#also love you matty for being an ally LMAO

[the1975attheirverybest]

What made you change your mind about her? I love Matty but he is a little problematic and I dont think its our place to judge her while we stan Matty a who has done a lot of questionable things

Matty has done questionable things for sure. Whether his opinion is completely invalid, or whether he had the right idea/ intention but went about it the wrong, prioritized comedy over substance etc. you can say what you want about Matty, and I am not here to deny it. But the only times that she’s ever stood for anything has been performative and empty.

1. Her Miss Americana documentary (I liked it at the time but I was too naive to see how artificial and curated the narrative is)

2. Her silence on roe v wade all the while working with a shit director.

3. Her not just being silent on Palestine but also showing her film in Israel

4. The way she co-opts feminism as a self-defense argument like if you don’t like her then you must hate women right.

5. Her marketing of Lover and the big show that she did of being an ally to LGBTQ people just to promote her song and then she dropped the subject never to speak of it again when queer communities could’ve used her support.

6. The way that her release of merch, remixes, collabs, “limited editions” that end up not being limited editions are curated to make her top the charts. Like didn’t she sell a whole bunch without even releasing a single last time? Lmao. Tell me you’re a capitalist greedy eco-criminal without telling me.

[allylikethecat]

talk shop tuesday!

ally! how are you?

i was reading through all the asks and i was having the best time reading about the matties lmao anons just kept going and going and i love it 😭 also, i’m glad pop is well!

today was pretty uneventful, i sat on the phone disputing a charge on my bank account today ugh but i finally got the bank to give me my money back so i can’t complain there. oh but i did catch up with some friends i hadn’t seen in a while over the weekend and that was lovely

todays update: i was extremely surprised by our update today!!! i loved it sm while atkh matty has my (and everyone else’s) heart rn, it’s good to hear from my first favorite, infection!verse matty <3 unfortunately he wasn’t doing too hot but that’s not a shock lol, what DID shock me was that we are exploring different birthdays! i thought from the first chapter we were gonna continue with matty being 28 and leading up to the attempt form the og storyline!! I love the attention the detail you always add to your work. it just shows how much you love the fandom and how much you care for your own work. like mentioning the balloon wanting to be held, and the reference to the real cake photo lol

talk shop tuesday!!

when you’re in a creative slump, what’s something that usually helps?

do you have anyone you share your work or ideas with before us?

- 🥤

also if my asks are way too long please don’t be afraid to tell me it won’t hurt my feelings i will tone them down if you want because i just word vomit and send it in 😬

HELLO MY DEAR SMOOTHIE ANON,

First off, please NEVER apologize for sending a long ask omg I get SO EXCITED whenever I see you in my inbox omg the only thing better than asks/fic comments are LONG asks and fic comments so thank you so so much for feeding my soul with these. I apologize that I am about to type out the longest ever response lol

Second, Happy Talk Shop Tuesday! Thank you for indulging me in my favorite day of the week 🩵 Pop and I appreciate the well wishes. After sending me spiraling last week and costing me lots of money the little fucker has decided that he is "totally fine now" and he hasn't even started his new expensive medication yet because it had to be special ordered 😑 The official verdict is that he was sore after playing too hard in turn out so really he's just an idiot who did it to himself. I rode him before work today and when I got to the barn he was bucking and playing on the walker. I was like SIR YOU ARE SEVENTEEN PLEASE STOP and then he was his version of wild for our hack - he just wanted to zoom. 🤦🏻‍♀️ LOL the Multiple Fictional!Matties of madness! I was giggling so hard yesterday answering all those asks. Those anon(s) are iconic and I am so grateful to them for indulging me and sending us down such a fun rabbit hole (or at least... I thought it was fun)

I'm happy to hear that you had an uneventful day, sometimes those are the best kind of days! I'm also very glad to hear that you were able to dispute the charge and get the money back from the bank! That kind of stuff is always so stressful 😭 I also hope you had a lovely time with your friends this weekend!

