#i enjoy andrew but literally fuck you bestie

[harrywavycurly]

Life with Steve and Eddie: Random Convos

Masterlist: Here

A/N: Because sometimes you just need to ask your two guy besties some questions…some maybe be a little more random than others✨

“Why do boys not shower everyday?” “Uh do I look like a guy who doesn’t shower?…She’s totally talking to you Munson.” “Get fucked Harrington I shower everyday and sometimes twice a day…who’s the smelly dude in question?” “Yeah who’s stinking up your personal space with their lack of hygiene?” “No one I was just wondering…after a while you all just…get this smell…it’s weird.” “It’s just man.” “Pardon me? It’s just what?” “Yeah Eddie…it’s what?” “It’s just man smell…you know like when your after shave and shit wears off? And you’re just left with…your…scent…” “you call that…just man smell?” “Yes?…what? You’re gonna try to tell me it doesn’t make sense?” “No that’s the thing…it actually does…” “Munson making sense? That’s terrifying…” “you’re both a bunch of assholes.”

“Would you sleep with me?” “What the fu-” “I’m sorry what did you just ask us?” “I’m just curious…am I cute?” “Totally…adorable.” “She doesn’t wanna hear she’s adorable Harrington she wants to know if she’s fuckable you dick.” “Oh uh well yeah…yeah..you…are.” “Smooth Steve…really fucking smooth…and to think you were once upon a time such a ladies man…” “fuck off Munson I just wasn’t prepared to be asked if I’d fuck my bestfriend while trying to enjoy a day at the lake.” “I don’t want to know if you’d personally sleep with me Steve I’m just curious if I’m…attractive in general.” “Yes..you are a thousand percent attractive…to anyone that has decent eye site.” “Thanks Eddie.” “Steve?” “Yes I agree you’re very attractive.” “Dude relax she’s not gonna jump your bones Jesus go take a dip…” “sorry sorry I’m just…is there a reason you’re asking? Did someone say something to you?” “Yeah do we need to add a name to the ass kicking list?” “No…no it’s not that I was just curious that’s all.” “Promise?” “Yes Steve I promise…now let’s go swimming.”

“Can you feel your feet?” “Oh fuck.” “What’s wrong?” “Steve! Can you feel your feet?…mine are off.” “Oh fuck.” “My thoughts exactly…she’s a goner.” “We’ve been at this party what? An hour?…how is she already gone? It was your turn to watch her Munson.” “Watch her? I’m not a babysitter Steve that’s literally your job.” “I was gonna take over for the next hour you asshole we agreed!” “Oh look someone gave me a sho-” “no more shots for you missy…give that to Harrington he needs to loosen up.” “Let’s just…put her on the couch and get her some snacks and she’ll be fine for like an hour or so…” “Steven Andrew Harrington we are not going to force feed our drunk bestfriend snacks so we can party for an extra hour…Jesus man it’s just a house party you dickwad.” “You’re right…we take her home and tuck her in then come back.” “Exactly…gotta make sure she’s safe and sound then we can come back.” “You’re…you’re…gonna party without…me?” “Not the shaky lip…Steve she’s doing the shaky lip.” “Listen…we just want to reach your level that’s all but it takes us a little longer and you’re…well your feet are turned off right?” “Oh god you’re right! They are!” “So we need to get you home so they can recharge.” “Yes exactly what Eddie said…gotta get you home so your feet can get ready for tomorrow.” “Okay! My bed can fit all our feet.” “Fuck me…I knew she was gonna say that.” “Give it to me straight Harrington…We aren’t coming back are we?” “You know her bed is like quicksand…once we lay in it there’s no getting out till tomorrow morning..” “damn her and her magical fucking bed…I just wanted to get drunk…” “sorry Munson…grab her left arm I’ll get her right.” “She fucking owes us…” “oh she doesn’t owe us shit this is what friends are for.” “God I just love you guys.” “We love you too.”

#life with Steve and Eddie #Eddie Munson and Steve harrignton #steve harrington and eddie munson #eddie munson au #steve harrignton au #eddie munson fluff #eddie munson series #best!friend eddie munson #eddie munson x best friend reader #eddie munson x reader #eddie munson x fem!reader #steve harrington series #steve harrington fluff #steve harrington x you #Steve Harrington x fem!reader #platonic friendships #platonic fanfiction #eddie munson #Steve Harrington #stranger things fanfiction #stranger things au #my little dungeon master baby #my little fluffy haired baby #steddie au #platonic steddie #steddie x reader #steddie x y/n #life with Steve and Eddie convos #Steve and Eddie convos

[justagalwhowrites]

HIIIIII I hope you’re doing well and I have a question about Lavender so I’ve been rereading from ch 1 and I got to Ellie introduction and that got me thinking about Doc and Joels own little bean so I wanted to ask what your thoughts were on the story if Doc hadn’t miscarried in the qz what do you think would or wouldn’t have been different not really an ask just looking for an opinion 😊

OMG Hi Bestie!

So, funny story, you're not the first person to ask this lol! There's another ask like this in my inbox right now and I keep thinking through it because IT'S SO HARD TO ANSWER. I am planning to write a one shot of this soon (probably before the end of Lavender?) and explore this possibility?

