyla Harper, and I think the soft,  caring side is one she hasn’t let everyone see. She shows it to Lucy (and Nolan) when needed, but I don’t know if June had seen it before that moment. And it was a lovely moment of all of them acknowledging in a safe way that what they do, what they were about to do, is dangerous, and nerves are natural, even if you’re badass and can push through them. 

“Nope. I just have a flair for the dramatic.” MY GIRL.

Harper’s WINK. I yell a LOT about how much I love Tim Bradford, but I could just as easily yell about Nyla Harper too. 

“Actually, my body does have magical powers, but.” YASSS, Harper. Queen. 

“I think fitting in is a trap.” This one sentence explains SO MUCH of who Lucy Chen is as a person, not just as a cop. “... as though empathy is somehow a liability.” 

“And there sure as hell isn’t anyone tougher.” Basically, every word of that last scene was pitch-perfect, Melissa’s delivery was flawless, and it gave me every feeling possible. 

 This show does a LOT of things right. This episode was so, so strong. I missed Lopez and Wesley because I love them, but I didn’t MISS them in terms of the storylines we got. A storyline for them would have been one too many for this week, and in a season that’s already felt overpacked, random storyline wise, it wasn’t needed. I would have loved to see Angela on the couch with everyone at the end, but it was perfect as it was. 

 I sincerely hope this show has started to realize what its strengths are --  bold, badass women (honestly, they’re ALL fantastic - Luna Grey, Isabel, Rosalind, Julie, Tamara -- and obviously all of the regulars) who CARE and who know that isn’t a weakness, Tim Bradford and his mile-long guilt complex and his relationship with all the other officers (especially Lucy and Harper, and now Jackson), Jackson’s ability to fit into whatever role they put him in (Titus is SO good), and multi-layered episodes like this. We don’t need wild, dramatic bombs or random meth lab explosions that don’t fit into an episode’s overall theme. We don’t need hours devoted to telling us that Nolan is the Good Guy. We just do not. This show has come so much further than that, and I know it can continue to be JUST as good if it focuses on everything it already does so, so well. 

[dhaaruni]

Hi Dhaaruni, I unfortunately got covid and now I have to spend the next ten days in my room while my roommates bring me food and tea. Any movie/tv/book recommendations to help pass the time? 🥰🥰

Oh nooo, I'm sorry!! Let me try and help you out.

Hacks on HBO Max is really good and it's one 10-episode season of 30-minute episodes so you'll definitely be able to get through it quickly.

All the Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings movies are also on HBO Max so that's always fun too

Scenes from a Marriage (also on HBO MAx) is out, and that's the movie Oscar Isaac and Jessica Chastain were promoting on that viral gif, I haven't seen it yet but I heard their chemistry is great.

Friday Night Lights is on Netflix and yes, I could fix Tim Riggins

Coupling is one of my favorite sitcoms and it's extremely mean and British and on HBO Max and Amazon Prime iirc, I totally recommend it

The Mask of Zorro is on Prime and Catherine Zeta-Jones is #goals in that movie to the max

What Happened by Hillary Rodham Clinton, which made me cry but in a not awful way (pair it with The Destruction of Hillary Clinton by Susan Bordo)

The Maiden Lane series by Elizabeth Hoyt is generally very good (minus books 7-10, which are markedly worse than the rest of them) and they're like amazingly sexy romantic thrillers, like huge fan tbh.

Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Pérez like if you want to be angry at the world, this is your book

And His Lovely Wife: A Memoir from the Woman Beside the Man by Connie Schultz, like Connie and her husband (aka Senator Sherrod Brown) are #TrueLove and I'm so glad they're representing Ohio

Women & Power by Mary Beard, which is an excellent manifesto of sorts

Open Book by Jessica Simpson like if you thought Taylor Swift was lying about John Mayer being a dick, here's another million examples of why that man should never be allowed around any woman ever, #JusticeForJessica tbh like she's so much smarter and cooler than anybody ever gave her credit for.

[joeyjoeylee]

Top 10 Male Characters

I was tagged by @purplemagic​ and @jade-marie​ and what a gift not to have to focus on work or writing but instead concentrate on finding gifs of smoking hot non-disappointing dudes.  

1.     Corporal Dwayne Hicks (Aliens)

Maybe the perfect man.  Quiet, funny, respectful, lethal, will jump through a glass wall to rescue you and the random kid the two of you are going to adopt after all this is over, and can fall asleep anywhere.  Also, just say the word, he will waste your slimy nemesis, no problem.  For real, a true formative influence of my youth.  Just look at his face here!  So proud and happy that his almost-girlfriend is such a badass.  

2.     Max Rockatansky (Mad Max:  Fury Road)

There’s so much to say here but what can I say that hasn’t already been said by @feministmadmax​.  (Nothing, they’ve already said it all and perfectly.)

3.     Tim Riggins (Friday Night Lights)

Yes, the Smart Woman’s choice is Matt Saracen and the Mature Woman’s choice is Coach Taylor, but who wants to be smart or mature.  Look at this face.  And the way he looks at Lyla Garrity kills me dead.  I reject any canon universe that has him and Tyra tiredly falling back together as the only two left in town.  REJECT, I SAY.

4.     John Creasy (Man on Fire)

The most badass of the 10 for sure.  Gives zero fucks and WILL shoot a rocket launcher at you in the middle of a crowded street, put an explosive up your butt while you’re tied to a car under an overpass, or cut off your fingers and cauterize them with a car cigarette lighter.  But, like, with style, you know?  The single-minded purpose, world-weary attitude, and protective father vibes are overwhelming.  Also, he looks like Denzel so is therefore irresistible.  

5.     Geralt of Rivia (The Witcher)

I love the theme throughout the books and show of grumpy loner super warrior Geralt literally and figuratively at the mercy of all the women he comes across, from Renfri and the striga to Calanthe, Yennefer, and soon to be Ciri.  Even his horse is a girl and she also gives him shit.  Amazing.

6.     Ben Wyatt (Parks & Rec)

A literal man genius with a taut, narrow frame like a sexy elf king.  Enough said.

7.     Sam Hanna (NCIS:  LA)

Trapped between angsty Callan and goofy Deeks is perfect man Sam Hanna. Perfect friend, perfect partner, perfect agent, perfect husband.  Look how tired he is here, yet still being so supportive.  He can’t NOT be supportive.  Also, I like when he punches people and his arms bunch up.

8.     Thor (MCU)

A literal god.  Always worthy.  The scene where he’s rescued by the Guardians and they all take turns drooling over him while simultaneously dragging Peter Quill sends me.  I want him to take over the Guardians in GOTG3 and boot Star Lord, please let this happen.

