Imagines || shows and movies characters x reader

Less gay || Tara [Scream VI]

Tara Carpenter sat on the edge of the couch, flipping through channels aimlessly as the TV hummed in the background. It was one of those rare quiet nights where Ghostface wasn't looming over her every move, and she could actually relax for a moment. Her best friend, Y/n, sat beside her, equally lost in thought, her mind a million miles away.

They landed on an old rerun of *The Simpsons*, and Tara let out a nostalgic laugh as a classic episode played out. "God, I used to love this show," she said, leaning back, trying to ease the tension that seemed to always be hovering just out of reach.

On the screen, the character Troy McClure appeared, with his trademark line, "Hi, I'm Troy McClure! You might remember me from such films as..."

Y/n glanced up, half-paying attention, still preoccupied. Tara caught Y/n's distracted expression and decided to throw in a random joke, hoping to pull her back into the moment.

"I thought you said Troy McClure was dead?" Tara teased, mimicking the tone of someone trying to catch a lie.

Without missing a beat, Y/n replied, her voice deadpan, "No, what I said was that he sleeps with the fishes..."

Tara snorted, amused by the dark humor. "You're terrible," she said, giving Y/n a playful nudge.

But Y/n's smile faded quickly, her mind returning to the swirling thoughts that had been plaguing her all day. Tara noticed the shift, her playful mood slipping away as she turned to face Y/n more seriously.

"Hey, what's going on with you? You've been out of it all night," Tara asked, concern edging into her voice.

Y/n sighed, running a hand through her hair. "It's just... work stuff," she said vaguely, though the weight in her tone suggested it was more than just the usual stress.

"Work stuff?" Tara pressed gently, urging her to continue. "What happened?"

Y/n took a deep breath, feeling a swell of frustration rise in her chest as she thought about everything that had been happening. "You remember that Disney movie I've been working on? The one I was so excited about?"

Tara nodded, remembering how Y/n had been over the moon when she first got the job. "Yeah, of course. What about it?"

Y/n leaned back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling as she spoke, her voice tight with anger. "It's a mess, Tara. The movie was supposed to be something special, you know? Something different. But now... now it's just a shadow of what it could've been."

Tara frowned, sensing there was more to the story. "What do you mean?"

Y/n sat up, her frustration boiling over as she finally let it all out. "The higher-ups—they're freaking out because the last movie didn't do well at the box office. And do you know what they're blaming it on? The same-sex kiss. They actually think that's why the movie failed. Like, can you believe that shit?"

Tara's eyes widened, anger flaring up in her chest as she listened. "Seriously? That's bullshit!"

"Right?!" Y/n agreed, her voice rising. "And now they're taking it out on my movie. They keep giving the animators all these stupid notes, telling them to make the protagonist 'less gay.' Can you even imagine? Like, what does that even mean? How the hell do you make someone 'less gay'?"

Tara shook her head, feeling Y/n's anger like a secondhand burn. "That's so fucked up. You must be losing your mind."

"I am!" Y/n said, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "It's infuriating! I poured my heart into this project, and now they're just... they're stripping it of everything that made it special, everything that made it *real*. They're trying to make it safe, trying to avoid controversy, but all they're doing is watering it down until it's just another bland, forgettable movie."

Tara could see the pain behind Y/n's anger, the deep sense of betrayal from a company that was supposed to stand for creativity and inclusion. She reached out, placing a comforting hand on Y/n's shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Y/n. That's not right. You deserve better than this."

Y/n sighed, feeling a small bit of comfort from Tara's touch, but the anger was still there, simmering just beneath the surface. "I just don't get it, Tara. We're supposed to be moving forward, making progress. But every time we take a step in the right direction, it's like they pull us two steps back. It makes me so angry I can't even think straight."

Tara nodded, understanding all too well how it felt to be caught in a system that didn't seem to care. "I get it. But you can't let them win, Y/n. Your story deserves to be told the way you imagined it. Maybe... maybe there's a way to fight back, to make them see that what they're doing is wrong."

Y/n looked at Tara, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "You really think so?"

Tara squeezed her shoulder, giving her a determined look. "I know so. You've got something important to say, and you shouldn't have to hide it just because some execs are scared of pissing off the wrong people. You're stronger than that."

Y/n felt a surge of determination, bolstered by Tara's words. "You're right. I'm not going to let them ruin this. I've come too far to back down now."

Tara smiled, proud of her friend's resolve. "That's the spirit. And hey, if you ever need someone to back you up, you know I'm here, right?"

Y/n smiled back, feeling a bit lighter despite everything. "Thanks, Tara. I'm lucky to have you."

They sat in comfortable silence for a moment, the TV forgotten as they both thought about the fight ahead. Y/n knew it wasn't going to be easy, but with Tara's support and her own unwavering determination, she was ready to face whatever came next.

Because some stories were worth fighting for, no matter how hard the battle might be.