AHH I'm so happy to hear that you enjoyed today's update! I know it probably wasn't the one ~the people~ were hoping for, but I had a lot of fun working on it and have been not so patiently waiting to post it lol (plus that one anon a while back did always say it was best to post that fic chaotically when it was least expected!) ATKH Fictional!Matty might be the current favorite child, and I am SO GRATEFUL that for all the love that he has received! But Infection Verse Fictional!Matty will always be the OG favorite child lol

I'm glad I was still able to surprise you with the fics direction! I took a page out of The A&E Fic's book and decide that each chapter was going to follow a different birthday / year instead of it being one "moment" in time like the Christmas Fic (the Christmas Fic was supposed to just be a very long one shot though RIP) Don't worry, we will still eventually return to twenty eight year old Fictional!Matty and his very not great year and subsequent inpatient treatment / adjustment to his new normal after. I also really want to write about Infection Verse Fictional!Matty and Fictional!George getting together as teenagers the first time. I swear I'll write those fics eventually I love the infection verse too much to leave it fully lol I'm excited for the next birthday - any guesses how old fictional!Matty will be turning? 😉

Including the cake was a last minute decision - someone had sent me that photo a few weeks ago and I was like omg I must include it somehow! And the balloon thing is one of my favorite little details - ever since reading that New Yorker article I've been trying to weave that little detail / feeling into all the different infection verse fics.

TALK SHOP TUESDAY TIME

When I'm in a creative slump I usually put on my writing playlist (lol I listen to The Chainsmokers when I write because millennial) and just write something, anything. I make myself write at least 500 words a day, whether it's for a fic, my own original fiction, or literally anything. By making myself write SOMETHING everyday, I'm usually able to push through my creative slumps because even if it sucks I did write *something* which usually helps keep me from getting too in my head if that makes sense? Chatting about fic with a few mutuals has also been very helpful as well!

In terms of sharing my work / ideas with someone before posting about it on here- I used to share it with my bestie but then she got a new boyfriend and decided she wasn't into fandom or fic anymore so out of respect for her I have stopped doing that, I do now have a very beloved trusted mutual on here though that I usually spit ball ideas with now and then I am very, very grateful for them!

Thank you SO MUCH for sending such a truly fantastic ask! I apologize for writing a novel in response, if you've made it this far thank you SO MUCH for reading and for the continued support! I hope you continue to enjoy my fics and I look forward to your next ask 🩵 I hope you enjoy Friday's ATKH update and that you are having a wonderful Tuesday and a fantastic rest of your week!

❤️Ally

[glossolali]

from @squibkin on twitter

[spiderwing-nightman]

I finally watched The Defenders

So I've been trying to get through the defenders shows for a bit and I finally watched the entirety of The Defenders (the crossover show) and I was writing my reactions and some of these are pretty funny so im gonna put them here (a lot of them are about matt because he's easy to make fun of and a lot fo the Danny ones are bullying him because he's Danny)

Ok but the real question is: who’s stronger, jess or Luke?

I forget what an idiot season 2 matt is because im used to how much of a mess season 3 matt is

Yknow what this is exactly the shit Jess would get involved in, I’m honestly the most confused about how Luke gets involved

Oh my god Matthew, has a 10 minute conversation w Karen and IMMEDIATELY has to go to confessional

"forgive me father for I have sinned it's been 3 days since my last confession" MATtHEW

Did I know Elektra was coming back? Yes. Was I still like oh my god Elektra when she did? Also yes

Matty you cannot fight crime in your lawyer suit

It has been zero days since Matty’s last incident

Lmao foggy staging an intervention

Matt should under NO circumstances be jess’ lawyer, they would become friends and be HORRIBLE influences to each other, like the amount of chaos that duo would cause, we had better pray for New York

NO ONE is having Danny’s bs

Matt and Jessica r menaces to society

Jessica could’ve definitely made it as an actress

Matt is literally the only one who wears a costume, he’s so dramatic

Can’t believe it took them 3 episodes to meet

Matthew  (I should provide context but saying his name in a judgmental way always applies)

Its time like these that I remember Charlie Cox is British

So far this show has been everyone going “who the fuck are you and how do you know these things” at Matt and Matt just going “don’t worry about it, I just do”

Alexandra should have an accent

“The iron fist and his allies” Danny is their least important/useful member

“Scarf looked better, nice ears” “they’re horns” Jessica really destroyed him in 5 words

Go cry about it Danny

Jessica and Matt r a great duo, meanwhile Luke is having none of Danny 

Jessica googled matt lmao, Jessica and Matt r also best friends

Goddammit stick

Awww Danny still cares about Luke, how nice (honestly I love Danny and Lukes dynamic just a little)