9.    Fitzwilliam Darcy (Pride & Prejudice)

He’s perfection in every scene in the 2005 movie but the scene where he proposes in the rain is god-tier.  The wet clothes and hair plastered to him!  The baffling choices he makes when declaring his love (”Could you expect me to rejoice in the inferiority of your circumstances?”)!  The pointed looking at her lips while he leans in!  Elizabeth’s bosom is LITERALLY heaving and how could it not.   

10.    Jason Mendoza (The Good Place)

Perhaps not the most intellectual but hands down, he would be the most fun (Jacksonville?  Molotov cocktails?  Hanging out with Dance Dance Resolution and Donkey Doug?).  And those cheekbones.  He is a golden retriever in human form.   

I feel like everyone has either been tagged or has done it already?  If not, please do this and tag me so I can procrastinate some more, I beg of you.

[stonerbughead]

Maria watches friday night lights (#36)

5x13, the series finale i have heard nothing but good things about - I made it y’all! *wipes tear* this is a show i will definitely rewatch! It definitely feels like the kind of show that’s so layered that every time you go back you’ll pick up something new. I love shows like that.

i haven’t been on tumblr on my computer in a long time but im gonna go through and add “read more”s to all of these recaps! 

(thanks to anyone who read these nonsense recaps! if you enjoyed these...in addition to my currently-on-hiatus riverdale podcast @bodysuitsforbughead, I have another teen drama-centered podcast in the works, follow @LeftyTeenDrama on Twitter and @leftistteendrama on Instagram to get updates when it launches! I’m taking a break on working on it till i move but it’s gonna be a big part of my 2021 projects. I’ve already recorded one episode with two of my favorite people in the world and it’s gonna be amazing. It will be about a variety of teen dramas, but FNL will definitely be included.)

and without further ado, my final FNL ramblings under the cut:

And we open with one last montage of shots around Dillon from a car, with a “Christmas in Texas” song playing. Amazing. 

Oh wow, I love the “FIVE DAYS TILL THE CHAMPIONSHIP” vibe. The build-up is already here. A shot of Julie in the stands watching practice! 

It’s super uncomfortable that people are talking to Vince about his “future teammates” on the Panthers before the post-season is even over.  “I don’t really wanan talk about that. I want to talk about how the East Dillon Lions are gonna win State.” “Is that a promise?” These Texas sports journalists are WILD. this is a teenage boy whose school’s funding just got cut right before the biggest game of his life! Can we have some sympathy?!

“I hear they’re taking the cream of the crop for the Superteam so I’m gonna be honest with you, what are you gonna do?” EXCUSE ME SIR? I repeat, TEENAGE BOY. Tinker’s response of “you’re an asshole” and storming away was more than appropriate!!!

“No comment”ing his way out of there like a champ.

Ah, the age-old tradition of decorating a Christmas tree while arguing about a five-year football coach contract in Dillon or a dean of admissions job offer at a prestigious Philadelphia college. Julie’s just sitting there with Gracie like ooooh boy 

“Here is where we put our tree, not Philadelphia! It’s a Texas tree.” OMG STOP IT. Lol Julie putting her hands over her ears.

YAY MATT SARACEN IS AT THE DOOOOORRRRR im so excited

Wow I did not expect this proposal to come that quickly into the episode! Like i knew it was coming in this episode but aw. They’re so soft! Just like, oh i’ve been thinking about you nonstop since our perfect Chicago tryst and oh look here’s grandma’s ring let me casually get down on one knee in the town where we fell in love. And after she was just talking about how much she misses Matt to Tyra the episode before? That “yes” she gave feels so certain because of it. Aw.

The grandma’s ring really fucks me up because you know how close Julie and Grandma Saracen have gotten over the years. My heart!

“Oh my God, your dad must’ve flipped.” “...What do you mean?” OH NO Eric Taylor is totally the type to care. “...When you asked him to marry me.” Oh I knew this proposal was too early in the episode, im dying!

“You need to go man to man.” Ugh Julie i liked Matt’s plan of just going and telling them much better. His look of fear when he repeats “man to man.” dead. 

Wow no theme song??? That’s how you know it’s gonna be a long series finale!

Andddd here we are, a bickering Riggins “I may or may not be going to Alaska.” “Is it because you raw dogged Tyra last night?” i literally gasped.

LMAO Mindy trying to say Tim and Tyra are incest now that Mindy and Billy are married and then Tim and Billy immediately being like “nope, no blood lines, that’s not how incest works.” Someone should send that memo to all those anti bughead stans about bughead and falice

“What do you think about me taking Stevie for the day?” “I’m fine with that. There’s no going back, I’m going to get the bag.” LOL Mindy spoken like a true parent also YES to Tim and Stevie spending time together.

Poor Jess not realizing that asking Eric if she can follow him to the Panthers is a much bigger question than she thinks se’s asking.

AWW Tim and Stevie at Grandma Collette’s. How cute. 

“Seven’s back in town?” “Yeah, he and Julie got engaged!” 

Tim/Tyra and Matt/Julie double date?? Aw I love that Tyra knows that Matt and Julie got engaged. I really love Tyra and Julie’s friendship. 

I’m laughing really hard at Matt’s speech to Eric trying to ask permission. This is so funny. 

Eric’s like, “is this kid serious rn?” 

Not to be that northern bitch but don’t kids get married at 18/19 all the fucking time in Texas?? I feel like it’s more common in even more rural parts of like...any state.

“The answer to your question is gonna be no today, it’s gonna be no tomorrow, and it’s gonna be no until the sun burns out.” LMAO wow i didn’t see this coming

“This was really just a courtesy, we were hoping for your blessing.” YES MATT.

OH BOY Eric did not just try to speak FOR his daughter, im not about it. “My daughter’s answer to you is ‘no.’” That’s some patriarchal shit right there.

“We’ll never know if we’re East Coast people if we don’t try it!” “We have a MUCH BIGGER problem.” Dude, it’s Matt Saracen, the softest boy who has loved your daughter for years, i actually think the fundamental decision of where you and Tami continue your future might be slightly more pressing. 

“I don’t know why you’re yelling at me! I think we agree on this!” IM SCREAMINGGGG 

Aw, Tami getting teary-eyed at Grandma Saracen’s ring. “It’s just, y’all are so young.” I know but this is a TV show universe so we let teen marriage slide for the right couples, ok. 

Tami and Eric wanna take Matt and Julie to A CONVERSATION DINNER??? This is gonna be so funny. 

