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The thought of Rachel Berry, dancing and jamming out to a rap song was completely proposterous if anything else. The tiny girl, shaking her hips while belting out crude lyrics and even the occasional inappropriate gesture that matched the tune was an idea that most people couldn't even fathom. Quinn however, found it... cute? Had she heard her right or was she so head over heels for this breaktaking girl that Rachel was experiencing "Selective Hearing" syndrome? However the cute way in which Quinn rushed for the glass of water completely disregarded that thought. It only made her cheeks heat up further. "Thank you, Quinn..." she said with a hint of airiness to her voice, sounding more like she was completely enraptured by this girl.

Upon hearing the quiet admission, Rachel burst into a fit of giggles. Boy bands? Really? The image of Quinn as one of those crazy fangirls fangirling over a bunch of teenage "heartthrobs" struck her as completely amusing, but in the good way. "So you were one of those girls, huh? Oh, Quinn..." Her hand came up to wipe under her eye, only emphasizing the hilarity of her statement. Oh, what if Quinn thought she was laughing at her? "I apologize, I find that very adorable actually." They were comfortable enough to share little compliments here or there, so Rachel didn't even feel the heat rush to her cheeks that time. It felt completely normal. Too normal.  "Mandy Moore is a singer that you and I can agree on." 

She hadn't realized that they had been talking for so long, that she was finishing off the remains of her risotto. "You know, Quinn, you honestly didn't have to order a vegan meal. I've been on dates before, with boys I might add, who stacked their plates high with meat. I know that you enjoy your... bacon, is it?" The brunette would never confess it aloud, but she found it completely endearing that Quinn cared enough to order a vegan meal. Eating the last piece of risotto, Rachel hummed and placed her fork down. "I don't think I want to order any dessert as I'm far too full."

One Step Closer || Faberry

She smiled widely, incredulously, at Rachel’s unexpected admission. “I guess it’s not that ridiculous. They have some good songs,” Quinn let out a small chuckle though, picturing the smaller girl belting out rap lyrics. “I think it’s cute that you like them, actually.” The compliment had slipped out before Quinn even realized it; she had become comfortable enough that her usual filter had gone by the wayside. Smooth, Quinn. She took a sip of her water as a way to stop herself from blurting out any further observations about the girl across from her. Like the endearing way the blush crept over Rachel’s face as she spoke, or the way her hands and fingers fluttered around when she was trying to make a point. Absolutely adorable.

“My guilty pleasure… I suppose it’d have to be all those boy bands from the 90s,” Quinn said, another smile coming to her face. ” It was a bit of an understatement; her middle school days had consisted of her and Frannie begging their parents to let them go to their concerts. If anyone asked her about it now she’d say she was simply going along with what her friends were doing, but Quinn really had been hooked on their cheesy lyrics and music videos. Not that this was some significant or pivotal secret of Quinn’s, but it still felt like a relief to share a little of herself with Rachel. Usually she was too nervous to do much else when she was around the brunette. 

She continued working through her pasta, meeting Rachel’s eyes every so often. “N’Sync, New Boys on the Block, and the Backstreet Boys. And… Mandy Moore. She was great too,” she cited with an embarrassed smile. Well, she figured Rachel wouldn’t tell anyone. She hoped. God forbid if anyone got hold of her iPod. “’Bye Bye Bye’ was my anthem in the 8thgrade.” She shook her head slightly and let out a real laugh.

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What is that?

Curiosity is encouraging me to try out this "World of Crafting Wars."

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Her brown eyes swirled with fascination and as she listened in on Quinn describing her pastimes, the way she spoke with such a casual air about herself surprised Rachel, to say the least. She made it sound as if she wasn't interesting at all which contrasted completely in comparison to the image she had conjured in her own mind. How couldn't the blonde see what the brunette saw? Quinn was gorgeous, intelligent and popular yet she was on a date with Rachel Berry, theatrical geek and "loser" of every high school she ever attended. The Glee Club Captain, the girl who found argyle to be attractive... Of course, she never let other's critical opinions about anything other than her talent nibble and bite at her, but sometimes --just sometimes-- it did make her re-evaluate herself. The only thing that kept her head held high was the fact that high school wasn't everything. Outside of the four walls of the classroom, her talent was envied and desired, everything else was disregarded. Her attires, the annoying qualities about her, that didn't matter. She was attractive, she was talented, her acting skills could be compared to no one's she had ever had the pleasure of meeting and that... that was all that mattered.