I think it would have been different. A few things that I've kind of solidified so far:

Doc and Andrew just cohabitate in this version. They don't try to function separately really at all. They're both traumatized and she's fucking terrified about having a kid on her own and when Andrew was like "well I had a little sister, I can help..." she JUMPS ON THAT (which he's thrilled about because he does NOT want to be on his own either.) It makes for some very awkward introductions when Joel comes to the QZ.

Joel still would have had a VERY hard time but it would have been masked for longer as he lived for his daughter. He probably would have settled into one of the gigs Doc helped line up for him, for example. There would have been a weird housing situation for a while where Joel was living with Tommy to try to help get Evie acclimated to him being around without just moving him in right away and Joel would have felt some type of way about another man living with his girls when he couldn't. His melt down about tying the pregnancy to losing Sarah would have been different because he'd be so absorbed by his kid's existence that everything else would go by the wayside.

I'm unsure about if he and Doc would have split up or not. I think he'd - at best - have been really distant from her for a while and she would just be hanging on for dear life trying to make it work. Andrew would want to deck him a lot. Jess would be doing a lot of check ins and Doc would insist everything was fine. If they split, they'd have seen a LOT more of each other because of Evie and would have ended up fucking a ton because it would have just happened.

Doc and Tommy would never have been a thing. Joel would have been more present in Doc's life which would have her blinders on toward Tommy at the very least if not all other men in general, plus the fact that she's the mother of his niece would have taken that right off the table. They are still very close friends. Tommy still thinks Joel is a fucking dumbass.

Ultimately, they'd end up together and happy sooner than they did in Lavender. Something would snap Joel out of his own head when it comes relating to Doc and being vulnerable in his love for her - potentially the explosion at the FEDRA facility that almost killed her. He can't cut ties with her the way he does in Lavender because of their shared child (who, we all know, he would NEVER cut off) so he'd be stuck with some proximity to her and that would break him. Like literally break him for a bit, he'd be a WRECK for a hot minute. (Related, Joel would beat the SHIT out of Tommy for the bombing in this reality - Evie could have been with her mother and just damn.)

More minor but McCarthy would have gotten his shit rocked right there on the street with Doc in this reality lmfao. Doc probably would have told Joel about it eventually, Joel would have known who he was and he'd have taken him apart then and there.

Sooooo yeah! More to come on this relatively soon. I've already started kind of drabbling on Joel meeting Evie in this version and I'm really enjoying that!!

Thank you so much for reading and reaching out! Love you!!

#fanfic #joel miller x reader #joel miller x female reader #joel miller x you #send asks #lavender #kit answers

[beeslcnees]

I was tagged in a tag chain thingy post by my partner and i wanna answer the questions but i’m not very good at tag games lmfao. here’s the answers to your the questions bc i haven’t made any personal posts here for literally like 4 yrs lol

TAG GAME! tagged by my love and angel @boredomconsumes

1. Three Ships

a. steddie - am clearly a whore for Steve StrangerThings and Eddie StrangerThings and so them both together ? slay

b. FaeNym - literally my partner’s OCs lmfao i love when they send me blorbo ideas 🥰 (also not sure if this is their ship name idk ask @boredomconsumes )

c. Lenorabelle - i hope this is their ship name lmfao. lenore and annabelle from Nevermore on Webtoon is my babes <333333 such a fantastically written comic. if you like edgar allen poe and lesbians this is for u

2. Last song

3005 by childish gambino bc i was demonstrating to said partner how much of a White High School Girl i was back in 2016 that i loved childish gambino and knew all of his lyrics lmfao

3. Last movie

Glass Onion. nuff said. so fucking good i love that movie. my little gay detective <333333 also holy FUCK janelle monae my love 😭

4. currently reading

Surviving Romance, Maybe Meant to Be, Who’s Mr. President?, Nevermore, Brass & Sass, Can I Take It Back?, Everything is Fine, Love & Leashes, Eaternal Nocturnal, Maid for Hire, Rumor Has It, Let’s Play!

All on Webtoon, all super good esp for adhd ass bitches who struggle to read as they update weekly and notify u when they update so by the time you’ve forgotten you’re reading it it updates !! mostly romance bc i’m a sick little beast who loves love

5. Currently watching

currently watching season 3 of umbrella academy like 6 months after it came out lmfao. rewatching Under the Banner of Heaven on Hulu(?) as andrew garfield delicious and the show is strikingly similar to the actual case it’s based on. if you’re interested in true crime based on the victim’s actual life, shit that is sympathetic to the victims/family, this is a good watch. shit like netflix’s dahmer makes me so fucking heated don’t even get me started.

6. currently consuming

a lot of monster energy. like a lot. also pop tarts and pasta. not together but eat a lot of those

7. currently craving

one of them big fat ass tall boy white claws u can buy at gas stations. shit is so good idec that it makes me look like Everyday White Woman seltzer is like spicy water and hard seltzers don’t give me nasty hangovers there i said it. seltzers r the prime alcoholic drink i will take 0 criticism thank u.

tagged are some of my besties/fav blogs who are under 0 pressure to also do this tag game:

@boredomconsumes (who tagged me in this in the first place) @kailthefailwhale (goddamn bestie) @miniullmanjoy (also goddamn bestie) @tchaikovsgay (partner recommended follow and ur posts r chefs kiss) @kaijuno (ofc) @unclefather (ofc) @1percentcharge (amazing artistic skills) @catcrumb (ofc.) @eviltoast (banger)

ty for reading mwah mwah hope u guys enjoyed and follow the blogs above bc they’re bangin. xoxo liz

#sorry queens i’m not a tag game girlie #but i did wanna shoutout some of my fav blogs n share a lil abt myself since it’s been a while

[jingerhead]

My bestie @archiveofourfoxes is sick and shared an andreil sickfic headcanon with me, so I’m writing a quick drabble for them! I know I have a million other things I wanna be writing...but I'm literally so busy and I happened to be focused on doing this so I went with it haha. I hope you enjoy!!