“oUr SoLe FoCuS iS tO lOcAtE tHe SuBsTaNcE”

“His name is Mathew, and my name is Elektra Nachios and you work for me now” *cuts her head off* “any questions?” oh mYGOD

Lmao love the opening scene of episode 7 w the entire team passed out and stick dead with the great music playing in the background

God I love misty

Oh my god matt in an nypd tee shirt, he would have a heart attack if he knew

Matt is really going through it isn’t he (just constantly but in this show in particular he’s going through it a lot more than like everyone else)

“Matt you need to take a breath, you sound insane” when doesn’t he

“ATTORNEY CLIENT PRIVILEGE” OH MY GOD “a witness? What you want me to describe how the scene sounded” I can’t he is SUCH

“There is no plan” “I can tell” Lmao 

Jessica just keeps destroying them all

Foggy thank you for being the only person with any common sense here

Misty needs to stop taking cases that will make or break her career 

These dumb idiots left ALL of their wallets?? Come on

I have never seen a subway THAT empty

Karen, matt does not go a single place he doesn’t want to

“Whatever this thing is, when it’s done, I tHiNk We’Ll GeT mAtT bAcK” yeah okay foggy (this is so funny when you’ve seen season 3 of daredevil)

“Wait a minute where’s the chic with the sword” misty never gets a break

LMAO MATT IN THE SUIT NEXT TO JESS AND LUKE IN NORMAL CLOTHES IS THE FUNNIEST THING I HAVE EVER SEEN “There it is again”

This is such a trip, I looked away for two minutes and the next thing I know theres fire

“Lets go do something crazy” Luke that is exactly what you’ve been doing this entire time

“IF what Jessica says is true” Trish? Do you honestly think it isn’t?

“I’m glad you’re here” “…..what” “yknow under the circumstances im glad I found you” “im not hugging you” Lmao the dynamic between matt, Jessica, and Luke is brilliant

“I don’t want to fight you….. alone” *daredevil swings in* oh my god 10/10 this was so funny 

Mathew, I know you love her, but now is not the time

Omg Jessica also learned how to play nice

Of course matty had to go and have a building fall on him cause he was kissing a girl 

Foggy you cannot ACTUALLY believe matt is dead, you literally saw aliens come from the sky

[wherearemyglassesbro]

Imagine, if you will, a hetalia au where the axis and allies are trapped on an island, in much the same way as they were in those ww2 episodes, except the island is the island from lost.

I LOVE LOST THAT WAS SUCH A GOOD SHOOOWWWWW!!!

Arthur and Alfred would take on the Jack and Sawyer roles lmao they have totally different ideas of how the island should be ‘run’ or what they should be doing as a group to survive but when they need to team up, they do. Arthur is like Jack, providing and assisting with injuries. Alfred is the Sawyer of the group, wanting to things his own way and being stubborn about it. He also has a gun. It isn’t loaded. But no one knows that yet.

Yao would find a boar and wrestle it to death with his bare hands and everyone would be like ‘what the faaawk??’ cause they weren’t expecting grandpa to break out the badassery just yet damn-

Ivan would get viciously sunburnt within the first fifteen minutes on the island and he’d make it everyone else’s problem. When he scratches his arms and skin flakes come off??? Yao actually gags it’s so gross

Francis would not be any help at all for the first week or so because everyone assumed he’d be too uptight to do any of the dirty work so out of spite, he sits out and tans most of the day “Oi!! Get over here and help us build a tent you bastard!” “Eh, you don’t need my help. I’m too lazy and uptight~” he ends up being the only one who doesn’t get attacked by wasps when everyone steps on a huge underground nest >:)

Ludwig is very quiet for awhile cause he’s Processing. But once he’s accepted the situation, he goes out hunting alone. He is the one that discovered the polar bear 0-0 in the rain forest 0-0 no one believed him and insisted he was dehydrated until Yao went out at night and saw it too

Feli and Lovi are the first to encounter the black smoke monster. They’re climbing trees to collect fruit and they hear the clicking sounds and SEE IT OHHH LORDIE they drop everything and sprint back, cursing up a storm the entire time

Kiku finds a dog and keeps it :) everyone is concerned that it’s a monster in disguise but Kiku likes it so he keeps it around.

