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isaackuo · 6 years ago

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My Predictions for Doop-Doop ... Gone Baby Gone

We have episode descriptions, but some of them have been deceptive and at least one (A Spell with No Name) was just completely wrong. So whatever, I think it's still fun to make guesses about what will happen.

Doop-Doop

My early guess was that this had to do with Ludo playing basketball with Dennis. However, we've already seen that clip in Ludo's last episode, so thankfully that won't be the case. Ugh ... I really haven't enjoyed these Ludo episodes much, and it feels like they aren't really going anywhere. The upcoming episode descriptions don't sound like there's much room for Ludo's story to converge again with the main story. If Quasar Caterpillar was really it for Ludo? I guess that's an adequate amount of closure for his character, but it's disappointing it took so many Ludo episodes to reach it.

Star attempts to figure out what to do with her life after she is not responsible for Mewni any longer.

This sure sounds like a straightforward episode description, and it mirrors Marco figuring out what to do with his life in Knight Shift. And of course, it makes perfect sense given Star's breakup with Eclipsa in The Monster and the Queen (to recap - after Star found out Eclipsa had lied to her, violated her with dark magic, and stole private secret stuff from her, Star ended things - offering to do just one last favor by throwing a proper coronation for her).

Okay, the events in Cornonation softened Star's attitude to Eclipsa, but also - Eclipsa has a new closest adviser. And frankly, Globgor is a lot wiser than Star Butterfly, and even more self-less. With Globgor to guide her, Queen Eclipsa truly does not need Star. So Star is free to do what she wants, free of pressing obligations for the first time in ... well, a long time.

But what the heck is the deal with the title "Doop-Doop"? "Knight Shift" made sense, but "Doop-Doop"? The fact that it makes no obvious sense is a bit ominous to me. I think we've been spoiled to something where some of the characters lose their memory from magic goop. That sounds like "Doop-Doop". But then ... meh, we've been deceived by these things before.

Well, I can't go back to my original guess. That guess makes no sense for sure. So I'll just have to bite the bullet and make a new guess, even though it's tainted by possibly deceptive released details:

Hmm ... I'm guessing Star will try to go back to just being a teenager, but she'll find that she can't. Once you grow up, you can never go back. And this may be a point of friction with Tom, who is still just a teenager. In Monster Bash, Tom noted Star should enjoy being a teenager while she could, since she'd be Queen soon enough. Well, maybe it's too late now.

Okay, I'll go out on a limb and guess that Marco is not in this episode. Maybe Marco is still in the castle being a Knight (for now), while Star first goes to her parent's Yurt home and then maybe somewhere with Tom. But throughout, she can't stop missing Marco, which complicates her thoughts about what she wants to do with herself in the future. If she's not a princess and Marco isn't a princess's squire, then there's not really a good excuse to drag Marco along with her.

But in the end? Maybe Star will figure out she doesn't really need any excuse to bring Marco along anywhere. They're still best friends after all, right?

Yeah, yeah ... just wild guesses. Probably waaaaay off.

Britta's Tacos

Marco is determined to consume 50 tacos in order to win a special prize that is being offered at Britta's Tacos restaurant.

I've long had this crazy guess that Marco will run into Jackie Lynn Thomas in this episode, and they'll hit it off (but ultimately not get together again at the end of the episode). It's not really based on anything other than I think it would be really cool and romantically dramatic, and it would show how much Marco has learned and grown.

You know what? I'm sticking with this crazy guess. At this point, it might serve as a comparison with Tom and Star. The question is - is it important to have common interests, or can the love of your life be someone you don't really have much in common with?

For the longest time, Marco Diaz had a crush on Jackie not really knowing much of anything about her. He wasn't so much in love with Jackie herself, but the idea of Jackie (he was entirely aware of this, having explained it in the Box of Truth). Well, Jackie gave Marco a shot, and they definitely had generic fun together while it lasted. But they never really connected the way Marco has connected with those he has fun fighting alongside (Star, Hekapoo, Kelly). The day Star showed up and Marco got to fight monsters alongside her? That was the biggest thrill he'd ever had.

Ironically, Marco would have been even more into Star had he met her just a few months earlier. The whole maniacally destructive "magical princess" thing actually freaked him out at first (too much like Janna?). But Star was actually into fighting monsters with swords and other weapons long before she ever got the wand. That would have fit Marco perfectly.

But neither Jackie nor Tom share this passion for fighting. The difference is experience. Jackie's been around enough to know she doesn't have to settle for Marco (and vice versa). There's other fish in the sea.

Tom hasn't figured this out yet. He's still star-struck, the way Marco had a crush on Jackie. And Tom's less life experienced than Star is, the way Marco was less life experienced than Jackie was.

Okay, it's a bit different now; maybe right now Marco and Jackie are actually about equal in life experience and maturity. And Marco's gotten pretty smooth (if he can make an accidental fart look cool, he can make stuffing his face with dozens of tacos look cool). So they could make a good couple, basically.

But they won't do it. The underlying reason they broke up in the first place is still there ... even stronger than ever.

Hahaha ... what a crazy crazy guess. Yeah, whatever. It's just a wild wacky guess. Maybe Britta's Tacos is just what it sounds like - silly Urusei Yatsura style comedic fluff similar to Out of Business.

Beach Day

Star gets ready to actually have the day at the beach with Marco.

Regardless of the episode description, this is likely the infamous Beach Day of the Beach Day photo. The episode description for Cornonation was that Star was preparing for Eclipsa's coronation. Of course it wasn't just the preparation, it was the whole thing. Could it be a fake out? Sure, anything's possible. But look at the remaining schedule of episodes. There doesn't seem to be much room to squeeze in actual "Beach Day" in there.

I had previously guessed that Kelly would still be with Marco and Star would still be with Tom, on the assumption that Star had learned to be happy for Marco being happy. Could Jackie be with Marco? Haha, no way. Star wouldn't be so happy looking in that case, she'd be in some sort of shell shock.

No, at this point it could be a heck of a lot simpler. Star's happy because she has the status quo she's enjoyed for so long - she gets to have Tom and Marco. And Marco's happy just because he's no longer stressing himself out with trying so hard to get over Star.

And why should Marco be worried anyway? He's gotten together with at least three great girlfriends already. If he gets over Star, he can find someone else.

So everyone's happy. Star's happy. Marco's happy. Tom's happy. Until ...

Okay here's my guess. My guess is that Tom takes the Beach Day photo, and he's so excited he got such a great shot that he goes and checks how well it matches the photo in Star's purse. But Beach Day isn't the only photo in Star's purse. She also has the photo booth kiss. And that's when Tom sees Star and Marco's kiss.

And it's not like how Marco described. It doesn't look forced at all. Star and Marco both wanted to kiss. They're in love with each other and Tom can see it. He looks up at Star and Marco playing together on the beach ... and he can see it. They're freaking still in love with each other.

I'm guessing it goes down like this, because it would aesthetically mirror Just Friends and Lava Lake Beach.

In Just Friends, Star saw Marco kissing Jackie for the first time, and Star did not take it well.

In Lava Lake Beach, Marco saw Star kissing Tom for the first time, and Marco did not take it well.

In Beach Day, Tom will see Star kissing Marco for the first time, and Tom will not take it well.

Gone Baby Gone

My early guess for this episode was that it had to do with Festivia and Hekapoo. This is ruled out unless the episode description is as wrong as A Spell With No Name. (I had actually guessed it would be an "inside the wand" episode based only on the name, but this seemed to be directly contradicted by the episode description.)

Marco misplaces both Mariposa and Meteora somewhere in Hekapoo's dimension.

Assuming this episode description is correct, what is there to guess? Well, obviously we can guess how much they age in Hekapoo's dimension. That could lead to some ... uh ... awkward decisions if they'll be babies again upon return.

But also, we can guess about how much Meteora remembers of her previous life. Meteora didn't hiss at Marco at all in Cornonation, suggesting her memories/impressions from her previous life have gradually been forgotten. So, I guess this means she will have forgotten her vendetta against Princess Marco Turdina.

As for how much Meteora will age in Hekapoo's dimension? I don't know, but I'm going to guess they age to adults. I just would really love to hear Jessica Walter voice a happier kinder Princess Meteora Butterfly.

#svtfoe #star vs the forces of evil #beach day #starco #jarco #Thoughts

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chasholidays · 6 years ago

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Alright, we'll try this one more time. Timestamp for "So Much For Bagels" (because it always makes me laugh), with the prompt word being "worst", because Britta is the worst.

Original fic here!

For the last couple of years, every time his sister bugged him about not having a significant other, Bellamy just said that he was too busy.

Octavia, being a brat whom he raised himself for most of her life, always promptly said that was bullshit, and he’d known she was pretty much right. It was an excuse he carted out when he didn’t want to engage with her criticisms of his life, nothing that actually worried him. He was busy, of course, but he was the same kind of busy he always had been, where he worked too much and had school and fit socializing and his own happiness into the cracks between obligations when he could. But he’d done that with relationships before, too, and he figured he could again, if he got one. He just wasn’t really looking.

