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callmebrycelee · 2 years

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NEW AMSTERDAM REACTION

This reaction is for the season 5, sixth episode titled "Give Me a Sign" which originally aired on October 25, 2022. The episode was written by Gisselle Legere and directed by Jean E. Lee. Spoilers ahead!

New Amsterdam really is on a roll this season and I know some of you may not agree with this sentiment but, as much as I love Dr. Helen Sharpe (Freema Agyeman), I'm not really missing her presence. Her and Max's relationship and the whole going back and forth between New York City and London became exhausting over time and it also hindered Max from doing the job he set out to do in season one. I don't want to blame everything that happened last season on Max and Helen, but it's very telling that Max seems more centered now that he's out of that relationship.

So, let's talk about the episode. There were five separate stories in this episode so I'm going to go story by story. Let's start with Dr. Lauren Bloom. When nurse Casey Acosta (Alejandro Hernandez) returns to New Amsterdam, everyone in the ER is excited to have him back, including Lauren who absolutely refuses to admit she is happy to have him back. When Lauren is working on a patient, her phone starts to ring. As Casey attempts to silence the ringer, he sees that Lauren is getting texts from her sister Vanessa.

Casey confronts Lauren, privately, about her being in contact with Vanessa. He asks her what he missed while he was gone. Lauren finally admits that she did miss him while he was gone and she talks about how she would turn to him to ask him for his advice but he wouldn't be there. Since the beginning of the show, Casey has served as Lauren's surrogate older sibling. He always gives it to her straight, even if she doesn't always want to hear it. She calls him her touchstone and her best friend which is such a sweet sentiment. Casey asks why Lauren is so intent to look after her sister at the expense of not taking care of herself. Lauren blames herself for Vanessa's addiction and doesn't want to abandon her.

Lauren checks her voicemail and sees one from Vanessa. It turns out to be a butt-dial and she listens as her sister talks about getting high and drunk. The message ends with her sister telling someone she is going downstairs to get liquor from a place called Leo's. Lauren googles the address, but rather than go confront her sister, she goes to an AA meeting instead. This is growth and hopefully a step in the right direction for Lauren. We've seen her go up and down over the last several seasons and I'm so happy that she is taking baby steps towards prioritizing her health and well-being over others.

Next up is Dr. Floyd Reynolds. Floyd is still intent on trying to help his dead-beat dad. What I find most interesting about this particular plotline is how a few episodes ago, Iggy made a diagnosis based on the very limited information Floyd provided him and now Floyd has taken that diagnosis and ran with it. I'm no medical professional but I think he should've gotten his father properly diagnosed by qualified medical professionals before going to him and telling him that he is bipolar. Ever since Floyd told his dad that he was bipolar he has taken this information and run with it.

I was listening to a podcast earlier today, and one of the hosts who is a mental health expert said something along the lines of trauma being something that's not the fault of the person but it's up to that person to take steps to manage their trauma. I feel like the moment Horace Reynolds (John Earl Jelks) learned he was potentially bipolar, instead of taking steps to manage it, he used it to scapegoat Floyd's mother and absolve himself of the trauma he inflicted on his family.

When Horace starts acting erratically and putting himself in mortal danger by standing in the middle of traffic, Floyd is faced with making a difficult decision. Recognizing his dad is a danger to himself and possibly others, he has him put on an involuntary 72-hour hold. I know there will be some fallout from Floyd's decision and I hope whatever happens, he takes a page out of Lauren's book and decides to put himself first.

Dr. Max Goodwin and Dr. Elizabeth Wilder's stories intersect at the beginning of the episode, but I found hers way more compelling than his. Wildwin is very much in motion, literally, because when we first see these two they are jogging together. I've said before that I like the idea of these two being love interests and I think they do a great job of not making Wilder a replacement for Sharpe, but I wish we got to see their burgeoning relationship from her point-of-view. Everything we see regarding them is filtered through Max's perspective and I wonder what she thinks about him. Max keeps Elizabeth from nearly being mowed down by a car but two other passersby aren't so lucky. A young man named Rafael (KJ Aikens) and his grandmother, Ana (Delores Hunter) are struck by the vehicle and taken to New Amsterdam hospital. While Elizabeth goes to work treating the two patients, Max is accosted by a kooky lawyer named Callie Cruz (Aida Turturro). This is where Max and Elizabeth's stories diverge.

Max's storyline is the weakest of the episode. Long story short, Max takes it upon himself to get a crosswalk installed at the very same intersection where the accident happened. We watch as he has time to go to court with Callie Cruz and even find some city workers to paint the crosswalk. In true Max fashion, all of his efforts are seemingly for naught and the episode ends with him, Elizabeth and Callie illegally painting a crosswalk that will more than likely end up getting painted over.

Elizabeth's storyline is way more compelling and frankly more realistic. While Max is off galavanting around New York City, Elizabeth stays behind to treat Rafael and his grandmother. Rafael manages to come away from the accident with a few bumps and bruises but Ana isn't so fortunate. Ana needs to have surgery, an extremely risky surgery that could result in her being paralyzed from the waist down, and with Ana unable to make the decision herself, Rafael is left to make it on her behalf as her designated healthcare proxy.

I felt so bad for Rafael. I can't imagine being that young and having to make a decision where there was a 50/50 chance the person you love is going to be able to walk or not afterwards. I thought Elizabeth and Floyd did a great job of being honest with Rafael and coaching him through a very difficult decision. Rafael determines that his grandmother should have the surgery because she is the type of person who never backs down from a situation. Ultimately, the worse becomes reality when Ana is left paralyzed after the surgery. The scene that follows was beyond heartbreaking. I felt so bad for Rafael because he will have to go the rest of his life questioning whether or not he made the right decision. He, like Lauren and Floyd, made the best decision they could make in a shitty situation and unfortunately there are consequences.

Our final story of the night is actually my favorite and it involves a very competent Dr. Iggy Frome, something we don't often get on this show. At the beginning of the episode, we get a Iggy gets his groove back montage. We see him petting puppies, at an art museum, on a nature hike, and attending a wine tasting. The museum tour guide asks Iggy what feelings the painting he is standing in front of is invoking in him and that's when Iggy says that he has ruined his life. I think that's a bit of an overstatement but I do think Iggy was very rash in his decision to leave Martin and probably should've thought things through a little bit.

Iggy doesn't have too long to contemplate his navel because his case of the day involves a young boy named Jael Gonzalez (Oliver Reilly) who is deaf. Jael, clearly, has been having a difficult time as of late and has even been acting out and when Iggy asks his parents (Justin Huen, Natalie Woolams-Torres) if he knows ASL, they tell him that Jael's pediatrician recommended not having him learn sign language, holding out hope that he can become a verbal communicator. Iggy tells the parents that because he has gone so long without being able to communicate, his development is stunted. I felt so bad for Jael. I can't imagine not being able to communicate with those around me. He is unable to communicate using words and he is being discouraged from talking with his hands. To make matters worse, the pandemic came and people started wearing masks which means now Jael can't read lips. The level of isolation Jael is feeling can't be fully understood because he can't effectively communicate how he feels. If the theme of this episode is people being placed in situations where they have to make difficult decisions, it's safe to say that Jael's parents' decision to keep him cut off from the world was a poor, poor decision.

Iggy does what he does best by sitting Jael down and having a conversation with him using a mixture of hand gestures and carefully sounding out words so Jael can read his lips. In the moments we see Jael interact with Iggy, it's like he's a brand-new person. There's a light within him that we didn't see when we first met him and it took very little effort on Iggy's part to bring that light to his eyes.