Catching herself going off on a tangent with her inner thoughts, Rachel shook them off and honed all of her attention back onto the beautiful girl sitting opposite of her. "What do I enjoy listening to apart from the greatest Broadway star that has ever graced the stage?" She pondered, tapping her chin with her forefinger and delving deep into the back of her mind to find the answer. Oh, she could think of one. If everyone had knew that the small diva listened to this band, well, they probably wouldn't have believed her at all. Bringing her hands together, the brunette fidgeted with them while a grin formed slowly on her face. "Contrary to popular belief, I listen to other songs that aren't featured in a hit musical such as..." Her tone lowered a little at the silly confession. "Chris Brown. I like Chris Brown and LMFAO." Raising her head again, a chuckle left her lips. "It sounds utterly ridiculous and I cannot fathom why I like them but I just do! Oh this is so embarrassing," she groaned hiding her flushed face. Back home Rachel Berry loved to crack up a few tunes, grab her bedazzled microphone and jam out to songs like Forever and Sexy and I Know It. "Now it's your turn! You now know my embarrassing secret indulgence so now it's your turn to hear your confession," she playfully teased back, catching a bite of some of her risotto meal.

One Step Closer || Faberry

“Yeah, exactly,” Quinn agreed. She could see that look of utter understanding in Rachel’s dark eyes and it made her feel at ease and uncomfortable at the same time. This really wasn’t the time to be quiet and stuck in her head, though. This was dinner and even though Quinn tried to convince herself it wasn’t a big deal, this whole night was quite monumental for her.

It was a combination of surprise and a twinge of panic that made Quinn’s fingers twitch upon contact with Rachel’s hand. She eyed the sight for a quiet moment: the brunette’s hand covering her own. And once she managed to bring her gaze back up to meet Rachel’s, the feeling was nice. Natural. Quinn sent a smile across the table, one that faltered when the brunette mentioned her own experience at school. And the worst part? Quinn could see it. She could visualize it in her mind’s eye. People in the hallways taunting the girl, laughing at her, making her feel terrible about the things she was most proud of. Quinn could do that because she had done all of those things. Because back in Salt Lake, she used to be one of them. Perhaps the cheerleaders that had tormented Rachel weren’t blonde-haired and hazel-eyed, but they were her. Silently, she flipped her hand over and gave Rachel’s small fingers a light squeeze. “People are awful sometimes,” she said quietly. “But they can’t touch you here.”

She wondered what Rachel would think if she knew of the old Quinn Fabray, head cheerleader and queen bee. Be horrified, maybe. Be disgusted. Or, God forbid, understand. Quinn blinked hard. This was definitely not the time to rehash the things she was ashamed of.

A smile returned almost too easily to Quinn’s face at the thought of Frannie. Before she could reply though, the waiter had arrived to place warm, steaming dishes onto their table.

“And it smells delicious,” Quinn said, already liking this refreshing change of pace in her diet. Her hands automatically unfolded the napkin and laid it in her lap before she took the first bite of pasta. She let out a contented sigh at the taste, and continued in her response. She smiled a little at the subtle compliment – Rachel Berry, future superstar, bursting at the seams with talent, thought she was intriguing. “Well, I read a lot. Sometimes I sneak books to read while Mr. Schue’s talking during rehearsals,” Quinn admitted. Reading and singing had been things she had pursued after that fateful day, last year in November.

“I mean, I don’t do it while you’re talking,” she added quickly. She would never ignore instructions from the New Directions’ captain. Partially because Rachel knew was she was talking about, and partially because Quinn couldn’t help but look up whenever Rachel opened her mouth to speak or sing. The little brunette’s presence just commanded her attention no matter what was going on. “Besides cheer, I do love sports.” She halted, not wanting to talk about herself for a huge length of time. Quinn couldn’t see what Rachel meant; she really wasn’t all too interesting. Just a quiet blonde who liked to avoid complications, was sometimes embarrassingly nerdy, and trying to make the best of a situation – moving here – she could have never predicted. “That’s it, really. As for music tastes, it’s all over the place for me. And what do you listen to, besides possible glee club numbers?” Quinn asked with interest. It was much easier for her to be in the role of doing the questioning. “I know Barbra’s your inspiration, but everyone has an artist that’s their guilty pleasure.” She spun herself another bite of pasta and smiled teasingly. “I’ll tell you mine if you tell me yours.”

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Step up my game? My game has been upped since we first began running lines! I have mastered the songs to perfection and my acting has never been better! The art crew who are still currently painting the set are behind schedule and I cannot deal with this! I cannot!