~*~

Andrew woke up and his whole body ached.

He barely wanted to open his eyes, squinting despite the only light in the room being what made it through the curtains. The sheets were tangled around his legs, but the rest of the blankets had been kicked off the bed at some point in the night when Andrew had gotten too overheated. He was still too hot, his head was pounding, and he couldn’t breathe through his nose, which meant his throat felt like sandpaper.

And to make it worse, it was both summer and a day off, so Andrew couldn’t skip exy practice. That was the real tragedy.

It was very rare that Andrew got sick, only once every few years, but when it hit it would hit hard. He could barely swallow the little spit that was in his mouth, but moving at all sounded like the worst plan ever, despite Andrew needing to drink some water. He slowly turned his head on the pillow to glance at the clock, seeing that it was almost seven in the morning, which meant that Neil would be home from his morning run soon. All Andrew had to do was wait for a little while and then things would be fine.

After attempting to swallow again with little success, Andrew managed to weakly kick the rest of the sheets off his body and turn on his side. He sniffed, but despite feeling congested, his nose was just as dry as his throat, which probably meant that he’d need fluids soon. But Andrew wasn’t getting out of bed when his limbs felt brittle and yet like jelly at the same time, head pounding so much he was sure he could tap a rhythm along to it.

Not only that, but he felt disgusting. He wanted a shower, and for Neil to get back soon so that he could bring him a glass of water. Hell, Andrew would choke down some pills as well just to feel a bit better, and he hates swallowing pills. He tried to remember what medicine they had around, sure they had ibuprofen and cold medicine from the last time Neil had been ill. It’s always a nightmare when Neil is sick, because he always goes with his default ‘I’m fine’ excuse until Andrew can get a list of his symptoms out of him.

Speaking of Neil, where the hell was he?

Andrew suffered for another ten minutes in silence. He didn't even have the cats for company to keep him distracted, but that was probably for the best. Sir would want cuddles, and King would get hair everywhere, which would only make Andrew feel even more uncomfortable than he already was. He heard the keys at the front door, heard footsteps walking towards the bedroom, and then finally Neil was there, eyebrows furrowed and a plastic bag clutched in one hand. He wasn’t even wearing running clothes.

“Hey,” Neil said, toeing off his shoes near the bedside table and sitting on the edge of the mattress. “What do you need?”

Thank fuck Neil didn’t waste time on stupid questions like asking how Andrew was feeling. “Water,” he managed to get out, closing his eyes when the mattress moved as Neil got up. He was back in seconds, a large glass of water in his hands. Andrew lifted his head to sip at it, the sandpapery feeling in his throat not going away, but his mouth wasn’t dry, so he counted that as a win.

“I got DayQuil,” Neil said, ripping the plastic packaging off of an orange bottle. “Did you know you have to show an ID when you buy it, now? Apparently ‘cause there’s alcohol in it. That’s what took me so long.”

Andrew attempted to sniff again, trying to work his throbbing head to remember any other interactions with Neil that morning. He was pretty sure that he’d woken Neil up by shoving all the covers away, which led to checking for a fever, which led to Neil checking their medicine supply and… “We have cold medicine,” Andrew managed to say, voice still raspy.

“It’s just for congestion,” Neil said back, pouring some of the orange DayQuil into a small medicine cup. “Here, this will help more.”

Grimacing, Andrew held the medicine cup and debated on pouring it out on the floor. The only thing that stopped him was the thin carpet under their bed, which had been a housewarming gift from Bee. So instead, Andrew attempted to knock back the medicine like a shot, almost spit it out on the sheets, but managed to choke it down. “Water,” he said again.

“You can’t drink water right after drinking medicine,” Neil said, taking the medicine cup back. “Take a shower. You’ll feel better.”

“My head is going to explode,” Andrew huffed, reaching for one of Neil’s hands. Neil reached back, allowing Andrew to tangle their fingers together. “Fix it.”

Neil let himself be moved so that he could brush some of Andrew’s hair away from his forehead, palm feeling for a fever. “Take a shower,” he said again. “I’ll make you some tea. It’ll help.”

“Tea?” Andrew asked, wrinkling his nose at the thought. He’d never had tea in his life, because who needed it when there was coffee?

“Yeah,” Neil agreed, taking his hand back. It was only then that Andrew noticed the way they were shaking just slightly. “Tea. Need help?”

“No,” Andrew grumbled, pushing himself up. His head was still pounding, but the more awake he was, the more manageable it got. He’d survive a quick shower.