The solution to Jael's case comes in the form of Iggy telling his parents that he has found a school in Massachusetts, which is four hours away, where Jael can be treated. Admittedly it must be hard to send your small child away to a different state to be treated but honestly, I feel like the parents owe it to Jael because their action, or rather their inaction, has placed him in the position he is currently in. I thought Iggy was wonderful in this story and this is the Iggy I wish we got more of. He is super competent at his job and we finally got to see it.

Iggy's story arc ends with him going to the very small gym in New Amsterdam. Now this scene threw me at first because I thought Iggy was vibing with the guy lifting weights. Turns out that was not the point of this scene. The guy encourages Iggy to do some dead-lifts and Iggy does one. After he does one rep, we are led to believe that he has an epiphany of sorts. the Iggy we saw at the beginning of this episode was lamenting the direction his life is heading in. Hopefully going forward, Iggy will begin to put the pieces of his shattered existence back together again.

Overall, I would rate this episode a 7.5 out of 10. I think we've gotten better episodes this season and I think we have some amazing episodes headed our way. What really weighed this episode down was Max and Floyd's storylines. Max works best when he's in the hospital, so taking him out of New Amsterdam felt jarring at times and I kept thinking to myself, surely this man can't be this naive about how the world works. As for Floyd, I'm still unsure as to what his endgame is when it comes to his dad. I think he'd be better off investing his time in relationships that could actually go somewhere. I've always suspected that while Dr. Floyd Reynolds is a great doctor, the writers don't know what to do with him when he's outside of the operating room. As for what worked about this episode, I really like Elizabeth and Iggy's storylines. I thought they did a great job of illustrating how the decisions we make in our day to day life can have a lasting impact on those we love. After the episode, I saw the preview for the next episode and it looks like our characters will be dealing with the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I'm sure this will be a powerful episode and I can't wait to watch it and write about it. Until next time ...

#tv reaction #blw reactions #new amsterdam #nbc new amsterdam #New Amsterdam season 5 #iggy frome #tyler labine #max goodwin #ryan eggold #floyd reynolds #jocko sims #lauren bloom #janet montgomery #elizabeth wilder #sandra mae frank

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popentertainmentmusic · 4 years

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I AM WOMAN (2019)

Starring Tilda Cobham-Hervey, Evan Peters, Danielle Macdonald, Molly Broadstock, Chris Parnell, David Lyons, Matty Cardarople, Dusty Sorg, Coco Greenstone, Genevieve Davis, Gregg Arthur, Scout Bowman, Jordan Raskopoulos, Gus Murray, Ari Newman, Christian Byers, Liam Douglass, Rita Rani Ahuja, and Fiona Press.

Screenplay by Emma Jensen.

Directed by Unjoo Moon.

Distributed by Quiver Distribution. 116 minutes. Not Rated.

Out of all the popular 1970s musical artists who are deserving of a biopic, Helen Reddy may not be the first one that people think of. Not that Reddy didn’t have a dramatic life; she most certainly did. Not that she wasn’t a big star; for the first half of the 1970s she was huge, having several smash hits, her own TV variety series and acting in films.

At the time she was every bit as big as Elton John or Queen, both of whom have had popular film “recreations” of their lives in the last few years. It’s just, for better or worse, Reddy’s music has not stuck in the pop culture zeitgeist in the way those artists’ songs did. She hasn’t had a hit single since 1977, and 50 years on from the start of her career, people would be hard-pressed to name most of her hits beyond the one which gives this film biography its title.

For the record, there were many (14 top 40 singles from 1971 to 1977), including “I Don’t Know How To Love Him,” “Delta Dawn,” “Angie Baby,” “Leave Me Alone (Ruby Red Dress),” “You and Me Against the World,” “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady,” “You’re My World,” “Peaceful” (which is great but was not used in this film, grrrr….) and more.

Even “I Am Woman,” despite its iconic status, has become somewhat mocked as slightly cheesy in the decades since Reddy topped the charts with the song. However, that isn’t taking into consideration how daring a song it was in the early-Women’s Lib era of 1972. Reddy wrote the song simply because she felt it was a subject that was not being addressed in pop music. The song soon became an anthem for female empowerment and still is a stirring call to arms in the war of the sexes. The mockery the song has received now is more to do with how the song has been misused and overused in pop culture than being a judgment on the song itself.

However, despite writing a feminist anthem, Reddy was not necessarily embroiled in the feminist movement, as this film states. Even musically, she had more hits about mentally disturbed women (“Delta Dawn,” “Leave Me Alone” and “Angie Baby”) than she did about empowered ones (just “I Am Woman,” and maybe if you really stretch things “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady.”)

Also, against the grain of traditional music-bio moves, Reddy never had any drug or alcohol problems. (Although her then-husband and manager Jeff Wald, who plays a big role in this film, had enough of those for both of them.) In fact, she was considered a bit of a goody-two-shoes at the time. But she still had one hell of a ride for several years.

I Am Woman does a nice job of taking us back to those years.

Unlike so many of these jukebox biopics (we’re looking at you, Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman), I Am Woman does not play fast and loose with the musical timeline. Most of the songs here are era-appropriate for when they were used in Reddy’s storyline. Oh, sure, they do use Reddy’s cover of Cilla Black’s “You’re My World” in the background of a scene that takes place over a decade before Reddy recorded the song. However, at that point in history, Black’s original version of the song was fairly current, so I guess it can get a pass.

They also introduce her playing “Angie Baby” many years after it was popular, but it’s a concert performance, so it makes sense that she would still be performing one of her biggest hits at shows. And it does make a certain dramatic sense to play “Love Song for Jeffrey” and “Ain’t No Way to Treat a Lady” as her relationship with Jeff is falling apart, not when they were recorded in happier days.

Also, periodically the film plays a little fast and loose about the meanings of the songs. Specifically, Reddy recorded “You and Me Against the World” very explicitly as a song about a mother and her child (there is even a vocal cameo by her young daughter Traci at the beginning and the end of the song), not about a woman and her best friend. Nonetheless, I Am Woman keeps teasing the term “you and me against the world” with Helen and her bestie Lillian, and eventually it suggests the song was written in honor of that friend.

However, little-known Australian actress Tilda Cobham-Hervey does a wonderful job of living in Reddy’s skin, and Evan Peters (American Horror Story) is terrifically out of control as her controlling and slightly pathetic husband Wald.

I Am Woman will likely not become the kind of smash hit that Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman became, but in a strange way it’s a slightly better – if slightly more pedestrian – biofilm than either of those, particularly Bohemian Rhapsody. (I Am Woman sort of has the vibe of those made-for-TV music biofilms VH1 used to produce in the 1990s.)

Also, it will hopefully bring to light the music of a mostly forgotten talent who deserves a pop-culture re-evaluation.

Jay S. Jacobs

#I Am Woman #2020 #Music Review #Helen Reddy #Jay S. Jacobs

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agentem · 5 years

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Captain Marvel spoiler review

Ok. I give up on figuring out the spoiler cut on mobile. If you haven’t seen, please skip this!

Spoilers!

You have probably seen that I have been pretty defensive about Captain Marvel on tumblr. That is because I think she should get the same chance as a male MCU hero, not because i think she is perfect or anything.

One thing I was actively worried about with this film was the origin story. Carol’s origin is weird and complicated. There was an alien named Mar-Vell and he had powers and fought this bad guy. There was a machine called a psyche-magnetron that exploded and gave her powers. At least that is how it goes in the comics. But it is SO dated for her to literally get her powers from a man, especially if Marvel wants her to be their standout female character.

And it’s not easily summed up. To further complicate things, she is of two worlds. She is from Earth but had Kree DNA.

Watching the film, I thought about Thor. The first Thor movie also had two worlds and I liked the parts on Earth best, but the Asgardian world had a distinct look to it. I think Boden/Fleck were a bit hamstrung by the fact that the Kree were somewhat established in Guardians of the Galaxy. You see Hala and think “alien planet” but not like “wow, that is beautiful and different” if that makes sense.