Aw, Vince got his dad a ticket to state? “I want you to be there.” if this fucker doesn’t just come and shut his mouth

Oh wow Becky’s mom is finally coming back? And yay Becky’s finally over her Tim crush. “So friends?” “I say family.” AWWW MY HEART.

“You guys were our age when you got married.” ARE YOU SERIOUS? “It was a different time.” Y’all have no leg to stand on here.

“Marriage requires maturity.” Says the man who won’t let his wife take a huge job offer. What, who said that? (Okay the way Tami’s watching Eric give this speech about compromise, thinking she’s thinking the same thing.)

“You guys got married when you were my age, and how many times did you move? How many different things you’ve gone through and look how you’ve made it work. You guys are my inspiration.” AW. I wish my parents had a stable enough marriage to be able to say that LOL but nope.

OH NO poor Tami getting up from the table because she’s emotional! Because she’s clearly always thought of her marriage that way too but maybe not lately AH

Eric, babe, that’s your cue to follow. 

Oh shit, Jess’s family is moving to Dallas? Well, damn.

Eric saw Vince not take a ticket for his dad and came to his watering hole to hand deliver it? “Young man gets a chance like that maybe once in a lifetime.” and mic drop, walk away.

Luke casuaklly meeting Becky’s mom for the first time while coming by to try to win Becky back. “I love you. I’m so sorry.” AWWW. growth!

YES cheers to Matt and Julie! “Here’s to Mr. and Mrs. Saracen.”

“Always thought you’d be the first person to say that.” AW

Yes halfway through college, go Tyra!

Awwww, Matt being like “let’s dance” and pulling Julie up. So cute. Yes, Tim asking Tyra to dance. 

“I got plans.” “I don’t.” OMG is Tim saying he’ll just follow Tyra? Damn.

Why tf is Buddy calling Eric first thing in the morning to tell him about Buddy Jr.’s cast and “staying here el permanente” and GETTING HIM TO SIGN A CONTRACT BEFORE THE GAME? Y’all are shady as fuck!

I love that seeing the Braemore papers made him stop, tell Buddy off, and not make a decision in that moment. What’s gonna happen???

“I won’t be a part of your Superteam after all.” Hopefully Eric won’t be either! Aw Jess thanking him “for the greatest experience of his life.” “I think it’s been mine too.” AW.

Eric’s gonna give a coach in Dallas a good word for Jess? So beautiful. Yesss!

AW Julie and Matt decorating the Saracen Christmas tree, and Grandma trying to get Julie to wear her old wedding dress!

Emotional at this hug between Julie and Mrs. Saracen. “I love you.” “I love you too.”

Awww Vince finally being glad that Jess is part of the team...at the moment when it’s about to end.

Yess Tyra and Tim picnicking on the land? 

And YES to Tyra going into politics, I could see it! “Along the lines of Mrs. T. Except bigger.” YES GURL.

“I’ve been in love with you since I was five years old.” AWWW that is so precious. 

“I’m gonna build a house exactly where we’re sitting. I’m gonna get a job. And I’m never gonna do anything illegal for the rest of my life.” Oh, Tim. my heart!!!

“Maybe one day, our dreams can merge together.” THAT’S SO BEAUTIFUL. What more does one really want? Oh, these beautiful life-filled shots of them drinking beer on the land where Tim wants to build a house. Art!

Oh shit, Eric’s racing to get to Santa in time to be there with Tami and Gracie?! “You scared me half to death. What’s going on?” 

“I turned the contract down. It’s your turn. I want to go to Philadelphia. Will you take me to Philadelphia with you, please?” YESSSSSSSSSSSSS what they deserve! What Tami deserves!!!! My heart!!!!

Ugh, the imagery as they get to State is amazing. The boys taking in the field, the players suited up praying and getting in the zone beforehand. The screaming in the stands waiting for them.

“You may never know how proud I am of you.” “You changed my life, coach.” AW.

Eric’s pre-game prayer overlaying the image of the Lions bursting out onto the field! Yes yes yes!

The way they slowed everything down with just music, and focused in on the faces of so many characters - Vince’s dad showing up, Eric and Tami saluting one another from stand to sideline, Becky cheering in the stands excitedly for Luke, Matt and Julie holding each other, Buddy on the sidelines screaming, Vince’s mom jumping up and down - just absolute perfection. 

And we’re back in, with actual in-scene sound at 26-21 with 3 seconds left on the clock??? Jesus!

AH and every single character watching the football fly in the air, WOW the DRAMA.

Holy shit, they fast-forwarded to one of Eric’s players in Philly catching a football eight months later in Philly??? THIS SHOW IS SO GOOD. WOW.

Tami looks like such a badass strutting around campus!

YES Tinker is on the Panthers! Take that, bullying reporter! 

Aw, the East Dillon Lions sign coming down. :( feels.

Nooo Luke don’t go to the military! Noooo I hate that. Poor Becky. They’re the exact type of couple who gets caught up in that really sad cycle - too poor to really have many other options, so the whole “free college when i get out!” thing starts to look really attractive. smh.

But i love how they used the championship ring he gave Becky as a way to signal that the East Dillon Lions did, indeed, win the state championship eight months earlier...and that Jess is wearing the ring on the sidelines of a new field where she’s working with the coaches! amazing!

Yay Matt and Julie live in Matt’s beautiful Chicago apartment? Perfection. They really look so good in that city together. 

New beginnings in a new city together for both Tami and Eric AND Matt and Julie? I’m living! It’s what they deserve!

Tim and Billy building Tim’s house and drinking beers! “Texas forever.” “Texas forever.” MY HEART.

“Clear eyes, full hearts.” SILENCE. “Ah, we’ll deal with that later.” LOL

Yesss Tami coming out to meet Eric on the field!!!

“Ready to go home?” “Yeah, let’s go.”

And the lights go off on the field. End show. AMAZING. Truly, an epic series finale! An epic show! I will definitely rewatch and i am so glad i finally did! Thanks to anyone who gave a shit about my ramblings.

[gra-sonas]

Roswell, New Mexico creator on that Friday Night Lights-inspired love triangle

What about the whole Michael/Alex/Maria love triangle? Can #Malex fans keep hope alive?