So at every step, Clarke is a surprise. He noticed her first in the absent way he notices attractive customers, an absent recognition that turned into familiarity as she came in more and more often. When he started talking to her, he hadn’t thought anything would come of it, but somehow they fell into an easy rapport. He’d wanted to see more of her however he could, so he’d asked her for help with decorations, but he hadn’t had a next step from there.

He certainly hadn’t thought about the reality of dating her, or what kind of time commitment it would involve. After all, it wasn’t as if he was expecting her to reveal she was one of the podcast’s handful of regular listeners, and once she had, he wasn’t going to not date her. Even if she hadn’t liked his podcast, he would have been tripping over himself to make that happen. The podcast thing is just the icing on the cake.

It’s just that it’s been a while since he had an actual relationship to plan around, and it’s hard to remember how that balance works. For all he jokes around, the podcast does have an audience, and he does care about it. He wants to keep it coming out on schedule, but there’s also no way he’s going to sacrifice an actual relationship with an actual cute girl because he’s, well, recording a podcast. That would be really, deeply sad.

“So I think we should switch to recording on Thursdays,” he tells Miller. The weirdest thing, hands down, about doing a podcast now is that he talks to Miller on the phone, on a regular basis. Not just for the recording, but to coordinate and figure out scheduling. He might actually be getting comfortable on the phone.

Or at least the phone to Miller. He’s not getting carried away.

“It’s going that well with the girl?” he asks.

Bellamy rubs the back of his neck. “I don’t want to jinx it, but yeah. I like her, it’s going well, and she’s usually free on Saturdays, so–”

“So why Thursdays?”

“I don’t have class and she can do her weekly skype with her best friend then.”

There’s a long pause, and Bellamy forces himself to keep quiet, to not make excuses. He’s asking for a pretty normal thing here, and if Clarke wasn’t involved and he’d just changed his class schedule or something, it wouldn’t even be noteworthy.

“Thursday works,” Miller says, finally. “I’m just wondering if you know what you’re doing.”

“What is there to know? I’m going out with a girl. Rescheduling the podcast isn’t some huge thing. If we break up we can just switch back.”

“I just feel like kind of an asshole.”

“Yeah, you’re the worst,” says Bellamy, kneejerk, before he fits the words into context. Or tries to, anyway. “Wait, what? Why? What does that have to do with anything?”

“Glad you caught up.” He sighs. “I shouldn’t have said anything about her on the show. I thought I was just fucking with you. Now it’s a thing on the record.”

“Dude, no. If you hadn’t said anything she wouldn’t know it was me. I owe you for that.”

Another long pause, and then Miller asks, “Am I an asshole if I want to keep doing it?”

“Keep doing what?”

“People wanted to hear more about the girl. It could be, like, a subplot on the show. Bellamy’s romance.”

“It’s not going to be a very interesting subplot. Either it goes well and there isn’t much to say, or it goes badly and there isn’t much to say. But feel free to tell people I’m rescheduling for date night, that’s fine.”

“Maybe check with your girlfriend first.”

The word sends a thrill through him; it doesn’t feel quite real yet. She is his girlfriend, but it’s only been a few weeks, and it still feels a little cocky to be acting like it’s going anywhere. He tries not to believe in jinxes, but everyone believes in jinxes, a little bit. And thinking too much about how great his girlfriend is definitely feels like it’s going to bite him in the ass.

“I’ll keep you posted. Thanks for rescheduling, sorry you don’t have Saturday-night plans anymore. I know that makes you feel like a loser.”

“Yeah, fuck you too. Can’t believe you got a social life.”

“Maybe I’m the worst. Talk to you on Thursday?”

“Yeah, yeah. I’ll be waiting by the phone.”

Bellamy doesn’t really think it’s true, obviously. But he does feel, a little bit, like he might actually be the worst.

“Or maybe you just don’t know how to be happy,” he mutters, and goes to get his reading.

Bellamy and Miller got to be friends in college, but they fell out of touch after school finished, largely because roughly a week before graduation, Bellamy’s mother died and he dropped off the map to take care of his sister. It hadn’t been a deliberate choice, but he had an angry fifteen-year-old dependent who was trying to get herself emancipated with no clear next plan after that, and he’d been trying to convince her that they make it as a family unit. Which they had, but he hadn’t emerged from that until Octavia was nineteen with a job she liked and capable of paying her own rent, at which point he barely even knew where he was, let alone who his friends were.

He’d called Miller then, once the dust had settled, and it was like no time had passed. He moved to Seattle and paid a smaller proportion of rent, and they lived together until Bellamy figured out how to finance grad school in North Carolina.

“You better not disappear again,” Miller had said, and they’d agreed to do the podcast, to keep in touch and because Bellamy had been looking for an excuse to rewatch some 90s sci-fi.

Even without the bonus girlfriend, it would have been a good choice, but when Clarke texts him on Wednesday night and asks if he’s free to come to her place and watch Babylon 5, it’s like discovering a new and very pathetic kink. He was stupidly into this girl before the podcast thing happened, he didn’t need this. And he especially doesn’t need this when he’s got classes and work and more work, when last-minute plans are so difficult.

In an ideal world, he’d have so much time to get to know Clarke. As it is, one night for podcast and one for date already feels like an indulgence he can’t quite afford.

His phone chimes again as he’s trying to figure out how to say “I really want to but I also I have so much homework to do so I can’t,” and he smiles when he sees the text: you can bring your homework, I won’t be offended.

It’s still a bad idea, but one he can’t talk himself out of it. It’s only been a few weeks of his dating Clarke, and he’s still at that stage where he can’t get enough of her. He looks forward to seeing her for just a few minutes when he’s working in the morning, and he’s been waiting for Saturday with an anticipation that’s almost stupid.

He can see why Miller’s fretting, can come up with a list of reasons this is a situation for his best friend to distrust, especially long distance. It does feel like the start of a major shift in his life, even more than grad school. He’s a little nervous too.

Then again, it’s probably at least half excitement.

Clarke buzzes him up as soon as he arrives, greets him at her apartment door in a tank top and pajama pants, her hair pulled back in a loose braid. It’s a cozy look, one he couldn’t get away with in winter with his shitty heat, and just looking at her makes him ache with strange longing. He knows it’s usually like this, in the early stages of infatuation, but that doesn’t make him any less infatuated.

“I figured you wouldn’t mind if I went casual.”

“I don’t.” He leans down for a kiss. “I really did bring my homework.”

Clarke rolls her eyes, but her expression is pleased. “I wouldn’t have told you to if I was going to be mad that you did. You’ve seen the episodes before anyway, it’s not like you need to pay attention. You want pizza for dinner?”

“Please.”

“Now? Or wait an episode?”

“Either way.”

They get set up on the couch, Bellamy with his books and laptop and Clarke with a glass of wine, but they don’t get started right away. She’s ordering pizza and he’s busy watching her, and as soon as the order is in, she snuggles into his side.

“Recording tomorrow?”

“Yeah.”

“Miller didn’t mind?”

He pauses, debating with himself how honest to be with her. They’re in this weird stage of intimacy where they’ve known each other for a while but still don’t actually know each other that well. She’s easy to trust, easy to feel comfortable with.

So he tells her the truth. “I think he’s a little worried that if I get a girlfriend, I’ll stop doing the podcast.”

“Really?”

“I’m busy, he gets that. But I think he thinks that the podcast is probably my lowest priority.”

“I guess I can see that.” She makes a face. “I want to ask if it’s true, but it feels like fishing for compliments. I’m not expecting you to tell me I’m all you care about anything. I like the podcast.”

“If you didn’t know about it, I’d be worried.” He shoots her a grin. “Now that you know I’m not actually cool, it’s easier. I can just tell you I need to record. And you don’t mind hanging out while I do it.”

“So, you’re not trying to impress me anymore? That’s what I’m hearing.”

“You’re wearing pajamas, so I figure it’s mutual. Not that I mind,” he adds, quick.

Clarke does something with her shoulders that makes it look like her breasts are going to spill out of her top, which is the best party trick ever. “I figured this was a pretty good look.”

“It’s really working for you, yeah.” He settles more comfortably onto the couch. “If I got much busier, I’d probably have to scale the podcast back to every other week, but I’d still do it. And I’d still try to call Miller once a week.”

Clarke’s smile is a little sad. “I do get it. I’m already having trouble keeping in touch with people.”

“So you skype with Wells, I do a podcast with Miller, and we both have at least one other friend.”

“Realistic goals,” she agrees. “Tough, but not totally unattainable.” She leans against his shoulder. “I assumed you had grad school friends. Some kind of social life.”

“You know what you get for assuming.”

“We’re definitely both asses. But really, you don’t get along with your classmates?”

“No, I do. Most of them, anyway. There are a couple asshole white dudes who think they already know everything, but other than that, they’re pretty cool. But I mostly see them in class and for projects, we just don’t hang out much. I do get invited to parties, though. Sometimes I even go.”

“So you’re definitely ahead of me.”

“Social ineptitude isn’t a competition, Clarke.”