It’s always interesting to see these films with my sister, because she doesn’t read comics or get all obsessed on tumblr like I do. When we got home she was looking at how the MCU films were ranked (not on RottenTomatoes but another similar site) and she was like, “this is wrong. It was better than some of these.”

We agreed immediately that it wasn’t as good as Black Panther. And I think it would be tough to be the first origin story to follow that one, because usually they are a bit wobbly and crammed with backstory. Certainly think it’s on par with other origin stories, like the aforementioned Thor.

I was also worried about Maria and Monica. For those that don’t know, Monica Rambeau is a superhero who was also Captain Marvel and she was before Carol was. She has since changed her name to Spectrum (and Photon, which was Maria’s Air Force call signal) which is confusing.

I wanted Monica in the movie—it felt right since she was Captain Marvel too—but I did not want her to feel like a sidekick, because Carol and Monica don’t have that relationship. I was iffy on “Maria” who is really just a name in the comics, and then Lashana Lynch came into the project late after the first actress dropped out and I was like, “oh no, what happened?” Is the script changing? What is this part?

But I liked Maria a lot. She does feel like “the black friend,” which we have already seen from Iron Man and Captain America: Winter Soldier. But Sam and Rhodey are faves of mine so I am not mad at it exactly. I just want more for characters of color. I was very glad that we got to see Monica do some flying and even take out a Kree of her own (though I was sad about which one it was) because she could have been in Carol’s place that day. Then she would have the crazy powers. Carol just got there first. I thought Lynch did a really good job and is someone to watch.

Plus, I feel there is a bud of hope that young Monica is a future star, not a supporting player. Though I am still worried she comes off a bit more like Kamala Khan than Monica Rambeau (again, neither of these characters are bad they are just different). But Kamala is a star too. Perhaps in the intervening years, Monica will grow into someone more like the character we know. Hopefully. (She would be in her mid-30s during the events of Infinity War.)

I continue to think they were smart to bring Sam Jackson back. You know I have missed him. I talk about it all the time. But here what is so evident is how he grounds a film so well. Like think about all the crazy shit Nick Fury has to make seem real. It’s astounding. I don’t necessarily think that Phil Coulson needed to be there. (In the theater, people cheered when he came on screen and the little boy next to me said, “who is that?” Which reminded me that The Avengers was actually a long time ago and that we are old.)

I read a review that said they wished Carol could retroactively show up in Avengers and, indeed, that does seem to be what the film builds toward. So seeing Carol pop up in the mid-credit sequence was the biggest cheer moment in the film, which maybe doesn’t speak that well of the actual film? I am not sure where I am going with this thought. Except to say it succeeds in that it convinces us there was a hole in the Avengers team this entire time and we didn’t know about it. Which is both cool and a bummer.

As for the cast, they did trick me with Annette Bening. I thought she would be Helen Cobb, Carol’s mentor from the Kelly Sue DeConnick (cameo in the train station! I saw her red hair!) run. Bening just looks like her. And I didn’t see the twist that she was Mar-Vell coming. Though perhaps it was obvious to some.

My sister said she thought Bening was miscast. And that got me wondering if they intentionally cast someone who looked like Helen. Sister said she wished Glenn Close had gotten this role instead of the throwaway in Guardians of the Galaxy. I am always in favor of more Glenn Close and do hope she might be in a “Nova” film because she was sorely wasted.

I think Jude Law is kind of perfect for the possible leading man but is really a dick turn. You almost believe him when he says, “I’m so proud of you.” Between this and Spy, I am starting to wonder if I missed the boat on Jude Law.

My real fave of the Kree was Min-Erva (Gemma Chan) and I really thought she would come back and be the main villain of the sequel so I was kind of devastated when she died. I loved how blunt she was with “I just didn’t like you.” I would love to see a head-to-head with her. Just two very different women.

Everyone loved Goose. I am still sad they didn’t call her Chewie. The biggest cliffhanger is WHAT HAPPENED TO GOOSE. Did she did? Do Flerken age like cats do? Has she just been in Nick Fury’s office all this time? No, she can’t be. She wasn’t in Winter Soldier.

Maybe she bailed after coughing up the Tesseract (which I did not know was going to be in this film at all. I thought Howard Stark found it and that was how it got to SHIELD. I think that makes Howard even lamer?) and she went to find Monica? I would love it if Carol comes back and Monica is like “bitch, where have you been? Your cat peed on my laundry.” (And somehow led Monica on adventures that gave her her own superpowers? A girl can dream.)

We need to cast someone awesome as adult Monica. I have been looking through IMDb. It’s a sickness. I like Spectrum. I like all lady heroes. We still need MORE.

Do you hear me, dumb fanboys? We were not done with female superheroes after Wonder Woman. We were not done after Jessica Jones. We are not done after Captain Marvel. And guess what, we will not be done after Black Widow either, so stop acting like babies and just get the fuck out of the way.

Because if you try to pull the shit that you pulled about this movie with Monica or Kamala or Storm? We will have to kill you. Full stop.

FINAL THOUGHT: Goose can hold the Tesseract. Red Skull died holding the Tesseract. Red Skull founded Hydra. Hydra was part of the Nazi Party. Goose is stronger than Nazis.

This is science.

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ssinkpress · 3 years

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FROM: Originally July 07, 2021.

Sadie Sink on Fear Street and the power of Gen Z: 'My generation is very opinionated, and they're ready to build the world that they want to live in'

Our newest scream queen obsession!

BY SHEILLA MAMONA AND JOSH SMITH THURSDAY 12 AUGUST 2021

Sadie Sink’s achievements and power far outstrips her 19 years of age. Playing Maxine Mayfield in Stranger Things bought Sadie instant international fame, 14 million Insta followers and she has also already starred alongside the likes of Woody Harrelson in the movie, The Glass Castle and opposite Helen Mirren on stage in The Audience. Oh, and is a part time skateboarder too. This Texas born girl has got skills!

Now she adds Netflix’s new trilogy of horror movies, Fear Street to her bursting CV. Horror movies can, well, be horrific viewing at times. It’s rare to watch one which is not only makes you sh*t yourself with nerves but also gets you thinking about the world we actually live in. That was until Netflix dropped this trilogy.

Based on the books by Goosebumps (90s babies are shacking, now that’s a flashback) author, RL Stine Fear Street follows a group of high schoolers over a trilogy of movies the first in 1994, then 1978 and 1666 attempting to not only solve a murder mystery but a 351 year long curse on the middle American town of Shadyside.

Whilst there is gore galore, at the film’s heart is the queer love story between Deena and Sam, played by Kiana Maderia and Olivia Welch respectively, a love story rarely seen in a horror movie or rather ANY mainstream movie. And in the second movie, Fear Street 1978 the relationship between Sadie’s Zadie and her sister, Cindy is the centre of the drama as the curse comes to the summer camp in Shadyside and her campmates become possessed. Just another summer day then?

As the native Texan prepares to get her scream on, she opens up to GLAMOUR about coming of age, dealing with the horrors on screen, the horrors of adulting off screen (hard relate) and finding her voice…

The Fear Street trilogy is epic! What was your own onset horror story?

I had the most fun filming these movies but there were a lot of scenes where things got really intense and it was late at night. The biggest moment was one of those final scenes where, ‘bad things are happening.’ I was all bloody, I was laying in the grass, it was like 3:00 AM, and I just thought, ‘these are not good circumstances! I feel very physically uncomfortable, but I am having the best time ever! I feel gross and disgusting, but I could not be having more fun.’

Friendship is such a strong theme in Fear Street and how it can quite literally save us. How has friendship saved you?