Neil was out of the bedroom quickly, leaving Andrew to gather a change of clothes and trudge to their bathroom on his own. He decided to steal some of Neil’s sweatpants - the good ones with the cuffed ankles, because if he was going to suffer then he was going to be comfortable dammit, and his favorite hoodie. The bathroom steamed up quickly, and the longer Andrew spent standing in the shower the less congested and more clear-headed he felt.

Andrew changed and brushed his teeth, decided not to bother combing his hair, and found the bottle of ibuprofen pills, hoping it would clear up the last of the headache he still had. He then walked to the living space, plopping down on the couch and grabbing a pillow, staring at where the cats were sitting in their tower. Neil came by a moment later, placing a steaming mug on the coffee table.

“Want the remote?” Neil asked, arms fidgeting after putting down the mug. “A book? Blanket? You warm enough?”

“Quiet,” Andrew mumbled into the pillow. “Neil, that better not be tea on my coffee table.”

“It’s our coffee table,” Neil reminded him. “We bought the furniture together.”

Dammit, they had, and when Neil had started freaking out about owning furniture, Andrew had calmly told him it was theirs. And for some reason, that had seemed to help out. Maybe it was the idea of not owning something so permanent alone, or maybe it was just something in Neil’s head that Andrew wouldn’t quite understand. “It’s mine when I’m sick,” he decided, lifting his head so he could glare at Neil. “I don’t want it.”

“It’ll help,” Neil said, his voice just barely going quieter and making Andrew feel things. It made him want to do something stupid, like drink the damn tea. “It’s Green Tea. It won’t even taste bad.”

“All tea tastes bad,” Andrew argued, now staring at the mug.

“Try it?” Neil asked, turning to walk back to the kitchen. “I bought some soup, it’ll be easy on your stomach.”

Andrew continued to glare at the mug of tea, deciding now wouldn’t be the best time to ask for ice cream.

The mug was left untouched even after Andrew had sipped some soup and grabbed himself some cough drops. Neil barely let Andrew out of his sight, always hovering around and getting whatever Andrew wanted. It was weird, but that had to be because this was the first time that Andrew had been the sick one. Neil was barely used to taking care of himself, let alone trying to nurture someone else back to health. Andrew was glad that he wasn’t nauseous. He didn’t want to know what Neil would be like if he was.

Unfortunately, Neil seemed pretty set on the tea thing. When Andrew let the first cup go cold, he simply got up and made another one. The second cup was ginger tea, and then after that it was peppermint. Andrew was ready to curse his coffee drinking habit that let him gather so many mugs by the time there were four on the coffee table, all cold and untouched.

“How much tea did you buy?” he dared to ask.

Neil shifted on his feet, which was enough of an answer for Andrew. “I read it would help,” he said, almost sounding upset if Andrew didn’t know better.

“Tea is gross,” he grumbled.

“It’s not,” Neil snapped back, kneeling down to frown in Andrew’s face. Slowly, it melted away. “Sorry. I’m pretty bad at this.”

“Yeah,” Andrew agreed, reaching out to grab the nape of Neil’s neck. “But at least you’re pretty.”

That damn fever.

Neil rolled his eyes. “I’m not kissing you when you’re sick. That’s gross.”

A shame, Andrew decided. Instead of asking for one, he pulled Neil closer and shifted on the couch. They both settled down with Neil resting against one of the armrests, Andrew laying his head down in his lap. “My head hurts,” he complained again, trying to blindly find one of Neil’s hands. Thankfully, Neil finally got with the program and started to lightly massage the back of his neck, and Andrew felt like he may have melted.

“You should have some more medicine soon,” Neil pointed out.

“I want coffee ice cream.”

“Of course you do,” Neil snorted, pushing one thumb more firmly against tense muscle when Andrew opened his mouth to complain. “I don’t think ice cream will help.”

“It will,” Andrew weakly argued. His eyes were drooping, as though he was starting to fall asleep.

“Maybe I should call Aaron to check.”

“Don’t you fucking dare.”

#aftg #aftg fanfic #tfc #tfc fanfic #all for the game #all for the game fanfic #the foxhole court #jinger's works #andreil #andreil fanfic #andriel

[crazy-fangirl2524]

What if Andrew died?

Hi yes it’s me again I’m writing another headcanon because why the fuck not and idk if yall have read it but Nora did mention that if Andrew was somehow killed by Ichirou as a warning or message Neil would basically destroy the Moriyamas and he would be more Wesninski than Josten and Nora ended with five years later Matt and dan found him and stuff and Imma continue from there on because I’m a fucking masochist

while Nathaniel is not sorry for the path he took and the sacrifices he made for revenge, he finally grieves for everything he’s lost (this is taken straight form nora’s tumblr (which doesn’t exist anymore but anyways))

Matt and dan tell Neil Nathaniel what had happened for the last few years and Nathaniel listens expressionlessly (it’s worse than Andrew’s blank look because his eyes are just dead dead)

When they mention about Andrew’s urn which is still in Aaron’s possession Nathaniel’s eyes flash and they finally see a glimpse of the boy they knew just a much more broken and sad version

Nathaniel tells them nothing about him but they know he is listening so they just fill the silence with their life and the foxes life for the past few years (lets just assume that they are in a coffee shop in japan)

One year after their visit, Renee visits Nathaniel with Andrew’s urn, and Renee gives it to Nathaniel saying that he deserves to be the one to keep it

Nathaniel doesn’t know how to react, he literally just froze, it’s the only thing that has ever caught him off guard since Matt and Dan’ visit and Renee basically shoves the urn into his arms

Renee waits patiently for Nathaniel to recover and Nathaniel finally asks, “why did they keep it, after all this time, Aaron?” he asks so quietly it is a miracle that Renee heard him but she did

The question is a jumbled mess but Renee gets it and she says, “we thought that maybe someday you might want it, and Aaron doesn’t mind”

Nathaniel nods and Renee asks if it is okay if any of the foxes want to visit him and Nathaniel just shrugs

After Renee leaves, Nathaniel back in his apartment just stares at the urn. He doesn’t cry or say anything he just stares at it for maybe like hours or even days.