RENT practice is turning out to be more strenuous then I had previously imagined!

Rachel, don’t panic. I’m sure there’s a perfectly good reason why they’re like this. But if there’s not, you better step up your game.

But I’m sure the play will go fine!

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I am not doing that control freak thing again!!! We are behind in my schedule that I had organized before we even began practicing and I cannot handle this extra stress! How will we manage to tie everything together in time, Noah? HOW?

RENT practice is turning out to be more strenuous then I had previously imagined!

Princess, you’re doing the control freak thing again. Just take nice deep breaths and relax and trust your cast mates and the production crew in what they’re doing.

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RENT practice is turning out to be more strenuous then I had previously imagined!

Who knew that we were practicing on borrowed time? We need to pull our weight! The production team are slacking! What will we do if we don't perfect this in time for the opening night? I will not tolerate this!!!

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I feel so refreshed! I took a lovely stroll around the gardens and found this beautiful patch of roses and spent the day relaxing. How are you?

Helloooo, everyone.

Hey, Rach! You, too! How are you?

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Michael! It is so lovely to see you again.

Helloooo, everyone.

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Do not listen to him, Santana! There is nothing, and I mean, nothing wrong with who you are and how you feel towards other people romantically. You should feel sorry for him, if anything. Please don't cry, it breaks my heart to see you cry over your idiotic brother! You're not a sinner. You're one of the most beautiful people I've ever met and don't let his vicious words hurt you. We all love you here for who you are.

I don’t need to fucking vent. I need to go punch that sorry excuse of face of his…

And volatile isn’t exactly the word I’d use… He stopped speaking to me when I… left. And now, for some reason, he thinks he has the fucking right to call me up and tell me that I’m a fucking sinner and ruining my family. He thinks that just because he joined some stupid church that he has a right to judge everyone. Well, fuck him.

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Oh? Do you two have a volatile relationship? I'm sorry, Santana... if you want to vent, you can vent to me.

My fucking douche bag of a brother just called me…

Not that it’s any of your business.

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What is wrong?

No, Berry, I’m just pissed off for the fun of it…

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The light hearted atmosphere that swirled around the room seemed to spread out, like fog hitting a fan, opting to be replaced by a slightly tension-filled one instead. Her bottom lip drew in and she bit down gently as soon as Quinn uttered the words “bad” and “school” in the same context and sentence. The words were vague and forceful even, so Rachel took that as a sign to not pry or interrogate the poor girl for anything more than the skeletal information. And that’s the moment her hand reached forward –slowly, hesitantly even—and lay on top of the other girl’s soft hand. “I am so, so sorry about your old school, Quinn.” It was all she could offer in that moment. How could someone be so cruel to someone so beautiful, both inside and out? Her mind wandered off a little – God, if she was there, Rachel would have taken the fall for Quinn. Anything to not have this angel sent from above bullied in any way.

Now the table was turned, the question directed at herself. That smile that brightened up an entire room faded away, the glimmer leaving her shiny brown eyes. "The school I attended prior to this one was... unpleasant to say the least," she replied softly, her voice barely wavering at all. "I wasn't the most liked person there, particularly among the circle of Cheerleaders and Football players..." The admission was quiet, hushed. The small brunette could practically feel the slick icy corn syrup trickle down her spine as the memories crept up on her. No, that was in the past. The past where it belonged. She shook it off, her pearly whites revealing themselves. "That is all in the past. I'm here now and I enjoy myself at this school. There are so many opportunities to seize and the atmosphere and people are nicer."

The edge in Quinn's voice did not go unnoticed in the way she spoke of her sister, Frannie. So fondly, the love emanating from how she spoke so highly of her. It came as more of a relief than anything really, that Quinn had someone special in her life like that. "Oh, no! I don't want to be a burden on your sister," Rachel lilted. "She sounds wonderful. Did you many friends in Salt Lake too? It must have been heartbreaking to leave them behind." She paused a minute, before finally speaking her mind. "It's strange, isn't it? We've been room mates for what seems like such a long time and I have to yet to learn even the basic facts about you. Like, for instance, what type of music do you enjoy listening to? Favorite pastimes? You intrigue me, Quinn Fabray." The waiter returned with their meals just before Rachel could interrogate her any more, placing their meals in front of each of them. "This looks delicious, doesn't it?"