Friendship is so important! Having friends that are real friends that know you and have your best interest at heart is really important - it's hard to find those people, but I have some really incredible people in my life that I trust and rely on. Especially in this industry, when things start to pick up and get really crazy and overwhelming, it's just so nice to have someone to FaceTime at the end of the day, just talk to and vent with. I'm lucky to have some amazing people in my life that I can do that with.

Fear Street must have been so intense to film. How do you look after your mental wellbeing and what have been some turning points in that journey for you away from filming?

When things get really intense and overwhelming on set, massages are great, calling my mom is great or just like watching Schitt's Creekat the end of the day - that's great! It’s really important to take a breath and calm down, especially when you're putting yourself in the elements with shows like Stranger Things and with movies like Fear Street, it gets really intense.

Stranger Things and Fear Street both share a similar storyline of discovering your ‘self.’ What have been some turning points in that journey for you?

I think when I turned 18, and then was working as an adult in this industry that's when things really changed for me. Now I'm 19 and I'm living in Atlanta without parents and working on my own - it's been a huge adjustment, just working as a child actor and the strict hours, you have to have a guardian, and your parents are always with you. Going from that to learning how to work as an adult, dealing with being on your own and taking care of yourself, that's been a huge turning point. But also it's proven to me that I can do this, I'm ready and it makes me hopeful for my future.

What have you learned about your own power and how has your perception of your own power changed?

I think definitely growing up in this industry when you're starting out as a kid, at least for me, I've always been very timid, even with things like interviews when I was first being introduced into that world and I was very timid and very nervous. Then as I've become more comfortable with it, you start to find your voice and get in the groove of things. That is really empowering for me, just to see how far I've come and how much more of a voice I feel like I have now compared to when I first started out. You can see it, looking back at videos of myself acting or in interviews when I was younger, compared to where I am now, it's amazing to see that self-growth is just all captured on camera, on the internet, everywhere.

What was maybe the biggest adulting challenge for you in that journey?

It's just the little things! I can do dishes, I can do laundry, I'm good with all of that, but (with) driving, it was really nice to have my mom when she would drive me places! I knew how to drive at one point, but then I just threw that out the window, I don't do that anymore. We're learning as we go!

I love that Fear Street heroes characters who would have usually been killed off in the first minute or first scene. It flips labels and stereotypes, too. What stereotypes have been placed on you in your own life that you have had to shake off?

I try not to think about what people are labeling me as, but the only really face-to-face experience I've ever had with that is when Stranger Things started to blow up and being at school still, dealing with kids, how they treated you a little bit differently. And not treating you as the person that you've always been, but treating you as this, ‘new actress who's on this really cool show.’ That was an adjustment!

It’s interesting that the trilogy covers three very different periods and shows how sexism has always been so prominent. What surprises you about how much further we still have to go?

Watching these movies in the way they deal with the strong female characters and how they were treated, and then also the Sam and Dina relationship and how that was viewed, shows definitely that we've come a very long way. I think there's still a lot of work to be done, but luckily, I feel like my generation, they're very opinionated and they're ready to build the world that they want to live in in the future. That gives me hope, and hopefully a lot of adults and kids hope as well.I think we all have a lot to learn from each other, it's just a matter of really listening.

If you could go back to the start of filming Fear Street and give yourself one bit of advice, what would it be?

I would probably tell her, ‘Be sure to stretch, really take care of yourself, start running, keep that stamina up!’ But then also, I would say, ‘Things are going to get really intense, but also you're going to make the best memories of your life on this and you're going to have a really incredible summer, so it's worth every tear, every drop of sweat!”

Fear Street 1978 is available to watch now on Netflix

#glamourmagazine #pressfs #fs #2021

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voightsgirl · 7 years

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crossfire: volume i - chapter one

a/n y’all it’s finally here!! i’m sooo excited to share this with you, and i really really really hope you enjoy reading it as much as i’ve enjoyed creating it. it’s a long journey, but hopefully it will be worth it :)

☆ one day ☆

[november 2018]

She got the call as she and Jay were driving to work that morning.

"Nat?" Erin yawned in greeting, still drowsy from the early wake-up call Hank had dealt her despite their late night the previous evening.

"Hey, Erin."

"Hi, Natalie," Jay chimed in, just to let her know that she was on speaker in case this was a particularly urgent, and private, conversation. Erin grinned at him in thanks.

"Jay," his brother's fiancée acknowledged warmly.

"What's up? Is everything okay?" Erin asked her friend.

Although Erin and Natalie had begun to see a lot more of each other recently – a combination of both of the girls’ relationships with each Halstead brother and the correlation between Natalie’s shift at Med and Erin’s shift at the twenty first district – they weren’t quite close enough for 6am phone calls. Not just yet.

"So, um,” Natalie sounded worried. “I feel awful having to ask you guys this. I know you have a lot on your plate at the moment with your case and all, but Will and I are supposed to be going out for dinner with the parents tonight, and Helen just rang to say she's caught a virus and doesn’t want to pass it on to Owen, so she can’t watch him...normally I'd postpone, but my parents are only in town for a few days and I don't want to make them -"

"We got you covered," Erin cut in, although Jay noticed the color draining from her face. "Right Jay?"

Jay nodded enthusiastically. Erin gestured at him, reminding him that Natalie couldn’t see him, and he added, "Totally – I can't wait to spend some quality time with my future nephew!"

"We’ll babysit the little guy. What time do you want us there?" Erin asked.

"Seven-thirty, give or take. Thanks so much for doing this, you guys, you're lifesavers!"

When she hung up, Erin turned to face her partner, a look of absolute horror on her face. She had felt her stomach drop the minute her friend had mentioned Owen. She loved the kid, sure, but she'd had exactly two experiences in babysitting. And, both times, that was because the kid had been a victim of a sex-trafficking ring and needed to stay in protective custody overnight. Somehow, she didn't think babysitting Natalie’s seven year-old was going to require quite the same skill set.

She looked over at Jay again, peeling her eyes from the road in the hope of some reassurance.

"Owen's a great kid. It'll be a piece of cake," he tried.

Erin just nodded and swallowed, as they pulled into the car park of the twenty-first district.

☆

It wasn’t that she didn’t like children. She did. Nothing made her heart swell up with hope and happiness more than when she saw kids laughing or playing in the park a couple of blocks away from their apartment or when she got to reunite missing kids with their parents at work. In fact, she’d always envisioned her and Jay having kids of their own one day, and the thought of baby “Linsteads” (as Will had taken to calling them, after he nearly choked on his beer one time when Erin had come home early, and, expecting to see only Jay in the kitchen, had barked, “Halstead! Can you stop moving my shoes?” He found it hilarious that when they were getting annoyed or sassy with each other, they slipped back into calling each other by their last name. Something Jay had evidently picked up from his army days, and it had started to rub off on Erin) running around the house made her nearly giddy with longing. Sure, she wanted kids. And she wanted them with Jay. But not now.

She hadn’t had any experience in childcare, and she couldn’t exactly rely on her own upbringing to guide her. Something told her that Natalie wouldn’t be too impressed with her if she resorted to snorting coke in front of her seven-year-old as Bunny had apparently deemed appropriate when Erin was growing up.

Not only that, but she wanted this friendship with Natalie to work out.

Since Natalie and Will started to date officially about two years ago, Erin had found herself spending much more time with the doctor, as well as her colleagues, much to her pleasure. She often found that, being a cop, she didn’t get enough female company, and so when Jay had suggested that she and Nat grab some drinks after shift some time, Erin willingly obliged. Originally, she’d just gone along with it because she knew that Will and Natalie were getting serious, and, Will being Jay’s brother, she’d have to get along with the potential in-laws sooner or later, but after their third or fourth drinks date – which had, by this point, transformed into lunch dates, when Natalie could squeeze in an hour during her shift and Erin didn’t have a particularly heavy case load, to save Natalie the trouble of finding a babysitter for her son – they’d really started to click. Soon after that, Erin had insisted Kim, Gabby, and Haley join them, and Natalie brought along April and Sarah.