The urn brings back a lot of memories, no matter how hard Nathaniel tries, he can never forget the feeling of Andrew’s hands on him, hot and heavy, his mouth hard on his, Andrew taking him apart steadily and Andrew’s neck fetish. The trust, the keys which he still keeps in one of the bottom drawers, he can’t bring it in himself to throw them away, the honestly and the truths Andrew gave him

He put it on the nightstand besides his bed and he finally also brings the keys out and put it besides the urn

The next time, all the foxes somehow even Aaron and Kevin and Wymark and Abby and Besty go to visit Nathaniel and they all catch up. Even though Nathaniel still tells them nothing about himself and doesn’t contribute to any of the conversations, they can see his relaxed shoulders and his eyes are not that dead, although still blank. And they never once call him Nathaniel, only Neil.

He will always be Neil to them

These visit to Japan become a regular thing although it is not all the foxes all together

One visit, Dan gives Nathaniel the picture she took years ago of Andrew and Neil, where Neil gave Andrew his real name in the airport.

It is the only picture of Neil and Andrew there ever is

Nathaniel thanks her and dan gives him a sad smile

Nathaniel frames it and put it besides the urn and the keys

Many years past and during one visit, when Dan and Matt visit Nathaniel again, they found out he is dead (i do not know how just maybe alcohol poisoning? Car accident?) (also maybe Nathaniel is in his late thirties)

The foxes decide to put neil’s ash in Andrew’s urn

“Fucking junkie,” he pulls him close and rest his head on his shoulder. “I missed you” “I hate you”

I hope you guys enjoy this!!!! As much as I did while writing it!!!! Idek why I keep on thinking about these stuff honestly ahahaha I’m not crying your crying what why are my eyes sweating lol

The last bulletpoint is their reunion in the afterlife because I refuse to believe that they aren’t soulmates and of course they will still be together in the afterlife and all lives afterwards till the end of the fucking time

#aftg incorrect quotes #neil josten #aftg #neil im fine josten #andrew joseph minyard #andreil #the foxhole court #tfc #all for the game #andrew minyard #aftg fanfic #aftg headcanon #aftg fic #aftg hc #aftg au #aftg fandom #aftg shitpost #nathaniel wesninski #neil abram josten #kevin day #renee walker #aaron minyard #allison reynolds #nicky hemmick #the foxes #palmetto state foxes #palmetto state university #ichirou moriyama #tfc headcanon #tfc hc

[archivistsrock]

The Boys in the Band, pt. 2: The Performance

Someone asked for a spoilery review, so I’m going to go into detail here. Maybe a mix of review, plot, and specific cute/hot things that happen during the show. I don’t really consider anything in the show to be “spoilery”, but if you’re planning on seeing this and just love surprises and not knowing anything about what’s to come...don’t read this, I guess. ;) [eta: Okay, so it seems like it’s mostly plot overview with random other observations sprinkled in. I’m not good at this! Also, I go into much more detail about the first half...it’s funnier, has more Matt, and I just peetered out]

Also, read on if you want deets on just how much Matt we see during the shower scene… :P

The general plot of the play is that Michael (Jim Parsons) is holding a birthday party for his friend Harold (Zachary Quinto). The entire play takes place in Michael’s apartment. There is an upstairs (bedroom and bathroom) and a downstairs (living room, mostly). If your seats are really close to the front of the stage, there will be some parts of the upstairs that will be blocked from your view. But they’ve cleverly placed mirrors on the ceiling, so what you can’t see straight-on, you can see in reflections. It’s not a problem at all. I was in the second row and was really worried I’d be too close and have obstructed sightlines, but I LOVED IT. You’re so close to the actors; it’s pretty amazing. I wouldn’t change my seats if given the chance. I think if I was able to see it again, I’d like to have a mezzanine seat. But I wouldn’t give up my up-close seat for the world. It was awesome. For...reasons...if you’re near the front, I think being left of center is better than to the right. Just as a tip, if you haven’t bought tickets yet.

Donald (Matt Bomer) is Michael’s best friend from college. He moved out of the city because he couldn’t handle all the people and stresses of city life. Donald is depressed. Loves to read. Likes to chill on the sidelines and just watch other people. He’s very caring. I totally dig Donald. He’s...a janitor? and works hard, but also has issues with failure that he attributes to his parents. He equates failure with receiving love. He’s known he was gay since forever. He drives into the city each weekend to see his therapist and visit Michael. He knows the other men that are invited to the party, but he isn’t in their friend group. He knows them bc he knows Michael, iykwim. He and Harold don’t seem to particularly like each other. Maybe bc they’re both best friends of Michael so there’s some competition/protectiveness?? idk. Haven’t thought about it enough.