“Not with that attitude it’s not.”

He grins. “Now that we’re dating, you have to come to parties with me. You get a social life, I get a plus one.”

“I’m good with that.” Her tongue darts out to wet her lips. “I’m not in the middle of an epic love story, am I?”

“Uh, I don’t know. We’ve been on like three dates, so–”

That makes her laugh. “Not you and me. You and Miller. Is this a thing where he’s in love with you and jealous of me?”

“Oh.” He shakes his head, laughing too. “No, definitely not. But I disappeared for a while after college, so I think he’s always ready for me to disappear again.”

“I think I’m doing that now,” Clarke admits. “But it’s more–I realized I wasn’t actually that close to a lot of people. I talk to Wells and Monty, and Lexa sometimes, but mostly–” She shrugs. “It was a proximity thing.”

“Does it really bother you? Not having more friends?”

“It doesn’t bother me as much as it feels like it should bother me? Like, I don’t mind, but I probably should.”

“Yeah, I know how that is.”

“You were my only attempt at a social life and I’m doing well with that so far, so I feel like I should quit while I’m ahead.”

“That was you trying to have a social life?” he teases. “Coming into a bagel place?”

She giggles. “Baggle.”

“Shut up.”

“Why would you work at a bagel store if you can’t say bagel?”

“I just said it. Stop changing the subject.”

“I was talking to you! We were definitely becoming friends. You told Miller about me.”

“We were.” He nudges her. “Start the show, I need to read.”

She puts her feet up, cuddles into his side, and turns on the TV. It’s so cozy, he almost can’t stand it. “Thanks for coming over,” she says. “I know you’re busy.”

“No problem.” He kisses her hair. “I wouldn’t miss it.”

“I can’t believe I found out you have a girlfriend from your podcast!”

Bellamy blinks, frowns. Octavia is glaring at him from his computer screen, but there’s a smile playing on her lips too, like she can’t quite maintain her annoyance in the face of his genuine confusion.

“I can’t believe you listen to my podcast,” he admits.

“I mean, I do it on, like, three times speed, you guys talk so much. But I like hearing you and Miller shit-talk each other. Come on, girlfriend? What’s up with that?”

“I thought you wanted me to date more.”

“I did, but I didn’t think you’d do it. You met her at work?”

“Yeah. She’s a regular.”

“More information, Bell. What’s her name? What does she do? Does she really like your podcast?”

“You can’t actually get judgey about people liking my podcast, apparently you listen to it too.” He runs a hand through his hair. “Her name is Clarke. She’s twenty-three, moved here after she finished college. She works at the walk-in clinic around the corner doing billing stuff while she figures out if she wants to go to med school.”

“And she likes you?”

“Apparently, yeah.”

“What do you like about her? You’re not exactly blowing me away here.”

He smiles. “I didn’t think I was on trial, O. She’s cool, she’s smart, she takes stuff way too seriously, but in a good way. It’s cute. I don’t know, I just like her. I’ve got a good feeling about her.”

For a second, he thinks the video has frozen, but then he realizes his sister is just staring at him. “Wow, you really like her, huh?”

“It’s still pretty new, but so far, yeah. I wouldn’t be dating her if I didn’t like her,” he adds, with a teasing smile. “Dating people you like is the goal.”

“Yeah, I know. But I’ve seen you on dates before, remember? Or after them, I guess. You’re always trying to talk yourself out of liking people, not just letting yourself do it. Optimism is a new look on you.”

His stomach twists. “It might not surprise you to hear that I wasn’t really looking for a relationship when you were living with me.”

“Shocker.”

“I had a lot going on. And it wasn’t hard to come up with reasons not to date.”

“And now you don’t have an excuse?”

The response is so automatic that he’s almost agreeing before his brain catches up and he actually starts thinking. He has plenty of good excuses to not date Clarke. Even without trying to come up with a list of character flaws, he’s just as busy these days as he was when he was taking care of his sister.

He’s never had much time, but it’s not hard to want to make room for Clarke. He doesn’t even have to try.

“I have plenty,” he says. “If I didn’t want to date her, I wouldn’t be dating her.”

“So, like I said, you really like her.”

He shrugs, but it’s not nearly as casual as he wants it to be. “Yeah, I guess I do.”

“You’re not in love with me, right?”

“You should save the high-impact questions for when we’re recording,” Miller says, absent. “What?”

“Clarke asked, I figured I should just double check.”

“What the fuck did you say to make your girlfriend think I was in love with you?” he demands. It’s not often that Bellamy wishes they did facetime calls, but he’s pretty sure Miller’s face right now would be worth a thousand words.

“You were being weird about the whole thing, I told her. I guess she figured it was maybe secret jealousy.”

“Not secret,” Miller says, to his surprise. “I’m not pining away or anything, definitely wouldn’t ever fuck you again, but I am a little jealous. Friend jealous.”

“Sorry?”

“Don’t worry, I’ll get over it. But when you left, it wasn’t like I had this whole awesome social circle to fall back on.”

“Clarke really does have a cute friend in Seattle. I could give you his number.”

“Because that wouldn’t be weird.”

“Up to you. If me and Clarke last, we’ll visit eventually, and then we can introduce you guys. But that could take a while.”

“I’ll think about it.” He sighs. “It’s not a big deal, I’m not upset you’re dating or anything. Just feeling kind of at loose ends, you know?”

“I know, yeah. It’s not like having a girlfriend means my whole life is fixed now. I’m still broke and not sleeping enough and working all the time. Just with a girlfriend.”

“And I’m happy for you. But–”

He doesn’t have the words, but Bellamy does get it. He’s been happy for someone and envious at the same time. It’s just a part of life. “You’re still my best friend. It’s not going to be like when my mom died again.”

“Good. Because you get a pass when it’s something shitty, but when you disappear because your life gets good, that’s when we’re done.”

“Yeah, I can’t really argue with that.”

Miller clears his throat. “Okay, that sucked. We done? Feelings time over?”

“I still have feelings. You’re my best friend and I love you.”

“You’re the worst. You ready to talk about alien dicks?”

Bellamy grins. “Always.”

The timing issue remains, but it doesn’t actually come to a head until mid-March, right before midterms. It would have always been a busy time, but between the podcast and Clarke and his desire to not have either the podcast or Clarke compete with each other, he missed the rest of his life snowballing.

He’s at work on a Saturday when he gets a text from Clarke, asking what he wants to do for dinner, and has a minor breakdown when he thinks about all the shit he has to get done before spring break. He has papers, a couple tests, a presentation, and he’s picking up extra shifts because he and Clarke are going to Seattle to visit Miller for a week, which is simultaneously really exciting and already stressful in terms of lost revenue. He doesn’t get vacation time like Clarke does, and while intellectually he knows he can afford it, the lizard part of his brain that remembers going hungry is telling him to pick up all the hours he can before he goes.

Me: Fuck I totally forgotI have so much shit to doI have no ideaAnythingNothingIDK

She doesn’t respond before the next big rush comes in, but when she still hasn’t said anything by the time it’s died down, he starts to worry. Clarke’s always been understanding of his schedule, never given him any reason to feel like he can’t be honest with her, but that doesn’t mean he has always been honest with her. Knowing you can tell someone something and actually telling them are two different things, and he hasn’t wanted to share about his stress levels lately.

She probably noticed, she’s probably hurt, she’s probably going to break up with him because–

“How close are you to pulling your own hair out?”

He startles up to see Clarke smiling at him from across the counter. She’s got her laptop bag on her shoulder and she’s wearing her glasses, a clear sign that she’s planning to stay for a while, and his own face contorts in confusion.

“What?”

“I could feel the stress radiating off your text. What happened?”

“I realized midterms are next week and I’ve been working too much to study. I don’t know if I can–”

“Is hanging out with me going to be too much of a distraction? We can order take out, but I’d like to still see you, if we can make that work.”

“Yeah, of course, I still want to see you.”

Her smile softens. “Actually think about it, Bellamy. I know you want to see me. But if you’re too busy–”

The concern is genuine, so he forces himself to think about it. “We could be in the same place,” he says. “But I need to be really focused on work. Like–barely talking to you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“You can sleep over,” she says. “Just sleep, I know you need to be studying. But I just like being around you.”

“I like that too.” He sighs. “Honestly? I need to think about it. You might be too much of a distraction from studying. I just started thinking about how much I have to do before we go to Seattle.”

“Okay,” she says. “Think about it, you can tell me after your shift is over. I want a poppy bagel with veggie cream cheese to eat while I watch DS9. And a cookie.”

“I love you,” he says, without thinking, but she smiles.

“I love you too. Ring me up for the bagel.”

“That’s it?”

“Do you want it to be a bigger deal? You’re my boyfriend, I love you. I’m glad you love me too. We can talk about it after midterms.”

He leans across the counter to kiss her. “I’ll come get you when I’m done with work?”

“Sounds good. Try not to stress too much.”

“I’ll try,” he teases. “But no promises.”

“Don’t worry, I know.”