One Step Closer || Faberry

Personally, Quinn still didn’t think she could handle a completely meatless diet, but she’d give it a shot tonight for her sake. She listened intently, although her main focus was not on the factoids about being a vegan, but how Rachel’s eyes shone when she spoke about it. Her enthusiasm for it was endearing, infectious even, and Quinn found herself nodding along to the girl’s words. “I guess not,” she agreed. Rachel had done tons of little favors for her over the past six months they’d been roommates without a second thought. They had gone from simply sharing a space to having a mutual understanding with one another and being friends. And they were becoming something more than that, Quinn hoped.

She swallowed, noticing how the brunette immediately became attentive upon mention of Quinn’s hometown. She supposed it was common knowledge where she came from; that was one of those basic things students asked others upon meeting one another. But Quinn knew that no one really cared. How many people would want to hash out things Quinn didn’t even think about herself most of the time? Not many. After her fall from grace and subsequent move to Lima, she had learned to be more empathetic. She stopped being that cheerleader who would take any opportunity possible to show off her higher position on the social pyramid. She turned her sneers into soft smiles, and when she walked into the halls of the Academy during the second half of her sophomore year, she was a changed Quinn Fabray. This Quinn was kinder, friendlier, and quicker to smile and laugh. But she would always be closed off from people in the manner that truly mattered: emotionally.

So maybe it was time she start making that kind of connection to one of the few people she thought was entitled to know. “Things were pretty bad at my old school,” Quinn said, meeting Rachel’s eyes briefly. She swirled the straw in one of the tall glasses of ice water the waiter had brought for them as she continued. “It’s why I left. I – ” A sudden memory jabbed at her, and Quinn cut herself off. She shook her head lightly, barely disturbing the curls tucked behind her ear. It was too much, too soon. She’d have to keep it vague. “It’s not a big deal though; I’m sure most people came to the Academy for that reason. To be safe. I hope public school in Lima was somewhat bearable for you,” she added lightly.

“No, of course you wouldn’t.” She knew perfectly well the brunette didn’t judge people, even those who Quinn thought deserved it. Quinn trailed her eyes down the menu. A lot of the things were recognizable and comparable to things she normally ate, with substitutions in place of chicken or beef. She didn’t want to take the easy way out though. This would be one meal without meat, how hard could that be? “I’ll go for the angel hair pasta with mushrooms.” Quinn set down the menu and met her eyes once again.

She chuckled along to the story Rachel told, conjuring up a vivid image of a kitchen full of thick smoke and burnt food. “Your fathers sound lovely, from the pictures and the things I’ve heard about them. I like hearing about them.” She hesitated at Rachel’s question on her own home life, torn between opening up to someone she really liked, and making this date something that wouldn’t be tainted with talk of the Fabrays. “My home life?” She settled on Frannie, who was always the first one to come to mind when Quinn thought of the word family. “Well, I don’t… live with my parents. During breaks my sister flies me out to her house in West Valley. It’s in Utah as well,” she added, thinking that Rachel was probably unfamiliar with the area. “Living with her is nice. She’s the one who sends me the care packages,” Quinn smiled. “I’ll have to tell her about you and have her see if she can make things that are vegan-friendly.” She really hated how halting her voice sounded, but these bits of information would have to be doled out. The simple mention of her parents had already sped up her heart rate and she was a little relieved when the waiter came back to the table to take their orders. Once he had left, Quinn turned back to Rachel. “But really, rooming with you is my home life,” she gave her an apologetic smile to try and get things back onto a safer line of discussion.  

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19-21

A dear friend is in agony and wants you to help him/her to die. Would you?

Oh no! I think if that was truly their wish, I would help them die with dignity.

Your best friend dies, what would you do?

I cannot even think about this!!!

Imagine. It is a dark night, you are alone, it is raining outside, you hear someone walking around outside your window. Who do you call?

I already answered 21, so I moved onto 22. What would someone be doing out in that weather and time of night? I would ring Noah to protect me followed by the police!

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6, 21, 28

Oh, hello Quinn!

List 5 people you know. Then describe each of them in 5 words.

Quinn Fabray - Beautiful, Smart, Kind, Sophisticated, Elegant, Mysterious.

Kurt Hummel - Fashionista, Compassionate, Caring, Gentle, Honest.

Santana Lopez - Fiery, Truthful, Sincere, Intelligent, Attractive.

Noah Puckerman - Handsome, Charming, Funny, A Good Friend, Understanding.

Blaine Anderson - Quirky, Hilarious, Good Sense of Humor, Good Listener, Unpredictable (in a good way!).

What do you think would be the hardest thing for you to give up on?

Singing. Without my voice I would be lost in the middle of a desert.