It's so funny because I keep seeing all of these reviews from the screening last week in Atlanta where people are like, "Well, Malex aren't going to be romantic at all this season." And I'm like, "Have you seen those guys? I could put them in a scene together about fixing a flat tire and it would still be a beautiful, romantic scene!" Their relationship changes on an episode-to-episode basis because they're trying to be one thing to each other and they are often successful and they're often not. They harbor a lot of anger about things that happened in their past that they are trying to get past. The other thing is that they both love Maria DeLuca. They both really care about Maria. So this is a complicated situation and we're really trying to tell a story about adults getting caught in this love triangle space where you can't just storm into geometry class like, "He's mine!"

Right, the stakes are so much higher.

The stakes are higher. They're grownups and people can't steal other people. They have a very complicated situation to work out that's not made any easier by the fact that when Michael is upset, it's very easy for him to slip into default old habits. In the past, whenever he's been like, "All right, well, today I'm the town drunk," Max has been there to fix his problems. Max isn't there to rescue him this time and he has to figure out how to rescue himself.

Ah, it's hard because I'm rooting for them all!

Right, we're rooting for that friendship between Maria and Alex too. I really modeled it after Tim Riggins, Jason Street, and Lyla Garrity on Friday Night Lights.

The most heartbreaking love triangle of all time! Texas forever!

Yes, it's this group of people who all love each other. Tim and Jason loved each other more than anybody else did in that triangle and that made it very complicated. It also made it about a bunch of people who, in the end, want each other to be happy and that makes it even harder.

[x]

[snarkwrites]

FFT: voice like honey; tim riggins

Notes:

Honestly... I loved writing this. One, it gave me an excuse to write Friday Night Lights again and two.. this inspired me heavily to maaaybe do more with these two in the future on here. Idk, we’ll see.

Summary:

Tim Riggins is a near fearless flirt. Tati is the new girl and she likes to liken herself to a butterfly.. Pretty to look at, hard to catch. Something tells me she hasn’t really dealt with a charmer like Tim.

Warnings:

uhhh.. just tim being tim.

Pairing:

Tim Riggins x OFC, Tati

His voice was smooth and it was probably the first thing she’d ever noticed about Tim Riggins. As soon as he’d opened his mouth, offering a shitty excuse to their homeroom teacher for being late a third time and he’d slunk in, right past her seat, flopping into the seat two behind her, she hadn’t been able to take her eyes off the guy. She’d turned and pretended to be gazing out the window at the back of the classroom, but maybe she’d been staring at Tim.

Naturally, he was a football player. One of the big shots. A Dylan Panther. She tended to keep a wide berth of the more popular kids since moving to Dylan because she’d been one at her old school and she’d promised herself that she didn’t want to be that spoiled little princess again. She hated the way cliques worked and she’d seen them do their worst to a person. But right off the bat, she’d noticed something… Different about him.

He was smart, even though he had acting dumb as a bag of rocks down to an art. He was truthful, even when the truth might hurt a little upon hearing it. He tried to do the right thing, even when the right thing went horribly wrong. As weeks passed, she found herself growing more and more painfully aware of the guy, despite her best efforts to do the opposite. And Tim went on… Being Tim. Partying, playing football and not noticing anything outside of those two things.

At least this is what Tati had herself convinced. Until one day, the day before Valentine’s day, to be exact, that all changed.

Tati sat facing the front, twisting a brunette curly around her fingertip and sneaking glances at the clock. She felt a tap to her shoulder but thinking it was the jerk behind her being an ass again, she tried to ignore it.

The tap was more persistent this time. Tati whirled around, hazel eyes locking on the guy who sat in front of Tim Riggins, a brow raised. “What? What do you want, huh?”

“I didn’t…” the guy shrank back, waving his hands. Tati rolled her eyes and muttered “Jerk” under her breath, turning back around to face the front. She’d just started to doodle on the blank page in her notebook again when she heard a desk scraping across the linoleum floor.

“No headphones today, darlin?” -Dear god, just the sound of his voice.. The scent of Big Red chewing gum and the warmth of his breath against her ear as he leaned in slightly, an amused grin that she didn’t even have to be looking at to feel… it threw her into an internal uproar. She nearly choked on her own cotton candy-flavored gum and his hand shot out, patting her on the back hard. “Easy there, angel.” Tim chuckled, looking at her as if he were concerned. “Don’t like.. die on me.”

“Mr. Riggins.. Ms. Esquivel… What in the world are you two doing?” - at the sound of their teacher and her intent gaze fixing on Tati, Tati wanted to melt into the floor and disappear. The classroom was snickering. Tim remained calm. Nothing rattled the guy, apparently. He gave a teasing grin and nodded to Tati. “Just hit me, Mrs. H.. I ain’t introduced myself to the new girl.”

“I haven’t been the new girl for almost a month now, Tim.” Tati found her voice and spoke up quietly but firmly, blowing at the fringe bangs that tended to always flop right into her eyes, no matter what she tried to do. Tim didn’t seem deterred by Tati or the teacher.

“Touche. See, I miss class. Didn’t know, angel.”

“First of all, it’s Tati…” she took a deep breath. In her entire short time at Dylan High, this was actually the most she’d ever said to anyone. Tim could see her cheeks darkening and he chuckled quietly. The teacher turned back to the blackboard after he finally moved his chair back into it’s correct space and Tim stared at the brunette intently. The bell rang and she was up out of the chair with this cat-like graceful leap that he almost didn’t catch up to her. He managed to, just as she got to a stop in front of her locker.

Tati’s eyes met his in the flimsy mirror she had stuck to the door on the inside of her locker as she slicked on more red gloss. “You’re real good at blockin people out, ya know that? I’ve tried a thousand times t’ get yer attention by now.”

Tati turned, finding them body to body. Her eyes widened ever so slightly and she gulped, nearly choking on the damn gum again. Tim chuckled and stared down at her, his arm up, blocking her off so that she was pinned in. Tati took a ragged breath and then asked quietly, “Is there something I can do for you, Tim Riggins?”

“Well, you can start by lettin me walk ya to class, Tati. That’s a cute name, by the way, darlin.. Short for somethin?”

“Tatiana.” she gave a soft laugh as she looked up at him, tearing her eyes away abruptly when he happened to glance down at her. “Sorry.. I didn’t know you were trying to get my attention.”

“Maybe if you didn’t slink around campus with headphones in so loud..” Tim mused, snickering as she simply shrugged. They were standing in front of her classroom door now and he chuckled quietly, grabbing hold of her hand and placing a folded sheet of notebook paper into it as he winked. “I’ll see ya in an hour, angel. Gonna be waitin right here.”

Tati breezed into class and sank down into her seat, trying and failing at collecting herself. That only worsened when she opened the folded sheet of paper and hazel eyes scanned the words written there.