He watches her on and off for the next few hours, as he’s waiting for his shift to be done. She doesn’t come back up to buy anything else, but she stretches the cookie out, nibbling slowly as she watches an episode of DS9 and then switches to typing something. He does love her, it’s not news, but it still feels heavy to have the words out there.

A nice kind of heavy, though, like those weighted blankets people have. The comforting knowledge that he doesn’t have to worry about saying it, or about Clarke not saying it back.

He’s on the closing shift alone, so once the doors are closed Clarke rises to help, taking the broom and starting to sweep the floor without comment.

“You know I like just–having someone, right?” she finally asks, into the silence. “I don’t need you to be focused on just me. I like being around you. If you need to do homework, you can do it at my place. I thought you got that.”

“Okay, yeah. But–I don’t know. Reading while we watch TV is fine, I don’t want to be working on a paper on your couch and totally ignoring you.”

“Why not?” He frowns, and she clarifies. “What part of that sounds bad?”

“Ignoring you while we’re on a date?”

“So it’s not a date. We were ignoring each other all afternoon and it was fine, right?”

“I was working.”

“Like you will be tonight?”

He rubs his face. “It’s stupid.”

“Yeah, it is.” He glares, and she grins. “Sorry, was I supposed to lie?”

“No, go ahead, tell me how stupid I am.”

“You’re not stupid, just–whatever reason you have for thinking it’s worse to do your homework when I’m around than it is to do something else is definitely stupid.”

“When you put it like that.”

“I was kind of getting the impression that you were in your head about all this stuff,” she offers. “And I thought you were going to get yourself out of it, but–”

“But I didn’t, so you’re going to help?”

“I’m going to try.”

“In my head is a pretty good way to put it,” he admits. “I think–I got worried about not being fair. Miller needed time just for him, so I felt like I had to keep everything in compartments. School time, Miller time, Clarke time.”

“I get that,” she says. “And for Miller, it makes sense. You guys can’t really just–exist in the same space. But I don’t need to be in my own category. I want to get along with the other parts of your life.”

“You do.” His mouth twitches. “So, you want to hang out with me while I stress out about homework?”

“Wouldn’t you want to hang out with me while I did homework?”

It’s another one of those questions that’s so simple, he feels stupid for not realizing the answer sooner. But he’s always had trouble believing people like him as much as he likes them. It’s part of why he and Miller have so much trouble; he hadn’t thought Miller would even notice when he disappeared, and Miller thinks it meant he didn’t care.

“I’m the worst,” he says, with a smile. It’s the first thing Miller told him when he called after the whole Octavia thing, and it’s always meant you’re forgiven, in his book. Water under the bridge. “Let’s get takeout and I’ll work on my paper at your place.”

She smiles, tugs him down for a kiss. “You’re the best,” he says, and he brushes his nose against hers.

“Working on it, anyway. Getting better every day.”

Miller isn’t quite that nice when they get to Seattle the next week, but he hugs Bellamy, hard and tight, and says, “You look terrible, asshole,” and Bellamy kisses his temple.

“Right back at you, dick,” he says, and that basically means the same thing.

They’re awesome.

#thenotcanadian

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easyfoodnetwork · 5 years ago

Text

Food-Adjacent TV to Stream This Weekend, According to Eater Staff

Actor Sandra Oh, wearing a black chef beanie and a white t-shirt, talks on an iPhone outside a restaurant kitchen. | BBC America

“Killing Eve,” reality TV favorites, classic sitcoms, and more

We at Eater spend a lot of time thinking about food, so when it appears on our TV screen, we take special interest. If you’re looking to stream some non-food TV that happens to be — at least tangentially — about food this weekend, here’s what we recommend.

Terrace House: Tokyo, Episode 11 (available to stream on Netflix)

Terrace House, the Japanese version of The Real World, has had a long history of food-related misdemeanors and crimes, but the most recent one entails broccoli, pasta water, and egg. Ruka, one of the housemates of the Tokyo house, is a complete enigma of a human being and maybe the most naive person to ever grace Terrace House (or the world?). In an attempt to cook broccoli pasta carbonara, he cracks an egg into the pasta water with the pasta, then adds broccoli. It seems he read the ingredient list, skipped the instructions, and simply winged it. Nothing matters, you know?!

In Netflix’s latest batch of episodes (Netflix US runs a couple of months behind Japan), Ruka attempts broccoli pasta carbonara again. I gasped when I saw he was making pasta FROM SCRATCH and squealed when he presented something that not only looked edible, but delicious! His housemates were (understandably) pleasantly shocked and I got very emotional. It’s rare when you see such dramatic growth. I imagine this is what parents feel when they see their children walk for the first time. — Pelin Keskin, Eater associate producer

Community (available to stream on Hulu and Netflix)

In 2009, when Community first aired, I was actually taking classes at a community college. Yet, somehow I’ve made it this long without watching this series created by Dan Harmon and featuring some of the current era’s most memorable actors (See: Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, and Ken Jeong). The first season hinges on narcissistic student Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) starting classes at a Greendale Community College, where he’s pursuing his bachelor’s degree in an attempt to reclaim his suspended law license. Winger joins a Spanish 101 study group (remember when people still gathered in groups?) to incessantly hit on Britta Perry (played by Jacobs). But as the show evolves, episodes become more unhinged, playing into pop culture tropes observed by TV and movie obsessed student Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi). After a while, it becomes easier to view this show as sort of a live-action version of Harmon’s later work Rick and Morty, but with a slightly less noxious fandom attached. This is particularly encapsulated in episodes like Season 2’s “Epidemiology,” in which the whole student body is transformed into zombies after eating expired military rations. Season 2 also features an excellent example of weird TV sponcon in “Basic Rocket Science,” where the study group gets trapped inside a Kentucky Fried Chicken-branded space flight simulator. — Brenna Houck, Eater.com reporter and Eater Detroit editor

youtube

Killing Eve (Season 3, Episode 1, available to stream on BBC America)

Killing Eve, a BBC show that for two seasons has been about feminism, fucking, and fighting, has added a fourth “f” to its roster: food. When we reunite with the show’s titular “Eve” (Sandra Oh), we watch her shopping the aisles of an Asian grocery, grabbing ramen cups and snacks from shelves that seem preposterously well-stocked to my pandemic-warped eyes. The multitudes the store holds are intoxicating. We then discover that since we last saw her — left for dead by Villanelle (Jodie Comer), an assassin with whom she is/was mutually obsessed — Eve’s fled her job at MI5 for a gig as a dumpling chef at an Asian restaurant, a perfect place, perhaps, for an Asian American woman to make herself invisible in a city like London. As audience members, we get to watch her deftly pinch pot sticker after pot sticker as she eavesdrops on her relationship-impaired colleagues (once a spy, always a spy, perhaps), a rote activity that probably has a lot more in common with tradecraft than most espionage-based thrillers would have us believe. It’s a nice job for a perfectionist like Eve, one that’ll do well enough until (one assumes) Villanelle returns to her life and again throws it into chaos. — Eve Batey, senior editor, Eater SF

Difficult People (Season 1, Episode 5, available on Hulu)

Much of this criminally short-lived sitcom starring comedians Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street) and Julie Klausner takes place in a restaurant where a struggling-artist version of Billy works to pay the bills. But this episode stands out for its art-imitating-life plot: Julie, who has “the palate of a seven-year-old” stops by Billy’s place of employment to eat, but finds the menu too fancy for her liking (“everything on [the] menu has some kind of chutney or jus on it,” Julie complains).

So, when Billy’s boss leaves town for a few days, the duo convert the restaurant into a pop-up named the Children’s Menu, serving items that would belong on a kids’ menu someplace like Applebee’s. The pair set about marking up chicken tenders and fish sticks and peddling it to food blogs. And because Difficult People is set in New York, home to many people with poor taste but lots of money, crowds lap it up. It’s a fun skewering of a side of the food world that values creatively bankrupt novelty above all else. Looking at you, “cereal bars” and Museum of Ice Cream. — Tim Forster, editor, Eater Montreal

youtube

Lodge 49 (available to purchase on Amazon Prime)

I‘m not surprised Lodge 49 was cancelled after two seasons on AMC last fall; I’m delighted it aired at all. This shaggy dog show stars Wyatt Russell (the waggish spawn of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell) as Dud, an adrift surfer in recession-hit Long Beach, who finds connection through a fraternal lodge along the lines of the Freemasons. Meanwhile his sister Liz (Sonya Cassidy) works at a shitty Hooters knockoff called Shamroxx, run by a ghoulish regional corporate conglomerate, Omni Capital. These days, I’m reminded of Liz’s Season 2 story arc: She’s made manager of Omni’s replacement for Shamroxx, a stupid new steakhouse concept called Higher Steaks. When the restaurant struggles, the way Liz sticks up for her colleagues, who are some of the show’s best minor characters, is an inspiring rebuke of winner-takes-all capitalism — no surprise, as the whole show is basically a socialist document. Ironically it’s not streaming for free, but Lodge 49 is special and well worth buying to watch. — Caleb Pershan, Eater.com reporter

Frasier, Season 1, Episode 3 (available to stream on Hulu)

I know I’m incredibly late getting into Fraiser (most of my coworkers are obsessed with it), but it’s been about a week now and I’m already halfway through the second season. I can’t get enough of it. While Frasier’s advice to his listeners can be a little “meh,” it’s absolutely delightful to watch the main characters give each other therapy through their conversations. And watching each episode unfold feels like much needed therapy right now.