Which would you choose, true love with a guarantee of a heart break or have never loved before?

True love with the guarantee of a heartbreak. It is better to have love and lost, than to have never loved at all.

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If you could name a star in the sky any name, what would you name it and why?

So I don't sound self-centered, I will refrain from saying Rachel Berry.

I would name it Barbra. Simply because, my idol is Barbra Streisand and she has always been the Northern star in my life, guiding me in the right direction.

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Thanking the waiter politely, she took it upon herself to study the menu and everything this restaurant had to offer. It was a gamble taking them here, considering she had never even been to this side of town before never mind the actual restaurant. The looks of approval coming from Quinn told the story that yes, this probably was the best choice in a restaurant that she could have made, which made Rachel's heart flutter. "It doesn't surprise me. A lot of people haven't had the pleasure of tasting a delicious vegan meal," she replied back with honesty laced in each of her words, looking up from the menu. "Many people believe it is quite challenging to not consume any animal products but that is only partially true. It is difficult at first but after a period of time, it becomes natural to avoid such foods. You slowly forget what it tastes like and then, well, you can't really miss something if you can't remember what the experience is like," she smiled at the girl opposite to her, content with rambling about one of the many things she was completely dedicated to.

A waiter came over to take their drink orders first, leaving the pair alone again. "Oh? Why is that?" she questioned, her attention more alert. Even though they had been friends and now girlfriends(?)--could they even be called that? More than friends seemed more appropriate-- Rachel still had yet to learn about everything that made Quinn tick. Their picnic provided some of the basic information necessary but as far as Rachel was concerned, Quinn was still the mysterious blonde who captivated her completely ever since their first encounter in the school. 

"I think I'll take a risk and order the Risotto," she told herself, placing the menu back down on the table and joining her hands together. "What are you going to order? You don't have to choose something that doesn't contain any meat. I won't lecture or judge you," she giggled even more to herself, her shining eyes meeting Quinn's warm hazel eyes once more. "I was the chef in my house which meant I did have to cook a lot of meat considering I lived with a pack of carnivorous boys. Dad isn't allowed to use the oven considering what happened last time - let's just say we now have two fire extinguishers on either side of it now," she reminisced. "They always joke about how that's what they miss most in regards to me not being at home anymore. The cooking. Apparently Daddy's cooking doesn't even come close to matching up to mine." She paused when she realized she had been rambling about her home life, scolding herself for it. "I'm sorry. What was your home life like?" The brunette hoped it didn't cause any sore wounds to come to surface. "You don't have to indulge in it if you don't want to."

One Step Closer || Faberry

They stepped into the restaurant, and she was struck immediately by how nice everything was. It was decidedly less semi-formal than she’d anticipated. Quinn nodded imperceptibly to herself. They were here, and this was happening. Because as nervous as she was for what was in store, the feel of Rachel’s hand in hers was enough to make her set her nerves aside. And the way that Rachel had brushed off her thank yous, as if being understanding and wonderful was nothing… it warmed Quinn, knowing that somehow she was important enough to warrant this.

They sat across from each other and Quinn took the opportunity to scan the restaurant. It was dimly lit, with a bit of an intimate atmosphere. The air smelled of something Quinn couldn’t quite place – vanilla from the candles, perhaps. Their table was away from the main dinner crowd, so she could rest assured that they wouldn’t be overheard or stared at for too long. “I’ve never had anything vegan,” she said in response to Rachel’s comment. “But this place does look lovely. You’ll have to help me order.” Quinn would never be able to break her bacon addiction but she did admire Rachel’s dedication. It was yet another measure of her compassion.

They were settling in, and Quinn felt a sudden brush of warm skin against her calf. She drew back in surprise, crossing her legs instead. But the unexpected touch wasn’t unwanted. She clasped her hands in her lap and regarded the brunette across from her. Maybe it was the fact that they were out together, tonight, that Rachel’s smile seemed to be brighter than usual and her eyes and skin and adorable shyness were made that much more apparent to Quinn. It struck Quinn how she and Rachel seemed to share this intense connection, all the while not knowing that much about one another. Not that Quinn was one to volunteer personal information; she steered conversation away from that topic whenever it came up unless it was with Kurt. But it was odd, that she didn’t know Rachel’s favorite color or her favorite class in school. She hoped that would change. She wanted to know all the things that made up Rachel Berry. The waiter came back and wordlessly handed them menus, and Quinn peered at the brunette over the top of hers. “You know, I’m really glad I took my sister’s advice and left Salt Lake,” she said, breaking the short silence.