In no time at all, they had monthly girls’ nights, and even though Erin had initially complained to Jay about them sometimes, saying she’d rather just have a night in with him, she secretly loved the company once she got there. Maggie started to come, too, which prompted Gabby to bring along Stella and Sylvie, and soon enough, after the Intelligence Unit had started to work even closer alongside the team over at the State’s Attorney’s office, Anna Vasquez and Laura Nagel had begun to join in from time to time, too.

They would drink and chat and laugh together, and talk about the things that you could only really talk about with a group of women around you, and Erin had learned to lean on these ladies almost as much as she leaned on her unit at work. Some of them liked to talk about things openly – especially Gabby, Erin had noticed, who loved to let off steam whenever she’d had yet another run in with one of her superiors – while others just preferred to keep their personal lives very much that, like herself.

She’d become more accustomed to sharing, especially after she and Jay had moved back in together a few months back and they’d promised never to lie to each other, or to hide things from each other, again – but the idea of confiding in multiple people at once was still pretty daunting. So usually, when she had something she wanted to get off her chest, it was on one of her weekly lunch dates with Natalie. And Erin didn’t want to ruin this, albeit still new, friendship that they were forming, and screwing up while looking after her new friend’s child may end up doing just that.

☆

Jay had noticed her dread at having to look after a child, and he couldn’t quite understand why. He remembered a case they worked a few years back, where they discovered a nine year old girl tied up in her foster home, covered in bruises and the apparent victim of sex-trafficking, and Erin had been so shaken by the incident that she didn’t let the girl leave her sight for days. This was before Jay had moved in with her the first time, and Erin had insisted on letting the girl – Avery, he remembered her name was – stay with her until Erin could personally help DCFS to sort out a suitable foster placement.

She had been amazing with that little girl. Avery hadn’t had any possessions of her own, so Erin had given her an old CPD T-shirt of hers and let her keep it, as well as buying her, at no small expense, a suitcase full of clothes. She’d let her sleep in her bed, and Erin had taken the couch, because she wanted the girl to be as comfortable as possible after her ordeal, and Jay remembered a frantic phone call he’d gotten from her at two in the morning, when Avery had had an awful nightmare; she’d woken up screaming and crying and refused to go anywhere near the bed afterwards. Erin had called Jay the second she heard her stirring in the other room, and he’d rushed over, worried, not just about the nine-year-old who was having a full-blown panic attack, but also because Erin had been practically sobbing down the line for his help. She couldn’t bear to see this kid in so much pain.

When he got there, however, it turned out that his dramatic rescue attempt had been futile. Erin had taken Avery into the living room and they were sat on the couch together, the soft glow of the television illuminating Erin’s face as she looked down at the sleeping, fragile girl that had nestled her head into Erin’s lap and had fallen back asleep, with the tear tracks still fresh on her pale and innocent face. Erin was humming softly, staring into space instead of actually watching the documentary on the television, and she turned her head to face Jay as he opened the door using the very secret key under the front doormat.

She’d put her finger to her lips and pointed at the body curled up next to her, rising and falling softly with the stable rhythm of sleep, and she’d just nodded her head at the documentary playing.

“Works every time,” she had whispered, and his eyes, too, had nearly filled with tears, remembering the first night he was the one in Avery’s position, and, not knowing what to do to calm him down, Erin had guided him into the living room and together they had curled up, watching David Attenborough, until the sun peaked over the skyline and they had made it through another night together.

Jay smiled, remembering her dedication to this girl whom she barely knew. He just had to open his eyes to see what a wonderful mother Erin Lindsay would be one day, so he couldn’t work out why she was so nervous about babysitting Owen. He wasn’t going to have any panic attacks. He was only seven – he’d probably be in bed when they got there, and besides, all he’d want to do if he wasn’t would be watch TV or play with stuffed animals or something. That’s what seven year old boys did, right?

"Psst!"

Jay snapped out of his thoughts and looked up from where his head had been buried in an ever-mounting pile of unfinished paperwork.

He rolled his eyes at how dramatic she was sometimes. "What's the matter?" He asked, ducking into the room with her.

"Just pretend we're making coffee," she instructs him, and stands facing him at the counter, angling herself perfectly so that if one were to walk past, they would only see Jay's back.

"Okay...?" Jay was now entirely confused.

"So. I downloaded a guide on how to take care of young kids and it said that if we've never looked after him before, we should try bringing something as a gift that he would like. A sort of peace offering?"

"Erin, you know we're only babysitting for a couple of hours, right? All we've gotta do is make sure he doesn't break anything. Or himself."

Erin raised an eyebrow. "Jay, Will and Natalie are engaged. Owen is going to be your nephew. That means we have to get him to like us, or else Thanksgiving is not going to be fun."

"Okay," Jay breathed. "I take your point. But I've spent loads of time with Owen. He knows me. Last time he even called me 'Uncle Jay'."

Erin smiled at how at ease her boyfriend seemed with this whole situation. "But I haven't. I've never been trusted with anything like this before, okay? It's kind of a big deal. And I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing. What if we completely screw up and Natalie never wants to talk to me again, or something goes awfully wrong, what then?"

"Erin," Jay says firmly, but she carries on.

"What if I'm really bad at it?"

Jay frowned. "At what?"

"Parenting," Erin whispered, and Jay finally understood where all this was coming from.

He put his hands on her shoulders and squeezed them gently. It was the closest they ever got to PDA at work, but he needed her to know he understood. "Erin, it's only a couple of hours. No one is asking you to be his parent."

"That's not the point, Jay," she sighed. "What if nothing goes wrong?”

He frowned. That wasn’t what he’d expected. “What do you mean?”

“I mean,” she almost looked ashamed as she said it. “I’m used to broken households. I’ve spent my whole life clearing up their messes. I can deal with drug addicts, and alcoholics, and abusive boyfriends and panic attacks and absentee parents. I don’t know how normal families…you know. Work.”

He took a sharp intake of breath at her words. He’d never thought about it like that. She was always so strong, especially recently – she’d had to be strong, for him – that he sometimes forgot that she was just as broken as he was. “Erin, listen to me. You’re not Bunny.”

She just shrugged sadly. “But if I’m not there to fix things, then…”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know. I’ll have to rely on them liking me, instead of just being grateful to me, or indebted to me somehow…I don’t know.”

Jay practically scoffed. “Trust me, babe. I don’t think Owen is gonna have any trouble with liking you.”

She nodded, although she seemed unconvinced by his words. Jay looked over his shoulder to see if anyone in the bullpen was watching, and seeing that the coast was clear, wrapped his arms around her tightly.

“Trust me,” he whispered into her hair.

She pulled back, and although her big, soft, hazel eyes still looked a little sad, her mouth had turned into a pout, and the corners were threatening to turn upwards into a small smile.

She handed him the mug of coffee she’d made him. "Thanks,” she pouted again. “I love you. Here's your coffee."

He grinned. He couldn’t actually wait for the evening. Not just because he wanted to spend some quality time with his nephew-to-be, but also so that he could show Erin just what a wonderful mother she’d make one day.

One day. When the time came.

☆ ☆ ☆

thank you for reading!! if you’d like to be notified when it’s updated either head over to my ff.net account or message me and i’ll tag you at the end of the post :)

@allenting

#erin lindsay #jay halstead #chicago pd #linstead #linstead fanfic #crossfire #crossfire:1:1 #myfics

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juliajoybell · 7 years

Text

Hélène Joy Q&A with fans - Part 3

There is the last part of the Q&A that Hélène did on her Official Facebook Page ;)

________________________________________________

.What is it like to kiss Yannick? >🙄 it's acting.