Michael lives beyond his means. He’s also pretty depressed and has issues with being gay. I mean, that’s a huge theme of the play. How these guys deal with living in a time and place where society clearly doesn’t support or approve of homosexuality. As many of the actors have said in interviews, it’s interesting to see the play and notice how much things have changed, but also how many things in the play still resonate today. Oh, I guess it’s important to point out that it takes place in 1968.

The play starts with Michael in his apartment getting ready for the party. His doorbell rings and Donald enters. ::raucous applause:: The next 15 minutes (I’m really bad with time, so don’t take too much stock in that) is Michael and Donald talking with one another about their parents, lives, etc. General banter of friends. Donald notices that Michael is not drinking alcohol and hasn’t been for the last few weeks. He can tell because Michael gets mean when he’s drunk (keep this in mind). Michael says his therapist encouraged him to lay off drinking bc it’s obviously becoming a problem for him.

It’s been a long day and Donald needs a shower. ::extremely raucous applause:: So Matt strips down to his undies and walks around a bit. Lays on a bed. Adjusts himself. Lots of this is only seen through the mirrors on the ceiling. Not sure about people in the mezzanine? They might be able to just see him laying there, idk. Then he wanders to the shower and strips...ALL THE WAY DOWN to shower. So yes. Not only do we see Matt’s ass, but we see his dick, too. Where I was sitting, I only saw it in reflections, but still. HEY THERE, MATT’S DICK! :P Whether or not other people in different seats see more or less of him, I’m not sure. This is why I say that the left is better than the right. The shower is on the right side of the stage, and there’s a sink/pedestal in front of the shower. So I think some people’s view of Matt in the shower is blocked by the sink? I was at enough of an angle where it wasn’t a problem. People were literally gasping. LOLOL.  The theater was definitely a-twitter. Lol. [random aside that I saw Angels in America during this trip, and in that play Lee Pace gets naked and just walks around the stage in the buff, so I guess it was my week for seeing ass and penis on stage? Lol]

Then he gets out and puts on a towel and walks around in that for a while, which is nice. Then he goes into the bedroom and changes and you can see him in his undies briefly (lol pun) again. So anyway, THAT HAPPENS. Lol

While Matt is showering and getting ready, Michael’s phone rings. It’s his old college roommate, Alan (Brian Hutchison) who’s having a breakdown of some sort and wants to come over and talk to Michael. The problem? Alan is straight (or is he??) and “square” and doesn’t know that Michael is gay.  Which is a problem bc a bunch of gay men are about to descend on Michael’s apt. Michael tells him to quickly come over with the hope that he will arrive and leave before too many people show up (lol right).  But honestly, who’s listening to Michael at this point bc OMG MATT IS NAKED. Seriously, I think I just stared at Matt for 95% of the show regardless of who was talking. Lol. It helped that I read the play beforehand and watched the movie so I knew what was going on.  ;)

So Michael tells Donald that Alan is coming over and warns him that Alan doesn’t know he’s gay so don’t act gay. Donald is mildly offended and has a funny line about sitting with his legs spread and talking in a deep register. Lol. But anyway, Jim and Matt are great together and you can really see their friendship (well, Michael and Donald’s friendship). They’re very funny together. The doorbell rings and we all think it’s going to be Alan, but it’s the first of the party guests – Larry (Andrew Rannells), Hank (Tuc Watkins), and Emory (Robin de Jesus). Hank and Larry are a couple (with issues). Emory is unapologetically flamboyant. He is hilarious. So Hank was married (he’s in the process of getting divorced) and has 2 kids. He’s the most stereotypically masculine of the group. He’s bi, “with a definite  lean in one direction” (hint: not chicks). He’s a math teacher. The oldest of the group. He’s dating Larry, who’s a bit of a man-whore (and a commercial artist). Larry doesn’t believe in monogamy, and this makes Hank sad. So this is a running issue between the two throughout the night. Andrew is hilarious in the play. He has GREAT facial expressions and reactions.

So Michael introduces everyone and it’s a bit awkward between Larry and Donald. Clearly, they have some sort of history (spoiler alert that’s pretty obvious: They “know” each other because they fucked in the baths once, but never spoke to one another. Yes, they enjoyed their fuck). Throughout the night, Larry is continuously coming on to Donald. Leaning into his space, stroking his arm, etc. It’s pretty great.

Doorbell rings again. Michael warns everyone about Alan and to PLEASE ACT STRAIGHT. Cue lots of hilarity with Emory who is just not into pretending to be butch. So he opens the door...and it’s not Alan. It’s Bernard (Michael B. Washington). Bernard is black (relevant to later parts of the play). He works at the library (a bookstore? Can’t recall which now). Anyway, he knows Donald bc he’s always supplying Donald with books. Lots of comments on how Donald reads a shit-ton. Bernard is besties with Emory.