Never been good at this dancin around shit.. So here I go.. Valentines Dance with me, yes or no?

Tati smiled to herself, digging around for her favorite glittery red pen and she quickly scrawled out her response.

Yes. This better not be some kind of prank or bet, Tim or I swear to God..

After class, she handed him the note and he opened it, right there in front of her, chuckling as he slipped an arm around her. “I don’t joke a whole lot. I mean.. not about when I’m into somebody. And I am definitely into you..” in that almost velvety gravel voice of his as Tati’s heart hammered wild against her chest.

[yourdailykitsch]

Just speculating... I feel like Taylor and Minka would be a good couple now, I’ve actually been a fan of hers longer and she’s been through it. I’m sad that she broke his heart and she went through her phase especially after her moms passing. But she’s so giving, involved with charities and has given her platform to others in need, I think she really grew up these past two years. I know he’s taken, and they reunited back in 2016, and nothing came of it but I’ll always root for them. Thoughts?

I truly do adore Minka Kelly and do think that their chemistry was off the charts. I have seen a shift in her recently as well, she’s been less “Hollywood” I guess you could say and seems to be more philanthropy driven and settled. I feel like there was a time with her where she was kind of really chasing a higher level of stardom and I hate the way this sounds, but, clout chasing. Taylor was never about that and would never live in LA and never be calling paparazzi or showing up to LA parties on a random Thursday. But she’s pulled back from that, so, yes, if there was a situation where they were both single and in the same spot, if he could get over past heartbreak...I’d love to see it. She’d probably have to move to Austin. 

Ask #2: Saw Waco on Netflix, instantly thought Kitsch was cute. Don’t know what that says about me but anyways. Saw a real pic of him and OMG I immediately was in love then looked at his imdb and I’ve actually seen American assassin and 21 bridges but he for some reason didn’t catch my eye in those projects. Just finished Friday night lights not too long ago AND MY GOD WHERE WAS I???? HOW IS THIS SHOW NOT MORE POPULAR??? He’s perfect, love your blog as a new fan i needed this okay tangent done

Answer #2: Welcome to the gateway drug that is Tim Riggins/Friday Night Lights. It is so addicting and he is so captivating as Riggins. The show always struggled with finding an audience when it was airing and was always under the radar until the later seasons when it started receiving some accolades (Kyle Chandler won an Emmy for the last season, writing was given an Emmy the last season as well). Netflix truly catapulted its popularity when it landed on there. I think Taylor said it was a little overwhelming and he thought it was more popular when it landed on Netflix than it ever was before. It’s a perfect little show. I’m glad you loved it. And welcome to the Taylor fandom! 

Ask #3: Is Taylor supposed to be working on other projects besides shadow play? When is pieces coming ugh it’s been years

Answer #3: Sadly, I don’t think we’ll ever see Pieces. This happens a lot with pet projects and little projects. He had financing for it but the company that was financing it was sold. He’s pushed it back multiple times because he’s been working on other things. Basically any time something else comes up that he takes on it gets pushed back, he mentioned this in an interview. He was asked if ‘Pieces’ was still happening and he just mentioned that he has other work going on a the moment. Maybe some day he’ll get it all together, I know it means a lot to him. ‘Inferno’, I believe, is still on his plate and when the COVID craziness lets up, whenever that is, he should be shooting that next. 

Ask #4: Where did you find the gifs for shadow play? Or did you make them yourself? Any news on that, when we’ll be able to see something from the series?

Answer #4: I have the Shadowplay trailer and made those gifs myself. I happened upon it randomly on a site. I felt guilty/unsure about posting the trailer. I just felt like it shouldn’t have been posted when it hadn’t been officially released. I asked the production company if I could have the okay to post it, they said no and it shouldn’t have been posted where I found it. At that point I’d posted the gifs...I wasn’t taking them down. A few weeks ago the creator of Shadowplay indicated that he was finishing up the special effects on the series, which is usually the last step. They keep saying ‘soon’, all indications are that the series will come out this fall. The Crown premieres in November and the trailer just dropped...if we’re looking at a December release maybe we’ll see the trailer soon. We need something to look forward to! 

[authorstalker]

My March & April Reads

Writers & Lovers, Lily King - I haven't loved a book this much since Normal People. Not to be dramatic, but it's perfect and I'm probably going to read it once a year.

So We Can Glow, Leesa Cross-Smith - I recommended this collection in an earlier post: Did Leesa Cross-Smith have a vision that the world would desperately need stories like hers right now? Bite-size, lyrical, delicious, with story titles like “Tim Riggins Wouldve Smoked” and “Girlheart Cake with Glitter Frosting.” It's a treat! And I will take this opportunity to once again recommend her previous book, Whiskey & Ribbons.

Love Lettering, Kate Clayborn - A delicious pandemic distraction, and it taught me about the hand-lettering business (clients are annoying in every industry!) and people who hate New York (I can't relate). A personal bonus: Love Lettering is set in my neighborhood, and I really loved/was devastated by all the descriptions of the small businesses that I miss so much right now.

Trick Mirror, Jia Tolentino - Fiction is my life’s greatest love, so I consider it a triumph that I read an entire essay collection. My favorite essays were the one about literary heroines (shocker), the one about University of Virginia, and the one about the Houston mega-church. 

Godshot, Chelsea Bieker - Surprising, sad and intense, full of sparkly capes and unforgettable characters. The ending made me cry! Netflix should turn this into a movie asap.

Beach Read, Emily Henry - This book is so great, my god. Hot? Extremely. Funny? Laugh out loud. All-consuming? Hmmm....what quarantine, I have no idea what the news is going on about, Beach Read is my only reality. A trusted friend (what up Kerry) enthusiastically recommended it, but I wasn't prepared to be so blown away by its humor, clever plot, and incredibly appealing (yet believable) love interest. Do not miss this one, it's a gem!

The Switch, Beth O’Leary - Grab this one when you need a story that's funny, charming, and optimistic. Yes, there's romance, but The Switch is more a sweet celebration of family and friendship. I believe it comes out in the US in August, so read O’Leary’s first novel, The Flatshare (absolutely wonderful) while you’re waiting.

The Mozart Season, Virginia Euwer Wolff - A bit of childhood nostalgia, I probably read this 50 times in middle school. Let me tell you, it really holds up! What an incredible writer and a beautiful, intricate story. I finished it last night and spent all morning listening to the music the protagonist plays throughout the story. I also spent some time researching Mozart. Fun fact: dude was really into scatological humor. Anyway, read this masterpiece and rock out to Mozart.