I could go on and on about all the episodes I love, but “Dinner at Eight” is my absolute favorite. Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) decide to take their father Martin (John Mahoney) out to dinner as a way to spend more quality time with him. When the restaurant loses their reservation, they decide to visit a steakhouse at Martin’s suggestion. His pitch: “You can get a steak this thick for $8.95.”

The Timber Mill is nothing like the trendy, pretentious restaurants Frasier and Niles frequent and the duration of the entire meal is a culinary culture clash. For example, when the beef trolley arrives and everyone at the table has to pick their cut of steak, Frasier asks, “How much extra would I have to pay to get one from the refrigerator?”

It’s absolutely heartbreaking to watch Martin get more and more aggravated as Frasier and Niles make ridiculously elaborate orders (a petite filet mignon “very lean, not so lean that it lacks flavor but not so fat that it leaves drippings on the plate”), poke fun at the restaurant, and give the servers a hard time. That’s why it’s so satisfying to watch Martin skewer Frasier and Niles for their snobbery, leaving them to eat the rest of their dinner alone under the scornful eyes of the Timber Mill’s servers as “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” plays in the background. — Esra Erol, senior social media manager, Eater

Real Housewives of New York, Season 8, Episodes 6 & 7

In times of uncertainty, we seek comfort in consistency: The sun will rise in the east, the tides will ebb and flow, and rich women will scream at each other for our enjoyment on Bravo. Recently, I’ve been rewatching old episodes of Real Housewives of New York and am currently in the midst of its landmark eighth season (“Please don’t let it be about Tom.” “It’s about Tom”). Practically every episode is a hit, but “Tipsying Point” and “Air Your Dirty Laundry” conveniently double as a lesson in the booze business. When jack of all trades/master of none Sonja Morgan announces that she’s releasing a signature prosecco called Tipsy Girl, she faces the wrath of Bethenny Frankel, founder of the Skinny Girl brand. As even the most casual Housewives watcher will tell you, Bethenny is famously protective of her business and turns vicious at any perceived attack on it. “I thought the alcohol was a great idea. I really looked up to what you did and I thought it would be a great way for me to get ahead,” Sonja blubbers to Bethenny in her Skinny Girl brand-blazoned office. It’s because of this episode, and this fight in particular, that I know what a “cheater brand” is.

By the way, I’ve tried Tipsy Girl prosecco and it’s... not the worst wine I’ve had. — Madeleine Davies, Eater.com daily editor

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3eoMvVY https://ift.tt/2xDhUn5

Actor Sandra Oh, wearing a black chef beanie and a white t-shirt, talks on an iPhone outside a restaurant kitchen. | BBC America

“Killing Eve,” reality TV favorites, classic sitcoms, and more

Terrace House: Tokyo, Episode 11 (available to stream on Netflix)

Community (available to stream on Hulu and Netflix)

youtube

Killing Eve (Season 3, Episode 1, available to stream on BBC America)

Difficult People (Season 1, Episode 5, available on Hulu)

youtube

Lodge 49 (available to purchase on Amazon Prime)

Frasier, Season 1, Episode 3 (available to stream on Hulu)

Real Housewives of New York, Season 8, Episodes 6 & 7

By the way, I’ve tried Tipsy Girl prosecco and it’s... not the worst wine I’ve had. — Madeleine Davies, Eater.com daily editor

from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3eoMvVY via Blogger https://ift.tt/2xuewen

#Blogger #cooking #Eater #food #recipes

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rather-be-free-blog1 · 8 years ago

Note

Jeff x Annie #18. :)

again, this kind of ended up longer than i thought it would... thanks for prompting!!!!!!!!!

[also on ao3]

18. “This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”

After a weekend-long marathon of “Impractical Jokers”, Troy and Abed somehow got it into their head that the next ‘hijink’ that the group should participate in would be a prank war.

It started out innocently enough, mostly with lame jokes that everyone already knew the answer to, but were advised by each other not to interrupt with the punchline. But then Britta joined in - by trying to trick Abed into watching “The Meatrix” instead of “The Matrix,” like he asked - and then all hell broke loose.

Jeff had successfully managed to stay out of it, until Shirley set her sights on embarrassing him. She had contacted his mother over Facebook and somehow gotten ahold of a particularly humiliating photograph, taken on the night of his middle school prom - wearing a wool blazer over shirt and slacks in lieu of a suit - and glued it to a large piece of cardboard. Her little project was waiting in his study room seat for him the next day, and after nearly a week, it feels as though he still hasn’t completely lived it down.

Since then, he’s been trying to come up with something in return; something that’ll really shock her. He thinks he’s found it, and she really only has herself to blame for this, because technically, it was her who gave him the idea in the first place.

It’s quick and it’s easy, and there’s only one other person he needs in order to complete the task.

So he catches her just as she’s entering the parking lot.

“Annie, wait up.”

She turns, shooting him a confused look, but stays where she is, allowing him the few seconds he needs to catch up. “If you need more help with your homework, I’ll gladly do it tomorrow, but right now, I kind of need to get home.”

“I know, and I don’t need your help. Or, I do, actually, just not with school.” He gestures in the direction of where he knows she parks every day, and they fall into step.

“So you need my help with something, but it’s not about school… Should I be worried?”

“No. At least, I don’t think so.” It’s late, and he doesn’t want to keep her any longer than he has to, so he decides to get right into it. “I’ve been thinking, and I’m pretty sure I’ve found the perfect way to get Shirley back.”

“Are you seriously still hung up on that photo?” She asks, accompanied with an eye-roll. “You didn’t even look that bad. It was kinda cute, actually.” The last part is added as more of an afterthought, and once she realises what she’s said, Annie focuses on fishing around in her purse for her car key, and Jeff can’t help but wonder if it’s just so she can hide her face.

Getting back on track, he continues. “Regardless, I still wanna get her back somehow. And, like I said, I think I’ve got the perfect plan - but it requires you to play a significant part.”

She stops walking abruptly and narrows her eyes. “What kind of part?”

“Remember yesterday, when Shirley saw us sitting together and made that - face?” He attempts a rough imitation of the expression in question, which makes Annie laugh, but she doesn’t seem to recognise it.

“I think if she made a face like that, I’d remember.”

“You get my point.”

“Barely. But go on.”

He sighs, dragging his feet for effect as they continue their walk to her car. It’s in sight now, so he knows there isn’t a whole lot of time, and he kind of needs her to get on board with this tonight.

“Whatever. She made a disapproving face, okay?”

Annie nods.

“And I’ve thought about it a lot… And I figure the best prank I could pull on would be to pretend we’re dating.”

She makes a sound that’s half-sputter, half-laugh. “Excuse me?”

“Just think about it - she’d get so worked up. Imagine her face.”

She rolls her eyes again, but this time, there’s a smile teasing the corners of her mouth. “I guess it could be kinda funny.”

“Right? And at the same time, you’d also be getting Britta back for that thing she did with your highlighters.” They’re right at her car, now, but instead of opening the door, Annie’s just leaning against it.

“She highlighted yellow over wet black ink, Jeff! Now whenever I use it, it comes out as this sludgy brown colour.” She wrinkles her nose in clear distaste.

“Yeah, sure. Whatever.” Raising his eyebrows, “so - are you in?”

“This is without a doubt the stupidest plan you’ve ever had. Of course I’m in.”

“Great! Great,” and it really is, ‘cause when he thinks about it, he wasn’t totally convinced she would agree. “Okay. I’ll text you later, so we can work out a game plan.”

“Alright,” she lets out a what-am-I-doing sigh, but reciprocates his grin anyway, and says goodbye with a little wave as she gets into her car.

Right before she drives away, though, she rolls her window down. Her expression is somehow open and shy and even a little scared, and he guesses it was probably her intention to wait until she was in her car, safe barrier up between them, before she said it. “One rule, though.” There’s hesitation in her voice and she waits a few seconds before saying the next part, working herself up to looking straight into his eyes. “No kissing.”

The question takes him aback a bit - and makes him feel more than a little guilty, but he doesn’t want to dwell on that - but he manages to nod, say, “Of course.”

This earns him a tight-lipped smile, and before he knows it, she’s gone.

---

They start the process of dropping hints the following morning. Study group’s not until after lunch, and they decided the previous night that that was the best time to tell Shirley - with the advantage of everyone else being there, so that when they do eventually admit it was all a joke, they won’t have to track down everyone in the group to make sure they know.

But even though they’re not officially telling anyone until then, it doesn’t mean they can’t have some fun with it, first.

So they sit together in Anthropology, Jeff’s first class of the day - which isn’t so strange, granted, but they make the special effort of sitting just slightly closer than they usually would, and he can feel Shirley’s eyes on them the entire time.