More hilarity and banter ensues. There is a song and dance number (Donald does not participate, but Matt looks cute standing there and he does cute mini hand/arm motions). While they’re all dancing and being silly, the doorbell rings, but no one hears it but Hank, who goes to open the door and...it’s Alan. So he walks in on all the guys doing a choreographed dance. AWKWARD. Michael is all...”Uh...we’re just being silly!” haha. Yeah. More introductions. Emory is Emory and is pissing Michael off with his refusal to stop being camp. Alan takes to Hank because he’s the most traditionally masculine. Hank and Alan talk about their kids and Larry is getting increasingly pissed bc Hank is hiding the fact that he’s gay and with Larry (although they’re all—poorly-- hiding the fact that they’re gay). Michael goes upstairs to speak with Alan and what his breakdown/problem is.

So the action shifts to upstairs, but we can still see everyone downstairs. So they’re all acting like they’re at the party and are fake talking, etc. This is when Larry really gets into Donald’s space. He’s pissed at Hank because Hank are Alan were being all chummy. So he’s taking it out on Hank by being extra flirty with Donald. Donald isn’t really..opposed?...to it, but he’s maybe a little confused and awkward about it bc...hello?!? Hank is here? What even...? lol.

So upstairs, Alan decides he doesn’t want to talk about his issue and instead talks about how attractive Hank is. Lol. He also likes Donald. Alan’s been downing drinks (Donald is kind of the unofficial drink maker) and he’s drunk. Then he gets all homophobic and says shitty things about Emory. Michael gets a little pissed and goes downstairs while Alan stays upstairs in the bathroom.

Downstairs, the doorbell rings. Michael answers it, expecting it to be Harold (the birthday boy who is clearly very late). It’s a young studly guy dressed as a cowboy (Charlie Carver) who sings Happy Birthday to Michael and kisses him. Oops! Wrong guy! Cowboy is Emory’s gift to Harold. Harold was supposed to answer the door. But cowboy is early (you’re supposed to show up at midnight bc you’re a midnight cowboy!) and Harold is late, so...yeah. Didn’t work out. Then Alan comes downstairs and thinks Cowboy is Harold. Emory says, “No, he’s FOR Harold.” Alan is increasingly hostile and Emory is done with the fucking charades. Emory makes a comment about Alan’s wife, and Alan goes fucking berserk and starts punching Emory while calling him a bunch of gay slurs. Alan is pulled off Emory who is bleeding. Chaos is breaking out. The doorbell rings. Donald answers it and in walks Harold (Zach).

Harold is quite the character. He used to be a professional ice skater. He describes himself as an “ugly, pockmarked Jew fairy”.  He’s high. He’s very sardonic. He looks around and it’s like...WTF is happening? Lol. Alan is passed out on the floor. Emory has blood all over his face. Cowboy sings happy birthday to Harold, kisses him, then Harold reads the card tied to him and starts laughing hysterically.  (this technically ends the first act in the play, but there’s no intermission or anything so the action keeps going)

[Note Larry leaning into Donald’s space in the background]

Bernard and Emory go upstairs to clean up. Up until this point, the play has been really really funny. The general tone is pretty light and humorous. At this point, the tone starts to change dramatically. At some point, I don’t remember exactly when, this change is made blatantly clear by the lights going dim, and all the action on stage freezes, aside from Michael. He heads to the bar and pours and downs a drink. Remember what Donald said about Michael when he’s drunk? MEAN. So this marks the turning point. Light go back up, action resumes. [I’m not sure what I think about them doing it this way, but it hammers the point home that Michael is now drinking and things are about to get dark, so eh. Whatever. ] Michael gets increasingly asshole-ish. You really start to hate Michael.

Alan declares he’s going to puke, so Hank leads him upstairs to the bathroom. Michael and Harold exchange barbs. You really start to wonder why they’re friends. Every time Michael takes a drink, Harold proclaims, “Turning!” Like Donald, he knows alcohol turns Michael into an asshole. Michael is getting drunker and meaner and Harold is not one to just put up with things.  If something gets dished out, he’ll deal it right back ten-fold. But while brutally honest, he’s not being as downright cruel as Michael, who even starts throwing racist remarks at Bernard and cruel comments to Emory (which really horrifies Donald).

Alan comes downstairs and proclaims his intention to leave, and bizarrely announces that Hank should leave with him. This leads to the announcement that Hank and Larry and lovers, and basically the charade is up and hey! We’re all gay; and btw, we think you are too, Alan. Michael won’t let anyone leave and invents a “party game” for them all to play. Basically, you have to call someone that you’ve truly loved. You get different amounts of points for various things – if someone answers, you say who you are, you get the person on the line that you want to speak with, you tell them you love them. A total of 10 possible points. Donald and Harold are immediately like, YEAH NO. Not playing. So Bernard and Emory both call people. Does not turn out particularly well. I literally cried for Bernard. Michael B. Washington does a phenomenal job.

Hank and Larry have it out again, but they end up calling each other, saying they love each other, and going upstairs to have sex in Michael’s bedroom.

Michael starts harassing Alan and telling him he should call their other college roommate, Justin, that Michael is convinced Alan was in love with. He’s in total asshole mode. Alan dials a number and ends up telling the person he loves them. Michael grabs the phone assuming it’s Justin..it’s not. It’s his wife.

Alan leaves. The mood of the party has degenerated into a total morose atmosphere. Harold just goes off on Michael with a huge truth bomb about how self-loathing Michael is and how badly he doesn’t want to be gay, but guess what? You’re gay and you’ll always be gay. He then takes off with Cowboy. Emory and Bernard (who is super drunk by this point) then leave, and Michael has a breakdown. He basically starts hyperventilating and is comforted by Donald. He pulls himself together and leaves to go to a midnight mass. Donald stays behind to read a bit, after assuring Michael that he’ll be back next weekend. The play ends with Donald reading and the silhouette of Hank and Larry making love upstairs in bed.