[ificouldhelpyouforget]

[28] Reconciliation—BONUS (Tim Riggins x OFC)

MASTERLIST | DWHI MASTERLIST

Warnings: none

Words: 1.6k

We had to drive to the property the second we heard thunder. Finishing the house was taking longer than Tim hoped because Billy's time was limited with twins on the way, I was waist-deep in assignments, and we didn't have many people around to help us out.

Tim and I climbed onto the roof and rushed to cover it as best we could with a few tarps. As soon as lightning streaked across the sky, I made us get down. We took refuge inside the house, the walls covered in drywall. The upstairs wasn't nearly as finished.

I looked out the rectangle hole where Tim planned for a window. The rain fell and thunder rolled over the hills. The trees shook as the wind picked up speed. I sat on the wall with my legs hanging out of the house.

Tim stood behind me, his hands resting on my shoulders. My head fell back against his stomach as he squeezed the muscles around my neck.

"Is it supposed to be sunny tomorrow?" I turned my head to rub the tip of my nose along his arm.

"Maybe." He bent over me to look at my face upside down. "I'll be out here early if it's nice."

I tilted back to press a kiss to his mouth. "I can come help as soon as I finish my drawing for class. That is if you want me to."

Tim kissed me and ran his fingers along my throat. His lips soon replaced them.

"I'm gonna take that as a 'Yes, please help me work on our house, Cat.'"

"Please, Cat," he whispered in my ear as he wrapped his arms around me.

"Of course, Tim." I grabbed his arms. "I can't wait until it's done."

"A house to ourselves."

"Yeah, until you get me pregnant."

He laughed into my shoulder. "Sounds great, Barton."

"You won't get to call me that one of these days."

"Nope." He turned me around to face him and knelt down. Tim put his hands on my waist and kissed my knee. "I'll just have to call you Riggins."

"But that's what I call you."

"So there'll be two of us then."

I cradled his face and stared into his eyes. "Just the two of us," I sang softly before belting out the next line, leaning back and clenching my eyes shut.

Tim made me look at him so he could press a loving kiss on my mouth.

I hummed the melody against his lips to make him laugh. I kissed his cheek. "I'm so damn lucky to have you, Tim Riggins."

A gentle smile lit up his face as I brushed his hair with my fingers. "I'd say I'm luckier."

My cheeks flushed as he stood again and kissed my forehead.

*****

By the time May rolled around, the house was finished.

Tim and I stood out front to stare at it.

It was two levels, but still quaint. The porch wrapped around the perimeter with a sunroom on one side. Windows stretched across the front of the bottom floor while the second level only had two windows in the front. The door was bright red. All the windows had black shutters to match the grey siding. Tim made sure there was a two-door garage on one side of the house that attached to the gravel drive.

I wrapped my arms around Tim. "We have a home."

"We still need carpet and paint, but yeah, we do."

"You did it."

Tim stood in front of me. "We did it, Barton. This wouldn't have happened without you, ya know."

Standing on my toes, I gave Tim a kiss. "You could have done it without me, but I'm glad you didn't."

"You got anything goin' on for the next hour?"

"No, why?"

Tim hoisted me onto his shoulder and brought me inside. I laughed and smacked his butt once he walked into our bedroom.

"We don't even have furniture, Tim!" I shouted.

"But we have a bathtub."

"You're ridiculous."

He put me down just to pin me to the wall with a heated kiss. "Come on, Barton. We have a house to break in."

I pulled his hips closer to mine. "Here's fine." I helped him pull his shirt over his head. My lips hovered a breath away from his. "At least wait until we have plumbing before suggestin' the tub."

Tim worked on my jeans. "I'll keep that in mind."

Our lips met and I hummed as Tim lifted me higher so my legs could go around his waist.

Yeah, I was damn lucky.

*****

Neither of us had much furniture to move in once the house was finished on the inside. Tim only had his dresser and a side table – plus a few smaller items. We still had to get my things out of my parents' house.

They were home when Tim and I pulled up with his and Billy's trucks. Mom was livid when she caught a glimpse of the ring on my finger. Dad kept his hard gaze on Tim while I calmly explained why I was there. Dad was the one who agreed to let me grab my things. Mom decided to argue with him, causing us to move fast to get out of there.

My dad called Tim over once we were loaded up. I chewed on my lips as I watched them talk. I didn't feel any better when Tim came back to the trucks telling me Dad wanted to talk to me, too.

"Dad," I said once I was close. "You wanted to talk?"

"Are you happy?"

"Yes."

"Because of that boy?"

"Always because of him. He takes care of me... he loves me."

Dad sighed and rubbed his face. It was the first time I saw him break his façade. "Then love him better than we've loved you, Catherine."

Tears pricked at my eyes. "You loved me?"

"We always did and still do. We're not good at showing it. It's a wonder where you learned how to love others."

"I didn't want anyone to feel like I did."

"I'm sorry, Catherine." He glanced at Tim who stared at the clouds. "Never let him feel neglect. Never let your kids feel it either. It makes you bitter. Be a good wife."

Nodding, I wiped my eyes. "I can do that. Thank you, Dad."

"If you need help with the wedding or the house, use this." He handed me a credit card. "Your mother doesn't need to know."

I gazed at the man I never really knew and swallowed the lump in my throat. "Please come to the wedding. Mom, too. It's the first of November."

"We'll see." It was better than a flat decline.

I walked back to Tim's truck still wiping my face.

He kissed my lips and then my forehead. "You okay?"

"Yeah. Just surprised."

Tim looked at my dad and opened the truck door for me. "I'll see you at home. Drive safe."

"You, too." I kissed him. "See ya back at our house."

He smiled and shut the door. Tim lifted one hand toward my dad before getting into Billy's truck.

I left that house for the first time with a positive feeling toward my dad. It was strange but good.

*****

Thanks to my dad, Tim and I were able to snag a cheap loveseat from the Salvation Army after we dropped off the furniture we got from my parents' house.

Tim sprawled out on it once we got it inside. I smiled and laid on top of him, my head on his chest. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed my head.

"We live here now," I said. "This is our place."

He turned to look at the bare living room. "It doesn't look like much yet. We've got a few things to still get."

"There's no rush except on the Internet. I need it for homework."

"We'll get it this week."

I stared at Tim. "You made an amazing house, Tim. I'm excited to live with you – just us."

"No more interruptions." He kissed my lips slowly.

"We might wanna consider lockin' the front door more often." Our lips connected again. "Just watch. Billy's gonna walk in here one day without knockin' and find us preoccupied. Oh, God, what if Becky comes over?"