Gilbert is the first one to start going insane. The third day on the island he’s making smoke signals and screaming while everyone else enjoys a quiet breakfast in the shade lmao this is normal Gil behavior. After he’s done freaking out, he cuts the sleeves off his shirt and starts working out on the beach as if nothing happened

Mattie finds a secret stash of syrup and hides it. Everyone is so mad when they find it and this bitch snatches it out of their hands and chugs it. Epic poggers moment

[punkscowardschampions]

Ava & James

Ava: [Picture of this invite]

Ava: That was unexpected?

James: Yes, it is rather

Ava: Did you give her my address?

Ava: Not intending to sound accusatory there, it would be relatively easy for her to find

James: she definitely didn’t get it from me, that would have given us both some warning that she was planning to invite you, which was clearly not her intent

Ava: I didn’t think you would just give it and then no warning, so yeah

Ava: Don’t get me wrong, it’s nice that she thought of me though

James: I’m not sure it is nice, but perhaps I’m being paranoid

Ava: It did come as a surprise mostly due to how well our interactions went at Mattie’s party

Ava: She’s your sister, you’d know better than I would either way

James: unfortunately I do, but the RSVP is your decision either way

Ava: Well I don’t want to make things awkward for you by doing what I’m not meant to

Ava: Do you think she expects me to turn up?

James: she’s counting on you feeling obligated to, if only for my sake

Ava: Is there something you’d rather I do?

Ava: Or shall I just think about it, from what I would want to do without factoring in you or her and the rest of your family?

James: in all honesty, I’m equally as tempted to suggest you suffer through it so she has nothing to complain about as I am to trust my judgement that there’s no feasible benefit for you in attending

Ava: Hmm

Ava: I don’t mind going

Ava: There’s no logic in spoiling her own baby shower for my benefit

Ava: I can handle being the odd one out or however awkward it may be if it means not having something to hold against you at a later date

James: I suppose if our suspicions are proved in any way correct you can just leave & you’d have definite allies in awkwardness & feeling left out in both Allegra & Cressida, I have a feeling they won’t handle their invites half as well given neither has any choice but to be there

Ava: I can’t imagine suddenly having a step mum who was only a decade ish older than me

Ava: That must be an adjustment

James: they have my sympathies, Diana won’t have eased the transition as much as she could have

Ava: I’m sure it was strange for her too, at first

Ava: but it’s not as if it’s been a total whirlwind

Ava: I better start looking for appropriate blue attire

Ava: and a gift that’ll pass muster

James: she’s the adult allegedly, who stepped into this new role in their lives willingly, they haven’t had any say in the matter, the least she could do is behave according to said role instead of expecting them to adore & respect her immediately with no effort on her part

James: it’s the beginning of a rant I’m aware it’s too late to have, even if she were a receptive listener

James: but if you would like a shopping partner, I’ll check my calendar under no duress whatsoever

Ava: I agree, and would be happy to listen if it’s a rant you ever want to have in full

Ava: despite me not being the desired/required audience really

Ava: I mean, we’ve all seen the set-up before

Ava: They’ll either drive her mad first or he’ll get a new new model, that’s the cynical approach we’ve been taught to adopt, anyway

Ava: Thanks 🙃 I’ll let you know if anything in my wardrobe is working

James: it’s an approach her husband has been happy to follow through with

James: I’d be much happier, however, to discuss the set-up of the photoshoot that’ll be necessary as you investigate the suitability of your wardrobe as well as my desire to be the intended audience

Ava: I’d be happiest if you could be photographer but I’ll do my best to fulfil that desire solo

Ava: Serious question, are the guests going to be like, mostly your sister’s age, or her husband’s age

Ava: Because that changes everything

James: maybe I could be

James: hers, without question, there are no women her husband’s age allowed in either of their circles, they cease to be socially relevant after 35, my mother aside

Ava: Really? 😗

Ava: Duh, I should’ve known that

Ava: as long as I keep the faux pas between us it’ll be fine

James: I wouldn’t call it a faux pas that your mind doesn’t work in the same manner as theirs

Ava: Maybe the attempt is to show me how out of my depth I am?

James: I wouldn’t like to hazard a guess at what she is trying to attempt here, because as you’ve already said, her baby shower hardly seems the appropriate place to do so & yet

Ava: Sorry, I’m not going to say I’ll go, then worry about it the whole time

Ava: Whatever her potential intentions, I’ve decided mine

Ava: and I’m more interested in potentially seeing you today?