So yeah, I was much more brief when it came to the second half, in part bc it’s not as much “fun.” It’s much more dramatic. Very good, but not as fun to retell, and as far as Matt goes, aside from the end scene, he kind of disappears in the second half. I mean, he’s physically present and had lines, but there is definitely more focus on the other characters. He kinda just hangs in the periphery watching everything go down. And silently flirting with Larry lol.

All the characters do a stellar job. Charlie Carver/The Cowboy has the smallest role. He’s basically a big dummy, and provides some comic relief with his idiocy and innocence.  Tuc (Hank) does a great job, but his role isn’t as humorous or flashy as the others. Michael B. Washington is great as Bernard, and I was really feeling for him at the end. He has a great monologue that delves into race and slurs. He and Emory have a touching moment. Robin de Jesus is hilarious as Emory. Jim does a good job as insecure Michael. Apparently, he wears special shoes during the show because of his broken foot. I would not have known anything was wrong with his foot. He’s pretty spry walking around that stage. He does a good job playing a mean asshole. Lol. Andrew has hilarious reactions and facial expressions. Zach is hilarious as Harold. Very sarcastic and kind of deadpan? He has a very interesting way of speaking. Harold is super weird, and Zach does a super job. He comes in late in the play, but has an integral part once he arrives. And I love Donald. His role is definitely not as flashy as some of the others, but I feel you really get to know and like Donald.

You laugh A LOT during the first half of the show. You still have funny moments in the second half, but it is also more shocking and dramatic. Pretty thought provoking. And thinking about the time period that this play takes place in (1968) and how tough it was to be out (or not out) at that time, and looking on stage at the all gay cast...it’s a pretty special feeling. They look like they probably have a blast on stage every night.

I happened to be there on Zach’s actual birthday, which was funny because it’s his character’s birthday in the play. When Matt opens the door and it’s Zach standing there, the first line Donald says is, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Harold.” He said it VERY pointedly and I was like !!!!!!!! So that was special. Oh! A Matt insta post:

If you aren’t going to be able to see it, you can watch the original movie. Obviously, it’s not as cool as seeing your faves in the role, but the original play, movie, and the revival are all very faithful to each other. Same dialogue and everything. The movie does add a few scenes at the beginning outside of Michael’s apartment, and some of the movie takes place outside on a balcony instead of all inside, but those are very minor details. I think they cut out a few lines of dialogue in the revival so they could cut down on the time, but offhand I don’t recall what they cut out. I’ll have to read the play again. So you’ll hear all the stuff that happens and all the funny lines and stuff that they say in the play. Then you can envision Matt in the role of Donald. I like Matt’s portrayal of Donald better than the original actor’s, but OBVIOUSLY I am biased. lol

#so that's my long-ass 'review' #if you want any ther specific info about any of the actors and their parts (hehe) just ask #the boys in the band #theater

[justagalwhowrites]

AHHH !!! I just finished chapter 11 for Lavender, and I can't wait to see readers interactions with the other characters from the show, and i have a few questions about the series..

How far do you plan on taking the series, based off of the show/games?

Do you plan on killing off Andrew or leaving him behind in the QZ?

If you are, is there a specific reason why?

Do you plan on having more series with Joel?

i hope these questions aren't too difficult and/or spoil too much about the series.. i'm just super excited and i have so many theories

i love your work ! it's some of the best writing i have seen in a long time, i'm literally in love with your series Lavender and Beskar Doll, they're both too good 🥇🫶

OMG hi bestie!

SPOILERS FOR LAVENDER BELOW

I tried to avoid making anything too spoilery but warning anyway!

1) This will run through Season 1 of the HBO show at least! I know fuck all about the games lol. Once we get closer to that point I may look into either a) extending with one shots or b) making this ending different enough that TLOU II wouldn’t happen. BUT we are going to get a “Joel on a rampage through the hospital” scene!

2/3) Andrew will live! He’s staying behind in the QZ. His life is going to be a bit of “what could have been” for Doc had she prioritized different things. Andrew has a few big plot points left (mostly good, one bad) and his relationship toward Joel is going to be a bit of a moving target. Once they settle in Jackson, Doc is going to want Andrew to come there but I doubt she would ask because the journey is so rough.

4) I probably will eventually! I’m definitely going to have a one shot AU with this series where the outbreak doesn’t happen and Joel and Reader have dinner. I don’t have an idea to explore with Joel otherwise at the moment but I’m sure I’ll come up with one once I obsess over the character enough lmfao! I’m a very character driven writer so if I can think up a great character to throw in the mix with Joel and see what happens, I will. Right now, I have a plan for another Mando series with a very different FMC (grumpy/sunshine vibes) and potentially a rivals to friends to lovers with Javier Peña once these are done. I’m also waffling on sharing a few chapters of a novel with all OC to get thoughts from folks as I consider querying and whatnot, so that may pop up here, too.

Thank you so much for reading my fics! It means so much to me that you enjoy them and are excited about where they’re headed!!! Love you!!!!!