Tim chuckled and ran his fingers across my back. "We'll lock the door."

"Do you think we'll ever get tired of each other?"

"Nope. Never. I like you too much and I know you like me."

"Some might say I love ya."

He hummed as he kissed me again. "I think they'd say the same for me, Barton."

I climbed off Tim, scurrying to the front door and latching it. He chuckled as I crawled back on him and kissed up his torso as I lifted his shirt.

I gazed at him after he tugged it over his head, lying under me with a cheeky grin. "You're welcome to walk about here like this whenever I'm home," I sad as I ran my nose along his pecks and collarbone.

"I'd hate to distract you from your homework."

"I have an assignment coming up about the human body." I pressed my lips to his. "You'd be the perfect model, ya know. I'd get to stare at ya and get my homework done."

"If it'll make you happy." He bunched up hair at the back of my head as I kissed his throat.

"You always make me happy, Tim Riggins."

[supergirlmelbenoist]

Melissa Benoist Wants to Use Her Platform as an Actress, on Supergirl and Waco, to Remind Women That They Are Strong In march, it will be exactly three years since Glee, the unexpected, yet completely world-dominating a cappella TV hit, aired its final episode. But for Melissa Benoist, it feels like it was a lifetime ago. “I was a baby,” said the actress, who appeared on the show for the final two seasons. “It was my first foray into any on camera work and I knew nothing. I was so naive. It was like a massive, ten car pile-up crash course.” Benoist said this while sitting in a New York photo studio—a location that may be somewhat triggering of musical flashbacks; “Sometimes I’ll hear the songs [we sang] in the grocery stores, like ‘New York State of Mind,’” and I’ll be like, ‘Wow, this is so weird," she noted. Now, Benoist's recent work is eons away from the family friendly show that catapulted her career. Case in point: her latest project, the new mini-series Waco, which debuted on the Paramount network just last night. Benoist wears Carven dress, Grainne Morton charm necklace, Paul Andrew shoes. Photo by Zachary Chick for W Magazine. Styled by Caroline Grosso. Hair by Josue Perez at Tracey Mattingly. Makeup by Min Min Ma using CHANEL Palette Essentielle. In the show, Benoist plays Rachel Koresh, wife of David Koresh, the leader of the Branch Davidians religious cult, who was the center of a 51-day standoff with the FBI and ATF in Texas that resulted in a deadly fire—a far cry from William McKinley High School. “When my managers said the word Waco, immediately I remembered,” said the 29-year-old actress, who was just four when the 1993 events occurred. “There were a few sensationalized events in the beginning of the ‘90s that I vividly remember where everyone was glued to the TV, and Waco was one of them, so that peaked my interest. Then when I spoke to [the directors], the Dowdle brothers, who are fantastic and compassionate people, and they told me what their vision was and how they wanted it to be this gray area where people were able to make up their own minds about really happened and how they felt about it, that was very much a draw for me. After that, I fought pretty hard to play Rachel.” Benoist co-stars alongside an impressive cast that includes actors Michael Shannon, Andrea Riseborough, John Leguizamo, Julia Garner, and Rory Culkin. Her on-screen husband, and the lead of the show, if played by another actor who has had his own experience starring on a fan-favorite TV show: Taylor Kitsch, aka Friday Night Lights’ beloved Tim Riggins. “He was so dedicated and he cared so much, and I don’t think people have ever seen him like this,” said Benoist. ”He was wonderful. On set, he was Koresh… You have to justify when you are trying to get under someone’s skin like that, and try to portray them with integrity and honesty and respect, and that was what Taylor did really well, and really passed on to the cast.” For her own portrayal of Rachel, Benoist looked to the few photos and first-hand accounts of the real life person, filling in the blanks where she could. “She was born a Dividian and died a Dividian and she had never really been anything else besides David’s wife, which she was chosen to be when she was 14,” she said. “She left with him in the middle of the night and traveled the world with him. This girl’s existence perplexed me. I was so fascinated by her.” Benoist wears Carven dress, Grainne Morton charm necklace. Caroline Grosso. Hair by Josue Perez at Tracey Mattingly. Makeup by Min Min Ma using CHANEL Palette Essentielle. The six-part mini-series filmed in Santa Fe, New Mexico, last spring, and over the course of three months, a time period during which Benoist also happened to be consecutively filming another project—a little TV show you may have heard of called Supergirl. “It was a miracle that it worked,” she said. “Luckily I have this amazing team who worked their butts off to make it happen, but it overlapped and for a moment I almost didn’t think it was going to work.” Beyond the minor logistical challenges of time and space, Benoist also was the faced with the task of switching between an iconic alien superhero and real-life, mysterious figure. But somewhere in-between, some similarities emerged. “They are different, and obviously they have extremely different circumstances and they are in extremely different worlds. But Rachel is perhaps even stronger than Supergirl,” she said. “Supergirl is this unattainable, idealistic optimist of an alien, and all of us can escape into her world, and she always saves the day. Rachel is stronger because she is dealing with all of these circumstances that aren’t normal, for lack of a better term, and are sometimes not palatable to what you would call a quote unquote normal life. What she went through in the FBI siege is unimaginable." “Essentially what I do on Supergirl is I’m acting out comic vignettes,” she continued. “That is its own muscle to flex, and it is its own skill. [Playing Rachel] was difficult, but I loved it. You get to live in these quiet moments. Even though the men in this show are doing most of the talking, the women are not invisible, despite being silent.” Benoist wears Erdem jacket, shirt, and pants, and Faris petal drop earrings.  Styled by Caroline Grosso. Hair by Josue Perez at Tracey Mattingly. Makeup by Min Min Ma using CHANEL Palette Essentielle. Unlike her character, Benoist is far from silent. Just last week, she penned a poignant piece for Time’s Motto about the one-year anniversary of the Women’s March, where her sign, with the words, “Hey Donald, don't try to grab my pussy—it's made of steel” emblazoned in capital letters, went viral. “I always considered myself really non-confrontational and shy and introverted. But now I just can’t help but be active and participate," she said. "I always try to have my mother’s voice in my head, because I am very proud of the morals that she tried to instill in us. She has always been my moral compass, so I talked to her about it, and so I try to imagine what she would think about what I was saying. And I also imagine a daughter, if I have one, and what I would want her to feel and see. If it is an inappropriate word like ‘pussy,’ which our president used, maybe they need to see it to know that it is not okay and the reality of, ‘This is someone who is not being respectful and this is the wrong word to use and this is something that you shouldn’t accept because you are better and worth more than that, and you are capable and strong.’” In the year since the Women’s March, Hollywood itself has undergone a major shift, stemming from the Harvey Weinstein expose; subsequently, Supergirl showrunner Andrew Kreisberg was fired after sexual harassment claims were made against him. “I feel a shift, and I feel a shift at work, on set,” said Benoist when asked if she had noticed a change in Hollywood. “I am very hopeful because PGA just released the new set of rules about sexual harassment, and that is a really good start in the right direction. I’m just happy that conversations are more frequent and that honesty is being favored over shutting people up.” As for the shift she’s felt in her own life since first slipping on Supergirl’s cape three years ago? “I feel more transparent than I ever have. I’m not as worried about being a yes man, which I was for a very long time, and now I feel a sense of ownership of the role and the position that I have.” Melissa Benoist Wore a Technicolor Dreamcoat on Her Birthday