.Hi Helene, thank you for asking for fan questions. Did you always know that you would choose acting as your profession and what was your first professional acting job. >In high school yes, but my odd job resume is super long.

.If you could change anything about Julia Ogden, what would you change and why?? >I think Julia is an exceptional character as is! I, as an actor, like venturing into contemporary roles.

.With the continued exposure and success of the show, How are you able to go out/about to have fun or shop and not get to much attention? We love your acting skills but it seems to come at a cost. Hopefully folks are kind .... >Nobody recognizes me in contemporary clothing! 😂

.I don't even know if you are married and have kids and why did you leave the Pacific to live in our God awful winters? BTW, you are an awesome actress. >Some things I prefer to keep private 😅

.Do you have a favorite book? >It changes!

.Hello. Have you read any of the murdoch mysteries books for your role? >No, I like to keep it separate.

.You are a wonderful actress. What else are you acting in? would love to see more of your work. >You can check out my IMDB page http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0431420/

.I thoroughly enjoy your work on "Artful Detective", Are you planning to take on any projects in the USA? >Most actors don't "plan" their roles. :)

.Who is your favorite author? >It changes!

.I was wondering how did you feel about your name when you were little? Because when i was little living in Brazil I used to get mocked a lot for having such a different name and thats the one thing that i related to the most when I first met you. >I liked...like my name! Growing up it was considered different and unique.

.You are amazing as Julia!! I'm a HUGE FAN of yours!! I was wondering what your favourite episode was out of season 9. I'd LOVE to know! >The season finale.

.Have you changed at all after playing Julia? >Yes, a number of times. It would be frowned upon to wear my costume home.

.First, I just want to say how much I love Murdoch Mysteries and the awesome job you've done creating Dr. Julia Ogden. (You're right, they'd never solve anything without you!) I'd really like to know who you look to as a role model for inspiration/strength when you're having challenges or when you're pushing yourself to take the next personal/professional life step? >I'm pretty fortunate to be surrounded by the usual suspects, lovely friends/family.

.What is your favorite hobby? :) >I renovate houses, hiking/biking.

.How did you "land" in Canada? AND, how does and Aussie have such a French name? >I think I answered that above ^^^ thanks for the q!

.Will you have dinner with me? :-) >😉 nice try

.If you did not act. What would you have chosen to do for a career? >I'd still be acting.

.Do you pronounce your name the English way (Helen) or French (el-EN)? >Neither. Rhymes with rain "He-Lane"

.Dinner? 😆 >How original 😂 thanks

.Maybe a funny one but if you weren't an actress playing a part in MM do you think you would enjoy watching the series? >Good question!

.Did you enjoy Birmingham when you were here with Tommy? >To clarify, because that's how rumours start, we weren't there together. Yes! Birmingham is a lovely place.

.With your love of exploring the workd, how would you spend a fantasy 24 hours with no travel restrictions? >Either hiking or on a beach!

.Will the tours of the Murdoch Mysteries set ever return? >Not sure! It's not my call.

.What's the best part of playing Dr Julia ogdon from sarah in england >She's an incredible role model.

.What was it like to work with twin babies on the set? Do you have any nieces or nephews in real life? Sorry; two questions! >It was fun! They're great kids.

.I know I am being " piggy", but am probably more interested in this question than my earlier two...Had you not left Australia, do you think your career would have continued more behind the camera ( or on stage) or would you have gravitated to the directing/producing side of the field? >I'm an actor and would have continued acting.

.How many times do you have to do a scene before it is good with the crackups you must have with Yannick and Jonny on set. I loved the one with the whoopie cushion which stayed in the show. Will we see more bloopers? >There's so much to accomplish/film in a day that we keep it as professional as possible.

.Did you move alone to Toronto and was it hard to cope to live in another country? Do you have any tips for youngsters about moving😊 >I lived in Vancouver first for years! Move with a purpose and not because you need a change of scenery.

.Do you have a weird secret talent? And if you could have another talent (aside from the many you already have 😊) what would it be? Love Murdoch Mysteries💕 xxx >Hmmm, don't think so! I like singing.

.Do you get a say in which of your lovely outfits you wear? >Nope!

.Do you ever feel like you are two people.?. I can't see Helene Face in Julia or Julia's face in Helene. Love you Great performance every episode >Nah, work is work and I am me.

.I have always wondered how you coped dealing with the gruesome tasks of the morgue - even though it's made-up blood and guts. What happens when it's time for lunch? OMG What do you do then? >It's a lot of fun! I'm working and it's part of my job, I'm just trying not to trip over my medical dialogue.

.I was just wondering how you made the decision to pursue your love of acting? Especially to another country. How did you make the leap from acting being a hobby to a career? >I never viewed it as a hobby.

.Hi Helene, I like you sooo much!💜 My question is: Have you ever been in Budapest/ Hungary? Did you like it? Thanx! >LOVED IT! Hope to make my way back someday.

.Hi Helene, do you have favorite episode Murdoch Mysteries? >I think I answered above ^^^ thanks!

.Do you still ride a bike in Toronto or did you breakdown and buy a car? (Sorry for the pun!) >Both. I also walk A LOT!

.Our MM fan page - William Murdoch Mysteries fan page - has a question for you ! Why did Julia refuse to lie about her relationship with Darcy preventing her from getting the annulment when she was prepared to lie about having committed adultery, when she hadn't !!? ...or was she doing more than playing dominoes ? >I think that might be a better question for the writers. I don't remember episodes after we film them 😅

.Is there anything you would like Julia to do on the show ie, stunt. >I never thought I'd roller skate but who knows!

.Would you please come to Dragoncon? Bring the fellas too =) Y'all and the Murdoch Mysteries are adored here especially among the large steampunk community. And it would make my event by far. >I have to be invited! Contact my publicity team.

.did you ever think Murdoch Mysteries would last 10 years and do you think the show will ever have a guest appearance by georgina Rielly >No! It's such a joy that it's lasted this long and I can't speak for the lovely GR.

.Hello 😄. I've heard you mention it before, so, is there a Murdoch Musical in the works? And do you enjoy singing, dancing, playing an instrument, or other musical activities? >Oh no...I never said that! Don't get me in trouble. I think it would be fun though!

.What's your favorite Julia outfit? Whatever is the most comfortable.

.Love MM how long does it take to learn your script? Do you get to adlib any? >The medical language can be difficult but usually it ranges from 3-4 days to a week depending on how heavy the dialogue is.

.What do you & Dr. Ogden have in common? >Thanks for the q! I think I answered that above ^^^^

.Would you do a movie for CBC as a Christmas Special or a romantic movie? >Like if I was offered a role?

____________________________________

And that’s all ;)

#Helene Joy #interview #fans #Q&A #helene joy on facebook

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ecotone99 · 4 years

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The Dinner - Part Two [RF]

“You really don’t need to rent a car.” Levi hampered as he bullishly insisted on carrying all the bags by himself. “How would I get to and from your house every day?” She reminded him as they wove their way through the single terminal airport.

“You’d stay at my house.” He tried not to let on how heavy the bags were getting. “I told you, I don’t want to make your mom uncomfortable.” “She’s not.” Levi retorted. Stella rolled her eyes. “You stayed before. She didn’t mind.” He insisted. “We weren’t having sex then, and something tells me she knew that.” Stella reminded him.

Levi had no choice but to drop the subject there, because she was right, and it was his fault. His mother wouldn’t know they slept together if he hadn’t told her. He couldn’t help it. He loved his mother. He told her everything important in his life. He remembered the conversation so clearly.

Stella had just left after her first visit last summer and he’d felt like a piece of him was missing. It was all he could do to get out of bed each morning. Those first few days with her gone, every move felt like walking through mud. Even colors looked duller to him.