Annie, as it turns out, is surprisingly good at the whole fake-dating thing; much better than he thought she’d be. He thinks he’s imagining it, at first; the way her touches, over the course of the morning, are just a little more frequent, a little more lingering - but it soon becomes entirely clear: she’s enjoying this as much as he is.

By the time they’re approaching study room F, lagging behind the rest of the group so they can enter hand-in-hand, they’ve received enough narrow-eyed stares and pointed looks that he’s more than a little excited for the big reveal.

They wait for everyone else to get to their seats first, then walk in, swinging their hands between them. Sitting as usual.

“Um,” Troy starts, pointing at the space between Jeff and Annie. “What was that?”

“Yeah,” Britta agrees. “They’ve been acting weird all day.”

Jeff just shrugs, wanting to see how long this’ll go on for, but out of the corner of his eye he spots Annie, staring with pleading eyes, and he knows they’re doing this now.

“Actually, Annie and I have an announcement,” he stands up, hoping for the effect of someone beginning a toast at a wedding. “We-“

“You’re dating.” Abed interrupts. “We know.”

“You know?” Annie asks, incredulous.

Abed nods, like it’s that simple. “We’ve known for weeks.”

“Weeks?” Her voice raises by perhaps an octave, which would’ve been impressive if Jeff wasn’t concerned she was going to blow their cover.

“Yeah, that’s right.” Jeff says, figuring he might as well go along with it. “It’s been - what, two weeks? Right, Annie?”

“Huh? I mean - yeah. Two weeks, that’s absolutely correct.”

“We just wanted to wait before telling you all,” Jeff continues, “‘cause we weren’t sure how you’d react.” He makes a point of looking round everyone at the table, and their reactions are admittedly a little disappointing. Britta and Troy seem disgusted and interested, respectively, Pierce clearly doesn’t have a clue what’s going on, and Abed seems kind of bored - but none of them look shocked.

Until he reaches Shirley. She’s sitting all stoic and silent and he can’t resist rubbing it in her face a little.

“We’re really happy together, things are going great.” He maintains eye contact with her the entire time. “And it was actually thanks to you, Shirley, that we started this in the first place - remember the dinner you hosted last month?”

Annie nods. “It was after that when Jeff confessed his feelings for me for the first time,” she shoots him an over-the-top sappy smile, which he returns.

She’s still being infuriatingly quiet, though, so he takes an alternative route - asking her outright. “We haven’t heard anything from you yet, and since you’re so important to the forming of our - our relationship, we really value your opinions. So… What do you think about all of this?”

Shirley takes a deep breath, clasps her hands together on the table. For the first time since the creation of their prank, Jeff actually feels a small stab of fear.

“It’s safe to say,” she finally begins, speaking slowly and deliberately. “That I am very disappointed that neither of you told me before today.”

It’s not the response he was expecting.

“And,” she continues, on a roll, “though I know I haven’t reacted well to the nature of your relationship before, it is clear to me that nothing I say could keep you apart. And you both seem happier, lately, come to think of it - and I can only assume it’s due to this, so - what I’m trying to say is, I’m happy for you both.”

He glances at Annie, who’s sitting in open-mouthed surprise that he knows without looking must be reflected in his own features.

“Shirley, that’s kind of you, but-“

“It’s a joke!” He interrupts whatever undoubtedly sweet thing Annie was going to say. “It’s - for the whole stupid prank wars thing, we thought it’d be funny, ‘cause you’d all be shocked - but. Why are you acting like this?” He gasps despite himself, affronted. “Did you know this whole time? Did everyone already know it was fake?”

“You faked a relationship for two weeks?” Britta asks.

“Yeah, that doesn’t add up.” Troy agrees. “Abed and I only started this last week.”

“No,” Annie cuts in, sounded equal parts exasperated and embarrassed. “It’s - we only started faking it today. Because of that photo Shirley found of Jeff, remember?”

“I don’t want them to remember, that was the whole-“

Annie dismisses him with a wave of her hand. “So he asked me about it last night - asked if I’d mind pretending we were together for the day, to get back at her. It’s - it’s all just a joke.”

“Not a very good one. It’s way too plausible. If you really wanted to go for the shock factor, you should’ve said something outrageous, but still in the slight realm of possibility,” he explains. “Like pretending you were moving in together, or married, or pregnant-“

“That’s enough.” Jeff interrupts him, feeling light-headed at his words.

“I’m confused.” Pierce pipes up. “I thought they’d only been knocking boots for two weeks, are they getting hitched already?”

“No,” Shirley answers. “This was all just a big joke.”

“We thought you would all be surprised.” Annie laments, slumping down in her seat. “Why aren’t any of you surprised?”

“I thought you’d have gotten together by now, anyway.” Abed supplies, helpfully.

Troy nods, agreeing with him.

Jeff and Annie share a sort of what-just-happened look.

“You know,” Shirley says, graciously opening her Anthropology textbook as if she’s willing to put an end to things, “I really was happy for you both.”

He hears Annie whisper her thanks to her, nearly drowned out by the sound of textbooks, notepads, and writing utensils being placed on the table.

And just like that, it’s over.

---

“Well, that failed.” He says, catching her just as she’s leaving.

“Yeah, I guess.” Annie replies, attempting a half-hearted laugh as she adjusts the straps of her backpack.

They walk together all the way to her next class - not intentionally, but Jeff has to go that way anyway, and he doesn’t really see the point in walking ahead or, worse, ignoring her - and right before she opens the door to her classroom (Geology 101) she presses up on her toes to plant a kiss to the corner of his mouth.

“You just violated your own rule.”

“We’re not pretending anymore,” she retorts. “And beside, I was kind of hoping I’d get a chance to violate it at some point, and I didn’t, hence…” She tilts her head to the side, letting him finish her train of thought in his own mind.

By the time he’s worked it out, she’s already slipping into the classroom - and it’s kind of funny, ‘cause this thing was supposed to be about him pranking Shirley back, but maybe this whole time, the joke was really on him.

#the meatrix is actually a real thing lmao and I've been trying to work it into fic for years now #its like a flash series about the dangers of factory farming #my vegan friend showed it to me years ago and I've been referencing it constantly ever since #anyways #GEEZ that was long #one more prompt to go now! lets hope i'll get to it tomorrow #bc now I Must Sleep #my fic #community fic #prompts #celerylapel

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rather-be-free-blog1 · 8 years ago

Note

Jeff x Annie: 17, 45 Troy x Abed: 14 :)

soooo these kind of got away from me, especially the first one. thanks for prompting!!! the second one was actually inspired by @celerylapel‘s fic, “Certainty”!

[also on ao3]

17. “Looks like we’ll be trapped for a while…”

(this is a 5x13 au where they’re stuck in the basement for a longer period of time than in the episode)

When Abed sidles up to her, casting a not-so-discreet look towards Jeff and Britta, holed up in the far corner of the room, she already knows what he’s going to ask her. (How does she feel about this? Why is she acting so calm? Is she really just going to let him go like that?)

But it’s a surprise when instead, he tilts his head to the side and states, blank as ever, “The Dean thinks they’ll last a couple days, but I think it’s closer to an hour. What do you think?”

“Hm?”

“Jeff and Britta.”

“No, I know who you’re talking about, I just-“

“Oh. I guess I haven’t given you enough context for the question. The Dean and I are making a bet on how long their engagement’ll last. He thinks a couple of days, but I say-“

Annie shakes her head. “Abed! No.”

“No as in, I’m wrong? Or no as in-“

“No as in, you shouldn’t bet on how long a relationship will last. It’s rude.”

He takes a seat in the stool right next to her, and swivels a few times before facing her. “But you know they’re not in any real sort of relationship. You said yourself. Half an hour ago. You called their desires empty. That’s what you were talking about, right?”

“Yes, Abed.”

“So you already know that their relationship probably won’t last very long…”

“Yes.”

“…But you still don’t want to bet?”

She starts to say “no,” wants to say “no” - but then she glances over again, and the image of Britta’s hand in his hair feels like it’s permanently burned into her retinas, and she immediately wishes she hadn’t.

Abed catches her looking, and there’s a note of sympathy in his eyes.

“One day.” She murmurs, making sure they can’t hear.

Abed nods, and leaves to relay the information to the Dean.

She almost feels guilty.

—

As it turns out, Abed’s closest to being right - not that she was counting.

What starts as a small disagreement on whether an engagement needs rings in order to be official turns into a larger disagreement, until finally Britta shakes her head violently and, like someone just coming out of a trance, throws her hands in the air and asks the room at large, rather dramatically, what in the hell she’d been thinking.

And it’s strange, ‘cause usually this is the type of situation where she’d catch Jeff’s eye, make some sort of face that he’d return to let her know they were both together in this shared sense of confusion and uncomfortableness. But now he’s a part of the situation, and she doesn’t know how he’s feeling right now, so instead, she sort of stares at a point on the far wall and widens her eyes and immediately looks to the side because god, how pathetic is that - making faces at a wall and imagining it’s him, like some sort of idiot.