James: as you quite rightly should be

James: [tell her when you are and aren’t free today sir]

Ava: Okay, so I’ll save all my best outfits for [a time] then

James: if you’ve decided your intentions with regards to me & then

Ava: Mini Stepford wife isn’t very sexy

Ava: safe to say my intentions for then are

Ava: and if you don’t know my intentions with you by now, I probably need to pick up a pen or typewriter too

James: I need to pick you up as soon as possible is what I know

Ava: Please do

Ava: I need your discerning eye to help me, obviously

James: of course

Ava: I love you

James: I love you too, so much

James: the second everything with the house is finalised & I don’t have to be in constant contact with the owners I intend to take you somewhere far away from my entire family, I promise

Ava: Where do you want to go?

Ava: If we could go anywhere

James: as long as there are several feet of snow, I’ll be inspired & content

Ava: You are the cutest

Ava: but you picked the right time of year for it

Ava: now I’m not looking for listings I can look at Cabins and Ski Lodges 😍

James: blushing being your thing isn’t the only reason I’d prefer the possibility of shivering but it’s a very important factor nonetheless

Ava: Your cheeks will have the chance to get rosy in plenty of other ways and I won’t be mad at all

Ava: I haven’t been skiing in a long while

James: me either, on both counts

Ava: Not to mention so many of the trips people planned never involved much skiing anyway 🙄

Ava: It’ll be more fun with you

James: I recognise that experience & that I’ll have a much better one with you

Ava: Right answer 😋

James: any other answer would be a lie & not even one which spares your feelings

Ava: I trust you

Ava: [a hilariously inappropriate outfit choice]

Ava: You trust me too, yeah?

James: I’m pleased to hear it, because despite the pen being mightier, I’m not sure it would suffice if you don’t trust me by now

James: your sense of humour does have me wishing I was currently sat at a typewriter though

Ava: There’s no more you need to say, or write, you’ve shown why I can over and over

Ava: We can take one and make it a real retreat

James: right answer

Ava: [Wanna skip to the day of this shitshow baby?]

James: [why not, we know that’s why we’re really here, I like to think he dropped her off even though there’s no need because a nice throwback to when they literally had to spend whatever moments they could together in cars, but obvs that’s before Chlo got there]

Ava: [That’s cute, and you can drop your presents off to this snake sister]

James: [literally your last chance to tell him you invited his ex missus but okay babe don’t bother yet again]

Ava: [seriously, you must’ve thought she weren’t showing by now, think again]

James: [fashionably late but looking a state actually]

Ava: [you’ve had months to slay this lmao, gurl]

James: [who in the hell is this new bloke and what’s his damage tbh]

Ava: [I vibe that for it to last he has to be as crazy as she is, which bodes well for their kids, hence it’ll probably be interesting for Mattie to go find them]

James: [yeah I definitely think that should be one of her storylines]

Ava: [anyway, let me do this]

Ava: Okay

Ava: I don’t want to just do this like this

Ava: but I don’t think a call will make it any better, really

Ava: plus why am I going outside or whatever, right

Ava: but Chloe just walked in

Ava: not a poor attempt at humour, or some kind of early sign of a fever, she really did

James: Oh

James: you did the right thing, I’d rather that Jay didn’t overhear even one side of that hypothetical phone call

Ava: Exactly, I know you’re all out right now, I would never want to do that

Ava: I don’t want to, at all

Ava: If telling you after, once I left, seemed like a good idea, I would have gone for that

Ava: but the fact you didn’t know to tell me, that you didn’t know, full stop

Ava: It felt unfair for me to also keep up the secrecy, not something I wanted a part in

Ava: Your sister seems… Surprised. But not, ‘it’s been half a year and you’ve shown up totally unannounced’, surprised

Ava: Your mum couldn’t contain her actual shock though, that I am sure of, from the brief look she gave Diana alone

James: I'm sorry, Ava

James: are you leaving now?

Ava: Do you need me to?