[texcsfcrevera]

Tim Riggins ✨ 17 years old ✨ Gryffindor ✨ 7th year

→ Best Class: Charms → Worst Class: History of Magic → Blood Status: Pureblood → Most Prominent House Trait: Daring

Biography

                          Growing up in one of the few pureblood families that had various mudbloods and Muggles in their ancestry meant that Tim had never much cared about blood purity. He’d never been particularly close to his parents- his mother was almost always off exploring and researching various magical creatures, and his father owned a wizarding pub, so he’d never really been the most well-off person in the world. They’d never struggled for money, but they weren’t among the rich either.                           The only thing his mother had ever given to him was the wand he used every day. She’d come back from one of her many trips with it, giving it to him with stories of the Seer she’d come across in her travels, who had told her that the wand was destined to belong to her youngest son. He wasn’t entirely sure how much of his mother’s story he believed, but his wand had never backfired, and seemed to work well, so he just took it for what it was worth. Whatever that meant.                           By his third year at Hogwarts, Tim found himself as a Beater on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, and now as a seventh year, he’s finally earned his spot as the captain. It’s a position he holds in high esteem, and something he’d never give up for the world. While he wasn’t bad in school, he wasn’t the best, but Quidditch was the one thing he’d always been good at.                           He loves causing trouble, and maybe pulling a few pranks along the way, but it’s almost always in good fun, because he doesn’t like it when people are mad at him.                           And then there was Caroline Forbes. She’s had Tim’s affections for just about the entire time he’d known her, but he’d never been able to get her to actually see it. No matter how many times he asked her out, she just never seemed to say yes- which led to him finding company with the males and females at Hogwarts. Maybe not the best decision he’d ever made, but he did- and admittedly, it never stopped him from asking her out. A large part of him considered the fact that maybe it was the fact he had sex with quiet a few people that made her say no, but he’d never admit that out loud, no matter what he did.                           But he’s never going to give up on Caroline Forbes.

The Wand

→ Fir Wood

My august grandfather, Gerbold Octavius Ollivander, always called wands of this wood ‘the survivor’s wand,’ because he had sold it to three wizards who subsequently passed through mortal peril unscathed. There is no doubt that this wood, coming as it does from the most resilient of trees, produces wands that demand staying power and strength of purpose in their true owners, and that they are poor tools in the hands of the changeable and indecisive. Fir wands are particularly suited to Transfiguration, and favour owners of focused, strong-minded and, occasionally, intimidating demeanour.

→ Pixie Heart

Those who are fun-loving, lively, cheerful, good-humored, conniving and mischievous will have this wand core. Having such a wand core suggests that you delight in making trouble, but in a friendly, usually non-violent way. You enjoy winding people up and agitating those who get on your nerves, often getting a laugh at other people’s expense. Despite this, you are a friendly and caring person who is willing to do almost anything for those whom you are loyal to. You also delight in pleasures that are of both common and exotic types and enjoy social gatherings and being out with friends and family. Such a wand core works best in Jinxes, Hexes and Curses, but also in Transfiguration, Charms and Care Of Magical Creatures. However, wizards and witches who have this wand core are easily swayed towards Dark learnings and The Dark Arts due to this wand core’s mischievous nature, but with some effort, they can easily stay on the good side with repeated use in Light Magic. This wand core can be found among any people of any House, though it tends to favor those of House Slytherin overall. Pixie Heart cores have slight Light leanings, despite the Pixie’s mischievous nature. Pixie Heart cores are rather good at Charms, and are, ironically, the only wand core capable of successfully casting the spell Peskipiksi Pesternomi. The wielders of this wand core tend to be skilled in Care of Magical Creatures.

→ 12 inches

Many wandmakers simply match the wand length to the size of the witch or wizard who will use it, but this is a crude measure, and fails to take into account many other, important considerations. In my experience, longer wands might suit taller wizards, but they tend to be drawn to bigger personalities, and those of a more spacious and dramatic style of magic. Neater wands favour more elegant and refined spell-casting. However, no single aspect of wand composition should be considered in isolation of all the others, and the type of wood, the core and the flexibility may either counterbalance or enhance the attributes of the wand’s length. Most wands will be in the range of between nine and fourteen inches. While I have sold extremely short wands (eight inches and under) and very long wands (over fifteen inches), these are exceptionally rare. In the latter case, a physical peculiarity demanded the excessive wand length. However, abnormally short wands usually select those in whose character something is lacking, rather than because they are physically undersized (many small witches and wizards are chosen by longer wands).

→ Hard

A wand of this flexibility is very difficult to work with and its loyalty is not won easily. Hard wands are great for complex and advanced levels of magic, so beginning wizards and witches may find extra difficulty with this wand when it doesn’t perform well for simple magic. As such, this type of wand is best suited for wizards and witches who are gifted, stubborn, and never give up. Owners of this wand also have a tendency to view things in absolutes; black or white. Some people may find them intimidating or difficult to approach.

Connections

→ CAROLINE FORBES ( @seesgood ); Ever since their first year, Tim has been completely taken with Caroline Forbes. And ever since their third year, he’s asked her out every time he’s seen her, without fail. Now it’s their final year of Hogwarts and she still hasn’t said yes- but that doesn’t mean he’s about to stop asking. He’s sure that if he just hits that magic number, she’ll say yes. He just doesn’t know how high that number is. → TYLER LOCKWOOD ( @temperproblem ); Tyler and Tim have been friends for just about as long as he can remember- they’ve been on the Quidditch team together, they’ve been dorm mates for the past six years, and they’re just starting their final year together as roommates. He’s just about the only one Tim ever really counts on, except for maybe Nate- but he and Nate aren’t as close as he and Tyler are, after all. → more to come !!!