So she watches Abed and the Dean; the latter of which fishes around in his pocket for a moment or so before reluctantly slapping a five dollar bill into Abed’s palm.

She finds a few dollars in her own pockets, plus some change, and when he comes back to reap his rewards from her, she hands it to him with an apologetic, “Sorry, it’s all I’ve got.”

“Keep the change.” Abed replies, and it’s not quite the caring response she would have preferred, but it’s something.

She feels him watching her for another minute though, and soon it gets a bit too much. “What?”

“Aren’t you happy?”

“I don’t know how to answer that.”

—

At around hour five of their time spent down in the bunker, she relocates to a spot by the wall - enclosed, between one of the huge machines and the adjacent side of the room. It’s quieter, which gives her more time to think about their plans of escape, and space away from the prying eyes of Abed and the Dean.

Britta had taken the breakup of her engagement as well as expected, and almost immediately took on the task of explaining the modern world to Borchert, starting with the major political events he had missed throughout the years. Annie listened in for a while until she started talking about the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, but for whatever reason she got the two new nations mixed up, and kept calling it the “Slovakia Republic”, and after a while it stopped being funny and started to get annoying.

Jeff, to his credit, hadn’t said anything about it, even though usually it’d be the sort of thing he wouldn’t shut up about. He hasn’t really said much since the breakup (could it even be called a breakup?) and Annie’s beginning to wonder if perhaps there’s a reason for that. Maybe it really was important to him. Maybe he’s upset that it didn’t work out.

Maybe he really did want to marry her, and he just. Went about it the wrong way.

She can definitely relate.

Then, because the universe’s main goal for the day is apparently just to punish her, she hears a familiar voice.

“Looks like we’ll be trapped here for a while, huh?”

She meets Jeff’s eyes and somehow musters the courage to nod.

“Do you mind if I sit?”

Instead of answering, she moves to the side, and he folds himself into the small space next to her. Her shoulder pressed up against his arm, and she already regrets saying yes.

He doesn’t say anything for a long while, and Annie tries to keep her breathing at a steady pace.

Until, “So.”

“Hm?”

“You were right.” At her silence, he continues. “About everything. You knew the whole me-and-Britta thing was bullshit from the beginning.”

She tilts her head to the side, not wanting to admit.

“But you let it happen.” He’s talking slowly, like he’s working out the solution to a particularly difficult sum, and she panics a little because there’s only one logical answer. She doesn’t want him to find out the extent of her feelings for him - especially not now, with his pseudo-engagement having disintegrated less than two hours ago and his ex-fiancee, who also happens to be one of Annie’s best friends, just 20 feet away.

So she swallows thickly, and listens.

“You let me go through with it even though you knew it would never work out, because… You want me to be happy? Just, out of the kindness of your heart?”

She meets his eyes with some difficulty but there’s a little frown there, and that’s when he realises - he still doesn’t know. She’d thought she was being totally obvious with the thing, but he has no idea.

Maybe it’s better that way, but she can’t just let things go unsaid. On the other hand, she doesn’t particularly feel like pouring out her heart when they’re stuck like this. When Abed and the Dean and Britta and Borchert can all hear.

“Is that what you really think? Or just what you want to?”

He doesn’t answer, but holds her stare, and it’s almost enough.

They go back to just sitting, watching their friends across the room and not speaking, but after a few minutes she feels his hand brush against hers and wonders if this is his way of responding to her question.

—

When everyone turns around, he’s still got the stupid headset-thingy on and Racquel is absolutely lit up behind him, but he’s looking right. at. her. and she feels her heart leap into her throat.

But there’s not a whole lot of time, so she follows the rest of the through the door, looking back just once to catch his eye, and he shoots her a look that’s all promise.

45. “Tell me a secret.”

“Je-eff…”

“Mm?”

“Tell me a secret.”

“Tell you a secret?”

“Yeah.”

“This really isn’t what I had in mind when I suggested you come here for a sleepover.”

Annie rolls her eyes and doesn’t try to hold back her scoff. “Come on.”

He grumbles a little. “Why.”

“Because! I was just thinking… You know, we’ve known each other for a larger portion of my life than yours…”

“Please don’t remind me.”

Another eye-roll. “And despite the fact that I know you pretty well - at least, I think I do - I don’t know everything.” The mattress creaks as she sits up, kneeling beside him and trying to pry his arm away from where it’s covering his eyes. “I’ll tell you something.”

“You want to know everything about me?”

“Well, yeah. Don’t you want to know everything about me?”

He lifts one shoulder. “I guess.”

She nods, satisfied. “So, I’ll tell you one thing you don’t know about me, and then you can return the favour.”

He doesn’t answer, just makes another grumbling sound, but this one sounds a lot more conceding than the last.

“Great!” She tilts her head from side to side, trying to think of something interesting enough to make him want to tell her something just as good. “I… I got detention once.”

This piques his interest. “Really?”

“Yup. Fourth grade.”

“How did Annie straight-As-since-birth Edison manage to get detention in only the fourth grade?”

“Falling asleep in class. It was a problem. I wasn’t getting a whole lot at home, so I’d just lay my head on the desk, promising myself it would only be a few minutes’ rest, and then before I knew it, I’d be woken up by a teacher staring me down.” She shakes her head, laughing. “It was super embarrassing at the time - but my mom would make me stay up really late to practice the clarinet, ‘cause she wanted me to get into band club, and I was never really good at it…” Her laughter trails off, but she catches herself just in time to shoot Jeff a quick - if tight - smile.

But he’s frowning, and she probably should’ve chosen a different story.

“Sounds like it sucked.”

“I guess it did.”

“I once got suspended from middle school.” Jeff starts, impulsively. “Some kid in the grade above made fun of my clothes, ‘cause they were always a few sizes too big… I punched him. A teacher saw, and, well.” He shrugs. “My mom was really mad at me at first, but when she found out about why it happened, she didn’t ground me or anything - she made me chicken soup. Like I was sick or something.”

Annie finds herself fighting a smile, but it’s hard. “Your mom sounds nice.”

“She is.”

“So, was that your secret?”

He considers it a moment. “No. That was - whatever. I have a better secret now.”

“Shoot.”

He casts his eyes down for a second before meeting hers, like he’s trying to muster up the courage. But when he does look at her, there’s nothing but hope in his eyes. “I never really bring people round to see my mom, ‘cause I don’t really like getting her hopes up… But I want her to meet you. If that’s okay.”

She doesn’t suppress her smile, then - she doesn’t need to, because he’s matching her grin completely.

14. “Hey, I’m with you, okay? Always.”

When Troy gets back from travelling the world, it’s not a surprise to anyone that he ends up in LA.

He moves in with Abed and at first it starts out as a temporary thing - he says he’ll get his own apartment soon, because even though they’re best friends and always will be, there probably comes a point wherein it’s more appropriate to live separately - but a week turns into a month, and then a month turns into six, and then Troy realises that the list time he googled for local apartment listings was back in May, and it’s October now. So he asks Abed if it’s cool if he moves in with him, and Abed replies that he thought he was living with him already, and Troy can’t really argue.

Besides, living with Abed is easy. It’s comfortable. He has the TV on pretty much 24/7, doesn’t really go anywhere other than work, and never brings anyone home.

Until one day, they’re having breakfast (Poptarts) at the dinner table (coffee table in front of the TV) and Abed asks if it’s cool if his mom and half-brothers visit the next day.

“Sure, man.” Troy nods, and watches as Abed goes back to the food. But it doesn’t really fit right - he hasn’t heard him mention his mom in years, and his half-brothers, Troy knows, are pretty much nonexistent parts of his life. “They’re coming to the city?”

“They’re already in LA.” Abed explains, his eyes never leaving the TV. “And they asked if I would mind if they came over. I said yes, but I knew I had to ask you, so.”

“No, yeah. Yeah, it’s cool.”

“Cool cool cool.” Abed replies, shooting him a singular finger gun.

Troy returns it, but still can’t help but feel there’s something wrong.

—

Abed is strangely calm the rest of the day and the following morning, but when he hears the buzzer alerting him that his family are waiting downstairs to be let into the building, it’s like something in him snaps.

His eyes widen, but not in the funny way, and he’s not really moving, so Troy approaches him carefully. “You okay?”

Abed doesn’t say anything, but Troy can hear his quick, nervous breaths.

“Do you want to let them up? Because you don’t have to. There’s - I mean, we could just make up an excuse.”

He shakes his head. “I want to see them.”

“So… Do you want me to let them up?”

He thinks about this for a minute, until the buzzer goes again, brining him out of his head. “Yeah.”

Troy nods, moving slowly to press the button, wanting to give him enough time to take his answer back. But he doesn’t, so Troy presses it, and the little beeping sound is confirmation that they’re officially in the building.

It’s another couple minutes until there’s a knock at the door, and Abed turns to him. Not as terrified-looking as he was before, but still pretty freaked out. “Stay here with us.”

“Hey, I’m with you, okay? Always.”

Abed nods three times, firmly, then opens the door.