Ava: I could come find you, if you want

James: I need her to, but it’s unlikely I’ll get my own way

Ava: She’s

Ava: I can’t believe she’s done this

Ava: Doing this

James: I can believe she’d show up, but not that my own sister would invite her to do so

Ava: I don’t understand, either

Ava: I’d love to ask

Ava: among other questions for Chloe

Ava: but I won’t

James: you’d be perfectly entitled to, under the circumstances

Ava: I’m not letting her suggest I’m speaking for you

James: I know, you’re the one reliable certainty in all this

Ava: It’s clear she already came here to lie

Ava: even she couldn’t show up and admit she’s made 0 attempts to contact the girls, or even ask about them

James: my mother must be holding her tongue valiantly to avoid pointing any of those discrepancies out

Ava: She shouldn’t

Ava: and I won’t if she plans to do it within earshot

Ava: there’s not confronting her and then there’s letting her spread a false narrative unchecked and unopposed

Ava: defence isn’t attack, whatever she claims

James: my family’s love of a false narrative has been well documented within the earshot of the entire postcode, any necessary private confrontation will, of course, be left down to me, like it or not

Ava: She knows this isn’t true though

Ava: Diana bloody knows

James: yes, but she concerns herself with honesty even less than Diana does, or anyone else I’ve ever had the pleasure of meeting

Ava: I’m so sorry, that she’s doing this

James: it’s not your apology, but for what it’s worth, I’m sorry that my sister invited you there to witness everything my ex wife is going to do

Ava: Try to do

Ava: She isn’t going to get away with it, I swear

James: you don't have to promise me anything

Ava: The truth always comes out

Ava: and you have the call and text history to prove it if anyone actually believed her

Ava: She’s just bringing entertainment, and that’s all people who have no real stake in any of this care about, and they’ll be bored and onto the next before she achieves anything

Ava: If you were even half as bad as she says, why would a decent mother leave her kids with you?

Ava: They wouldn’t and she isn’t, even her fake story has her in a bad light

Ava: Just not as bad as what she really did and what really happened to you and the girls, now and for all the years before

James: whether or not the actual truth comes out or if her particular brand of it remains what's taken as truth, you & I both know what really happened

James: my priority right now is protecting the girls from what she has already done & whatever else she is intending to do for the duration of her return, however long that will be

Ava: And they are all that matters

Ava: I can totally respect that is how it is for you

Ava: And I can see how they are the top priority, regardless of any other factors

Ava: but I do care about how this is affecting you, or could, will

Ava: you know that

James: of course I do & I care just as much about how it could or would impact you, despite knowing full well you can handle any of those effects

Ava: I’m angrier than I could ever be capable of being upset right now, there’s no room for it in my head yet

Ava: but that’s definitely a good thing because if I do start thinking about the potential hurt she could do to the girls with this, I will have to leave or

Ava: just no

Ava: She hasn’t mentioned them once

Ava: not even as a point score

James: whenever you're ready to leave, we'll all be delighted to see you

Ava: Thank you

James: it doesn't feel selfless enough to deserve thanks, particularly when I think about having to engage her in conversation once the champagne has worn off

Ava: You don’t have to come here and pick me up

Ava: and you don’t have to talk to her today

Ava: it’s not as if she has bothered to tell you she’s here

James: no, unless she’s altered her drinking habits whilst being at the villa I won’t be talking to her today, but I’ll pick you up if you want

Ava: Oh she’s certainly celebrating like it’s her baby shower

Ava: I can make my way back to the flat, it’s not too far, I’m fine, promise

James: the only way this could be worse is if that was an announcement she came back to reveal

James: I’m sure you can, nevertheless this has been a horrific surprise & I don’t like to think of you making your own way anywhere to then sit alone with every daunting ‘what if’ & ‘why’ to process when you don’t have to

Ava: Not quite

Ava: I don’t know if it’ll even be pertinent

Ava: but she has ‘subtly’ dropped plenty of loud hints about a new man

Ava: and you’re right, I’m just trying not to be another problem or worry for you to have to think about, but being stubborn about this would do just that

Ava: Whenever you’re ready to come get me, do, I’ll be ready

James: okay, if I drop enough loud hints of my own that we’re on our way to rescue you, Jay is bound to hurry up

Ava: How has your outing been, up until this point?

James: we have had a lovely time with no apparent foreshadowing, which I suppose is appropriate because when I commit this to paper in an effort to understand it, our readers will also be left feeling equally cheated to discover no written warning forthcoming, & there will be some ease in the act, at least, in not to having to think up & in turn add a satisfactory plot device where the source material had none

Ava: Her lack of interest in making the story make sense is in character, if nothing else

Ava: Frustrating and angering and

Ava: Well

Ava: Contempt for the truth at least shows she knows, on some level, that she’s in the wrong, right?