His mother noticed, and the fourth day after Stella left, Helen got up early and made her son pancakes. That had always been the only food that could get him to eat breakfast sitting down. She insisted Matt take the other boys out for the morning, before Levi woke up.

Levi knew from the moment he came down and saw pancakes in an empty house that she wanted to talk about something serious. The anniversary of his father’s death was coming up and he wondered if she was finally ready to discuss it. It was as much a relief as a disappointment when that wasn’t what she had in mind.

He’d barely taken three bites before she’d said “You’ve seemed down since Stella left. Did things go that badly or did they go that well?” He didn’t consciously decide to tell her. It hadn’t occurred to him that they’d talk about it. No one had talked to him about relationships, let alone sex, besides abstinence educators in church and the gym teacher for about thirty minutes his freshman year of high school.

But he’d wanted to talk to someone about what happened. He couldn’t tell his friends, because they didn’t know he had been a virgin before Stella. He couldn’t tell his stepdad because he’d both think it was a horrible sin to have slept with a girl out of wedlock and that Levi was a prude for not doing it sooner if he was going to do it. He could talk to Stella about almost anything, but for something like this, she wasn’t the same as someone older and more experienced.

Staring at his half-eaten pancakes, lost in thought, he didn’t notice his mom sit down across from him. “Lee, whatever’s on your mind, you can tell me. It’ll stay right here between us.” She hadn’t always meant that in the past. “Promise?” “Promise.”

Helen was completely unprepared for what her son was going to tell her. The way he’d been moping around, she figured he and Stella must’ve had a fight. She almost choked when her baby boy, dipping pieces of pancake in his milk like when he still had to sit on a phonebook to reach the table, mumbled, “We had sex.”

She tried to bite back her surprise and mask the wall of emotion that came over her. She’d never considered that Levi was having those thoughts. Then she felt naive for thinking her strong, healthy son would reach 19 without them. She would never be able to help but still see him as a little boy.

He’d had other girlfriends before Stella, years before her, way back during high school, but Helen had seen how he moved around them. She could tell they were strangers to one another physically. She’d thought he’d acted the same way with Stella. Did that mean he’d been sleeping with all his girlfriends? Oh God, but he was only 15 when he started dating. Did that mean...

“Was she your first?” Helen asked, holding her breath. “Yah.” Levi replied quietly, shrinking back as the reality of the conversation sank in. Helen was just so relieved he’d waited at least a little longer than 15 that she didn’t even stop to think about the moral implications of what he’d told her. Besides, she knew a Bible study wasn’t what her son needed right then.

“When did it happen?” She asked, smiling to herself at the confirmation that at least he’d had a real first time and not just a meaningless hook up at some party. “The last night she was here. Right before I took her to the airport.” Oh good, Helen thought to herself, she wasn’t wrong when she’d assumed they weren’t sleeping together at first. “How are you feeling about it?” She asked, sincerely.

Those were the magic words Levi had been waiting to hear. Days and days worth of anxiety, confusion, and self-doubt poured out. She listened intently, offering what reassurances and clichés she could drum up when it felt appropriate. She had a feeling listening would mean more to him than anything she might say.

“Whose idea was it?” She asked, trying to get a better sense of whether her son was maturing or his girlfriend was a whore. “Neither of us. Well, both of us. I don’t know. She said it first, but I think it was just because she could tell I’d been trying to say it without pressuring her.” Levi muttered, too embarrassed to make eye contact with his mother.

Helen winced and grinned simultaneously. She didn’t want it to be Stella’s idea, but she definitely didn’t want it to be her little boy’s idea. She began to see him in a completely different light.

“So, in hindsight, was it the right time?” She asked. “Are you mad?” Levi countered, trying to determine if this was her agenda to lead him into a discussion of original sin. “No, no Levi.” She wasn’t actually sure whether or not she was mad, but she knew she wasn’t mad at him. “I just want to understand why you’ve seemed out of sorts the last few days.”

Helen refilled his milk glass. Levi sighed. “It was the right time. It was the exact right time. I just... I miss her.” She didn’t realize it then, but that got under her skin. She only saw her son a few weeks a year, and he was spending his time home with the family pining for some girl? Who’d only just been there? She’d liked Stella fine until that conversation. Now, not only was she eating into his time with the family, but she was degrading his innocence.

So, with that conversation in mind, Levi couldn’t act surprised when his mom had sent him a list of local hotels shortly after he’d announced Stella’s planned visit, leaving no room for discussion. He worried his stepdad would infer from the nature of the “meet my girlfriend” request that their relationship had moved to the next level, but he didn’t seem to notice.

In actuality, because Levi had called about this in October, his stepdad had only said yes to the visit at all under the assumption that they’d be broken up by December. Matt couldn’t help but feel as though by defying this arbitrary expectation, Levi had intentionally disobeyed him in some way. That was the start of his dislike for Stella.

Levi had wanted her to stay in the house so she could get to know everyone as well as possible. But when they went by the hotel to get Stella checked in and ditch her bags, they stopped in the room and got handsy. All of a sudden Levi wasn’t as bothered by the idea of Stella staying in a hotel 15 miles away instead of three feet from his parents and younger brothers.

As they drove towards the house, Stella’s mind raced with all the things Levi did and didn’t want her to do. It was the first time since they had planned the trip that she felt nervous. In contrast, it was the first time since they’d planned the trip that Levi wasn’t nervous. He was too excited to be. He hadn’t had the money to fly home for Thanksgiving, so this would be the first time he’d seen his family in four months. And, hopefully, it would be the last time he’d ever have to worry about them making a good impression on Stella and vice versa.

He was too excited to notice that Stella was on edge, and by the time he’d tuned back into her emotions, she had become too enraptured by the changing scenery to care about the upcoming evening. The land around the airport had been pretty dry, flat, and unremarkable, but the further they got towards Everbrook, the lusher and more mountainous the terrain became.

It was as though the commanding purple and coal colored mountains sprung up out of nowhere, emerging from the mist with shocking streaks of wildflowers and bleary snowcaps dashed with jagged peaks.

“Oh my God! Did you see that! Oh my God, that’s the coolest thing ever, oh my God!” Stella gushed, pointing out the window in untainted awe. Levi had no idea what she could possibly be talking about, the road to his house looked the same as it always had. “What?” Levi asked, “I didn’t see it.” “The horses!” Stella gasped. “Just running around, just, like, all by themselves! Like in a Disney movie!” She gasped.

Levi laughed. Wild horses were practically as common here as pigeons were back at school. Stella hadn’t realized how little she’d appreciated the flora and fauna last time she came out. Her relationship with Levi had been so new at that time that she was too preoccupied with who was around her to appreciate what was around her.

Before she knew it, they had pulled up to Levi’s house. It was modest construction, but more than enough space for his family of seven, and the only residence for two square miles around. He rushed to open her door before she tried to get out herself. He’d be damned if he’d let his stepfather see that.

Matt might not technically be blood, and since his biological father remained in his life until he died last year, Levi would always have to differentiate Matt as a stepfather, but anyone who knew him well understood who’d raised him. It certainly wasn’t the man he called “Dad.”

Before Levi could get halfway to the front door, his brothers clambered out of the house and took him to the ground, piling on top of him in a mix of punches and kisses. Reese, the oldest, tallest, and strongest at 12, was also the sweetest and easily the most emotional at Levi’s return. Tyson, 10, was the roughest of the pack, with enough energy to compensate for the muscle that hadn’t quite packed onto him yet. Silas, 7, was fragile and sincere with the hair of a sheepdog and the heart to match. He only had kisses for the brother he hadn’t seen in so long. Kyle, the 5 year old youngest, was a firecracker of chaos. You could see the wheels turning behind his eyes, analyzing everything that passed him by. He was as happy to see Levi as anybody, but his attention quickly turned to Stella.