#my fic #community fic #prompts #zacscottysnl #janine

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Actor Sandra Oh, wearing a black chef beanie and a white t-shirt, talks on an iPhone outside a restaurant kitchen. | BBC America “Killing Eve,” reality TV favorites, classic sitcoms, and more We at Eater spend a lot of time thinking about food, so when it appears on our TV screen, we take special interest. If you’re looking to stream some non-food TV that happens to be — at least tangentially — about food this weekend, here’s what we recommend. Terrace House: Tokyo, Episode 11 (available to stream on Netflix) Terrace House, the Japanese version of The Real World, has had a long history of food-related misdemeanors and crimes, but the most recent one entails broccoli, pasta water, and egg. Ruka, one of the housemates of the Tokyo house, is a complete enigma of a human being and maybe the most naive person to ever grace Terrace House (or the world?). In an attempt to cook broccoli pasta carbonara, he cracks an egg into the pasta water with the pasta, then adds broccoli. It seems he read the ingredient list, skipped the instructions, and simply winged it. Nothing matters, you know?! In Netflix’s latest batch of episodes (Netflix US runs a couple of months behind Japan), Ruka attempts broccoli pasta carbonara again. I gasped when I saw he was making pasta FROM SCRATCH and squealed when he presented something that not only looked edible, but delicious! His housemates were (understandably) pleasantly shocked and I got very emotional. It’s rare when you see such dramatic growth. I imagine this is what parents feel when they see their children walk for the first time. — Pelin Keskin, Eater associate producer Community (available to stream on Hulu and Netflix) In 2009, when Community first aired, I was actually taking classes at a community college. Yet, somehow I’ve made it this long without watching this series created by Dan Harmon and featuring some of the current era’s most memorable actors (See: Donald Glover, Alison Brie, Gillian Jacobs, and Ken Jeong). The first season hinges on narcissistic student Jeff Winger (Joel McHale) starting classes at a Greendale Community College, where he’s pursuing his bachelor’s degree in an attempt to reclaim his suspended law license. Winger joins a Spanish 101 study group (remember when people still gathered in groups?) to incessantly hit on Britta Perry (played by Jacobs). But as the show evolves, episodes become more unhinged, playing into pop culture tropes observed by TV and movie obsessed student Abed Nadir (Danny Pudi). After a while, it becomes easier to view this show as sort of a live-action version of Harmon’s later work Rick and Morty, but with a slightly less noxious fandom attached. This is particularly encapsulated in episodes like Season 2’s “Epidemiology,” in which the whole student body is transformed into zombies after eating expired military rations. Season 2 also features an excellent example of weird TV sponcon in “Basic Rocket Science,” where the study group gets trapped inside a Kentucky Fried Chicken-branded space flight simulator. — Brenna Houck, Eater.com reporter and Eater Detroit editor Killing Eve (Season 3, Episode 1, available to stream on BBC America) Killing Eve, a BBC show that for two seasons has been about feminism, fucking, and fighting, has added a fourth “f” to its roster: food. When we reunite with the show’s titular “Eve” (Sandra Oh), we watch her shopping the aisles of an Asian grocery, grabbing ramen cups and snacks from shelves that seem preposterously well-stocked to my pandemic-warped eyes. The multitudes the store holds are intoxicating. We then discover that since we last saw her — left for dead by Villanelle (Jodie Comer), an assassin with whom she is/was mutually obsessed — Eve’s fled her job at MI5 for a gig as a dumpling chef at an Asian restaurant, a perfect place, perhaps, for an Asian American woman to make herself invisible in a city like London. As audience members, we get to watch her deftly pinch pot sticker after pot sticker as she eavesdrops on her relationship-impaired colleagues (once a spy, always a spy, perhaps), a rote activity that probably has a lot more in common with tradecraft than most espionage-based thrillers would have us believe. It’s a nice job for a perfectionist like Eve, one that’ll do well enough until (one assumes) Villanelle returns to her life and again throws it into chaos. — Eve Batey, senior editor, Eater SF Difficult People (Season 1, Episode 5, available on Hulu) Much of this criminally short-lived sitcom starring comedians Billy Eichner (Billy on the Street) and Julie Klausner takes place in a restaurant where a struggling-artist version of Billy works to pay the bills. But this episode stands out for its art-imitating-life plot: Julie, who has “the palate of a seven-year-old” stops by Billy’s place of employment to eat, but finds the menu too fancy for her liking (“everything on [the] menu has some kind of chutney or jus on it,” Julie complains). So, when Billy’s boss leaves town for a few days, the duo convert the restaurant into a pop-up named the Children’s Menu, serving items that would belong on a kids’ menu someplace like Applebee’s. The pair set about marking up chicken tenders and fish sticks and peddling it to food blogs. And because Difficult People is set in New York, home to many people with poor taste but lots of money, crowds lap it up. It’s a fun skewering of a side of the food world that values creatively bankrupt novelty above all else. Looking at you, “cereal bars” and Museum of Ice Cream. — Tim Forster, editor, Eater Montreal Lodge 49 (available to purchase on Amazon Prime) I‘m not surprised Lodge 49 was cancelled after two seasons on AMC last fall; I’m delighted it aired at all. This shaggy dog show stars Wyatt Russell (the waggish spawn of Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell) as Dud, an adrift surfer in recession-hit Long Beach, who finds connection through a fraternal lodge along the lines of the Freemasons. Meanwhile his sister Liz (Sonya Cassidy) works at a shitty Hooters knockoff called Shamroxx, run by a ghoulish regional corporate conglomerate, Omni Capital. These days, I’m reminded of Liz’s Season 2 story arc: She’s made manager of Omni’s replacement for Shamroxx, a stupid new steakhouse concept called Higher Steaks. When the restaurant struggles, the way Liz sticks up for her colleagues, who are some of the show’s best minor characters, is an inspiring rebuke of winner-takes-all capitalism — no surprise, as the whole show is basically a socialist document. Ironically it’s not streaming for free, but Lodge 49 is special and well worth buying to watch. — Caleb Pershan, Eater.com reporter Frasier, Season 1, Episode 3 (available to stream on Hulu) I know I’m incredibly late getting into Fraiser (most of my coworkers are obsessed with it), but it’s been about a week now and I’m already halfway through the second season. I can’t get enough of it. While Frasier’s advice to his listeners can be a little “meh,” it’s absolutely delightful to watch the main characters give each other therapy through their conversations. And watching each episode unfold feels like much needed therapy right now. I could go on and on about all the episodes I love, but “Dinner at Eight” is my absolute favorite. Frasier (Kelsey Grammer) and his brother Niles (David Hyde Pierce) decide to take their father Martin (John Mahoney) out to dinner as a way to spend more quality time with him. When the restaurant loses their reservation, they decide to visit a steakhouse at Martin’s suggestion. His pitch: “You can get a steak this thick for $8.95.” The Timber Mill is nothing like the trendy, pretentious restaurants Frasier and Niles frequent and the duration of the entire meal is a culinary culture clash. For example, when the beef trolley arrives and everyone at the table has to pick their cut of steak, Frasier asks, “How much extra would I have to pay to get one from the refrigerator?” It’s absolutely heartbreaking to watch Martin get more and more aggravated as Frasier and Niles make ridiculously elaborate orders (a petite filet mignon “very lean, not so lean that it lacks flavor but not so fat that it leaves drippings on the plate”), poke fun at the restaurant, and give the servers a hard time. That’s why it’s so satisfying to watch Martin skewer Frasier and Niles for their snobbery, leaving them to eat the rest of their dinner alone under the scornful eyes of the Timber Mill’s servers as “Tossed Salads and Scrambled Eggs” plays in the background. — Esra Erol, senior social media manager, Eater Real Housewives of New York, Season 8, Episodes 6 & 7 In times of uncertainty, we seek comfort in consistency: The sun will rise in the east, the tides will ebb and flow, and rich women will scream at each other for our enjoyment on Bravo. Recently, I’ve been rewatching old episodes of Real Housewives of New York and am currently in the midst of its landmark eighth season (“Please don’t let it be about Tom.” “It’s about Tom”). Practically every episode is a hit, but “Tipsying Point” and “Air Your Dirty Laundry” conveniently double as a lesson in the booze business. When jack of all trades/master of none Sonja Morgan announces that she’s releasing a signature prosecco called Tipsy Girl, she faces the wrath of Bethenny Frankel, founder of the Skinny Girl brand. As even the most casual Housewives watcher will tell you, Bethenny is famously protective of her business and turns vicious at any perceived attack on it. “I thought the alcohol was a great idea. I really looked up to what you did and I thought it would be a great way for me to get ahead,” Sonja blubbers to Bethenny in her Skinny Girl brand-blazoned office. It’s because of this episode, and this fight in particular, that I know what a “cheater brand” is. By the way, I’ve tried Tipsy Girl prosecco and it’s... not the worst wine I’ve had. — Madeleine Davies, Eater.com daily editor from Eater - All https://ift.tt/3eoMvVY

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#EasyFoodNetwork #ComfortFoodRecipes #EasyRecipes #GoodFood #BestComfortFoodRecipes #TastyFoodv

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