James: hopefully, yes, but as you said, there's a definite losing battle in trying to make sense of her motivations at the best of times & we're far from there at the moment

Ava: I know

Ava: It’s worrying

Ava: Her parents can’t like… make her get some help?

Ava: I know that never works but it might

James: even more worryingly, they can't make her do anything

Ava: Hmm

Ava: I can sense that

James: it wouldn't surprise me if she hasn't told them she's back either

Ava: Jesus

Ava: Whatever hotel she’s booked whilst she’s here will be on them though

James: along with her flights, cars & everything else

James: maybe I should call them in case they don't learn of her whereabouts until she posts baby shower photos

Ava: It would be decent of you, though it shouldn’t be your call to be decent on her behalf

Ava: wouldn’t blame you if you didn't

James: performing tasks or behaving a certain way on her behalf did become second nature to me

Ava: That’s only logical

Ava: When there was so much she wouldn’t do herself, that she should or needed to be done

Ava: You had to step up for two

James: but now there is no longer a need to project the false united front & it's a habit I have to break

Ava: In this case, it isn’t a bad thing you care about their feelings

Ava: bizarre that you do more than her, but still, bizarre by how little she does

Ava: Do what YOU think is right

Ava: Don’t consider her at all, in the things that is a possibility

James: you're right, I will

James: thank you

Ava: This is not ideal, we both know that

Ava: but she hasn’t mentioned any permanent plans to stay or anything like that

Ava: but whatever she does, this will be okay, we’ll work it out, you will

James: I appreciate your belief in my ability to handle this, I hope you know that as well

Ava: I do

Ava: on both counts

James: then yes, it’ll be okay

James: I promise we are on our way to collect you, just bear with me while I call her parents

Ava: Take as long as you need

Ava: Initial shock over… as much as it can be

Ava: I don’t need Chloe thinking I can’t handle her

James: [please do phone them in case they don't know and see those posts then come back]

James: you don't need to worry about what she thinks

Ava: [can you bloody imagine lmao]

Ava: Not about me, never

James: on any subject

Ava: Diana’s step daughters have behaved more maturely

James: I'd feel confident in predicting Jay also has, over the course of the day

Ava: and she only had like, three tantrums, right? 😏

James: I couldn't possibly give you the tally, lest you tell Frank & provoke an even worse reaction

Ava: 🤫🤐

Ava: He’ll never know

Ava: he’s definitely had the best day of us all 😴🥩🥎😴

James: I'm happy to hear his criteria has been met, but I'll be ecstatic if I can do the same for yours

Ava: My criteria is slightly different but I’d take 😴🥩🥎😴 at a push

James: I'd rather you decided to elaborate than compromise

Ava: I only need the one emoji

James: oh really?

Ava: Mhmm

Ava: I won’t ask you to guess

James: are you sure? It wouldn't be much of a hypothetical perfect day if you couldn't ask whatever you like of me

Ava: I don’t need hypothetical or real perfect

James: you don't have to need something for me to want to offer it to you

Ava: All I need from you, is you

James: wouldn't you like to forget about all this?

Ava: Is that possible?

James: I'll be finding out as you do

Ava: Okay

James: so where is this fool's errand taking us?

Ava: Well 🤔 what helps people forget that isn’t champagne

Ava: 🌳🎞📚🖼💚 as your day out was cut somewhat short

James: okay, I'll of course start us off with 📚

James: I suggest we let the girls pick 🌳 or 🖼 because of their awful taste in 🎞 but I'll let you make your own decision before I mention any of this to either of them

Ava: Harsh 😅

Ava: but I’ve sat through enough films that aren’t Twilight to know you’re not lying

Ava: I’ve missed you today, all of you

James: we've missed you too, especially me, even though you've ruined me for any & all films but Twilight

Ava: At least you also have the perfect soundtrack for the 💔

James: it'll work just as well for the traffic we end up stuck in

Ava: Where would we be without the traffic, help or hindrance

James: personally, I’ve recently had more positive associations with it & where I would be without those is inconceivable to me

Ava: I feel the same

James: I’ve really missed you today

Ava: I wouldn’t wish this particular event on you, especially with the unexpected bonus of Chloe