“Hi, Stella.” Kyle said, extending his hand to shake. Stella took it without hesitation, not only because she had an equally deep respect for people whether they were five or fifty, but also because she understood that while it was important for the parents to like her, it was imperative for the brothers to. Which is why she didn’t say anything about Kyle’s hand being covered in glue. But she didn’t have to, Levi could see panic in her eyes and put two and two together.

“Hey, come here.” He said, grabbing Kyle’s hand and spotting the glue immediately. “You didn’t.” He moaned in disbelief. What he hadn’t told his brothers was that Stella disliking sticky textures wasn’t a pet peeve; it was a side effect of her clinical OCD. He didn’t think that was anyone’s business, so he hadn’t shared the full story with the guys.

He wanted to believe that they’d intended it to be a harmless prank on what they perceived to be his fancy high maintenance girlfriend, so instead of blowing up at them, he focused on extricating Stella from the situation before she completely melted down. There was plenty of time for him to blow up later, after she left.

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finding--cat · 6 years

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Kind of a letter

Hiii Cat! I tried sending an ask but it got denied so I’m writing here. Jic you get a similar unfinished ask. :)

Soo…bit of a random story. I stumbled upon a Hunger Games video and I remembered what fan I was of the book and a certan Wild Ones story! Since I am and was a romance addict, I felt the book could be a bit romanced up. I never shipped Peeta and Katniss because I thought he was a bit forced on her and it wasn’t really in her character to fall for him. Platonic love, yes. Romance, no. So when I found your story, my mind was blown! It’s so realistic within Katniss’ character and has the sound of the original book (I’ve had a bit of a reread). Cato is also developed really well and the whole thing feels so organic and makes sense. It’s also hot. The build up is amazing and you can discover with them how they acctually click together. In my mind, the last chapter follows loosely on the original story. They get out, but together, and go ham with the gang on President Snow. The baby is born in the new world and has two badass savage parents haha. I don’t know whether Cato and Katniss stay together, but they are in good terms. The storyline doesn’t go far enough to see if some hardcore feelings are developed, but judging how they’ve started to respect one another (+the baby factor) and from how your other works progress, I’d say it’ s a good guess that they end up together. How close am I? :) I would love to know the ending but it’s also kind of fun guessing! We had a chat a few years back about it, you probably don’t remember, but I’m glad you’ve decided not to take it down, even if it is unfinished. I still know where to find it, because I loved it so much :)

I’m not on tumblr anymore, but when you deleted your last blog, I made sure to know where to find you in case you decided to write a book and publish it so I would know to read it haha! I guess I’m sending this because I love your writing and back in the day I devoured everything you wrote (yes, even the JB stuff, even though I was never a JB fan). I found you through AB/PP, and of course adored it. I especially liked Fitz because she was so real. She made mistakes, was unsure what to do with her life but always had heart and was genuine. I saw a lot of myself in her. (Also with her recreational drinking haha I did that too at the time, when I wanted to be brave socially on nights out.)

Anyway, I had a little scroll through your tumblr and I see you’re still perfecting your craft but I wanted you to know that even then your writing was truly good and you could’ve only gotten better since then. Your writing voice is genuine and likeable, your storylines and characters are insanely developed (EG wow) and I never feel like -oh..this is romance but there should be more plot there, or this is a good story but not enough romance- you mix it up really well, which is rare, and I don’t know, I just feel things and am invested when I read your stuff. Oh! And it’s always funny! Even in EG, which could get quite serious, you put humor in some way! You’re a whole rounder haha (and I’m quite picky because I read a lot of similar things)!

I know this is out of the blue, but I remembered all of this and how I still consider you one of my favourite writers (your stuff would be on my read asap upon publishing goodreads shelf haha). So I thought, if this person’s writing still stays with me to this day, and she put so much time and effort into it, and I thoroughly enjoyed it for free…I should at least let her know. (Although it got a bit out of control length wise haha.) I did write you a few asks back then, but I just wanted you to read something like this now, when you’ve gone a bit underground. I know writing is a hobby for you and that you have another career, but if you ever get an itch to write and publish something, and you need a bit of a push, I hope you remember this (and PR the shit out of your work so I can see it haha). I know the publishing world is a shit show and you might not ever want to do that, but there are so many mediocre and sloppy books floating around and selling out that we need more good ones! Do it for the addicts haha! (If you’re interested in reading romance, I recommend the Hating Game by Sally Thorne and The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang, I think you’ll like them :) )

It is actually a bit weird, me writing all of this (and for you, getting it from a stranger) but I feel like I know a bit about you from before and from reading your work. Part of this social media fenomenon, I guess, ha! Hopefully it comes off more nice, less weird! So thanks for the good reads and good luck with everything, Cat!

AHHHHH this was the most surprising message of all time! I canNOT believe you read The Wild Ones (you actually inspired me to skim through it again haha) - that’s so amazing! Thank you for spending your hard-earned time reading so much of my work! You know, I really wish I’d had about one more month to finish that story. I started it in June or July and then in September I left for Tanzania, and I’d only written about 10k of the third and final instalment. I thought I could finish it while I was away, but I ended up having such an emotionally transformative experience that I just felt I had to start fresh everywhere in my life. (Also, when I got home I felt I couldn’t handle writing anything ‘heavy’, which was when and why I started writing Awkward Beat). I like your predictions for how things wrap up. Not all accurate but not too far off base, either :) You’re right, I never wrote The Wild Ones to be the ultimate romance story of all time, so it was never going to be a relationship that people “shipped” and it was never intended to be about two soulmates meeting. It was about two people literally forced together under hideous circumstances who found they had common ground deep within their very angry, rebellious souls, and they would use that commonality to fight for the lives of their people. I was really proud of the two stories I wrote for the HG fandom - I had my own reasons for removing my works on 1dff, but I’ve never removed other works, you don’t have to worry about those ones disappearing! Thank you again so much for reading :)

Also, thank you from the bottom of my heart for such wonderful encouragement. That really means so much to me, I can’t even say how much. I definitely appreciate the recs and will check them out. You’re a gem and I feel so lucky that you stumbled upon my work (and kept reading it!). Cheers.

#submission

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ecotone99 · 4 years

Text

The Dinner - Part Two [RO]

Stella had just left after her first visit last summer and he’d felt like a piece of him was missing. It was all he could do to get out of bed every morning. Those first few days with her gone, every move felt like walking through mud. Even colors looked duller to him.

His mother noticed, and the fourth day after Stella left, Helen got up early and made her son pancakes. That had always been the only food that could get him to eat breakfast sitting down. She made Matt take the other boys out for the morning, before Levi woke up.

He knew from the moment he came down and saw pancakes in an empty house that she wanted to talk about something serious. The anniversary of his father’s death was coming up and he wondered if she was finally ready to discuss it. It was as much a relief as a disappointment when that wasn’t what she had in mind.

He’d had other girlfriends before Stella, all from high school, but Helen had seen how he moved around them. She could tell they were strangers to one another physically. She’d thought he’d acted the same way with Stella. Did that mean he’d been sleeping with all his girlfriends? Oh God, but he was only 15 when he started dating. Did that mean...

It was as though the commanding purple and coal colored mountains sprung up out of nowhere, emerging from the mist with shocking streaks of wildflowers and bleary snowcaps dashed with jagged peaks.

Matt might not technically be blood, and since his biological father remained in his life until he died last year, Levi would always have to differentiate Matt as a stepfather, but anyone who him well knew who’d raised him. It certainly wasn’t the man he called “Dad.”

“Hey, come here.” He said, grabbing Kyle’s hand and spotting the glue immediately. “You didn’t.” He said in disbelief. What he hadn’t told his brothers was that Stella disliking sticky textures wasn’t a pet peeve; it was a side effect of her clinical OCD. He didn’t think that was anyone’s business, so he hadn’t shared the full story with the guys.

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