Ava: but it’s better doing things with you, the stuff we don’t want to particularly do included, even if they’re not as nice as the good things

James: I would’ve come with you, in spite of her arrival & because of, had I been allowed

James: she isn’t someone you should have to deal with on your own, not when we made the choices that contributed to her disappearance together

Ava: She’s got enough blame for the both of us, definitely

Ava: but I can’t see anyone seriously buying it…

Ava: anyway, we know how it was

James: yes we do & you’ve never doubted what I’ve said the truth was, anyone who takes her word instead is the least of my worries, because they clearly have their own

Ava: Exactly

Ava: and maybe I could take the homewrecker bit more seriously if she was making any effort to fight for any of you

Ava: not that you’re even asking her to fight to see the girls 🙄

James: precisely

James: tomorrow I’ll be the one fighting against her clear reluctance to spend time with them & then again to ensure Jay doesn’t overhear that she’s back when that plan inevitably fails

Ava: Of course

Ava: There’s no need to do that

Ava: it’s bad enough without the anxiety of waiting, not to mention the potential disappointment

Ava: If she comes, she comes

Ava: When Jay is a bit older, it might be better for Chloe to have to arrange it with her herself, but not yet

James: from experience it would be better if she refuses to come, I couldn’t get her to feign even the slightest interest when they were both living in the same house, occupying the same rooms, she’s unlikely to if she has to put herself out to meet us

James: & it was one thing to tell Jay when we move into the new house mummy isn’t living with us, it’s quite another to try & explain she doesn’t want to visit her anywhere at any time, or worse still, to have her agree to do that & behave worse than the children themselves

Ava: It’s so bloody difficult

Ava: because that is true, or does seem to be true, from all the available past experience you shared and behaviour she’s exhibited then and since

Ava: but it’s unfair to leave the onus on you to ever have to have that conversation with Jay, and Mattie, when you can

Ava: it shouldn’t be one you should ever have to have

Ava: but the reality is, it might be, parents leave, and the parent who stays has to do the lion’s share and then some, dealing with whatever the deserter has left in their wake…

Ava: we’re just programmed to be far more shocked and appalled when that parent is the mother, not the father

Ava: but it is shocking, and can in some cases be appalling, regardless of role and gender, I’ve seen it within my own family

Ava: but in others, I’ve seen it is ultimately for the best, and to have that parent around would make life worse, if they had chosen to be involved

James: you said yourself she hasn’t expressed any desire to stay & her parents weren’t prepared for the eventuality when I spoke to them, our instinct that this is a short visit is the one I trust in right now & the one I’m readying myself & the girls for

James: whether or not she engages with them tomorrow, the reality is, her parenting has only ever been performative & taking a picture of or with them in response to comments she receives under the ones from today isn’t going to trick Jay into thinking they’ve spent quality time together the way it did when she was younger, she may already have questions I’m struggling to find appropriate answers for, but I know expecting her mother to supply them would be disastrous & I can do better than that

James: what has happened so far has been for the best, I don’t know what possessed my sister to send that invitation & jeopardize things

Ava: I hope she intends to explain, as well as apologize

Ava: Whatever she was thinking, it’s safe to say it’s backfired, unless her intention was to cause potential harm to her own niece

Ava: which you have to hope was not

Ava: All you can do is all you can do

Ava: Chloe is going to do, or not do, whatever she wants, that’s apparent

Ava: Jay’s fast approaching an age where she won’t engage with that performativeness and I don’t think anyone will blame her if she decides not to

Ava: Then Chloe will have to decide if she is actually going to try or not

James: I love you for being the type of person to sincerely write out & send that message when it’s unfortunately as apparent we can’t really hold out any such hope for Diana’s character, regardless of what’s happened, she’ll be steadfast in her conviction her intentions were good & she was right

James: all I can do is expect less than nothing from either of them, at this point

Ava: If it wasn’t her baby shower, your mum might have beat me to confronting her on it

James: perhaps there’s some hope for my mother yet

Ava: Perhaps

Ava: or she was just livid to be caught out of the loop, who’s to say really

James: realistically yes, I think we can say it’s the latter

Ava: They’re not invited on our redux day out regardless so

James: speaking of, we’re finally here

Ava: Yay 🙌🙌 I’ll make my excuses and be right out

James: take as much time as you need, I know what my family & sister’s friends are like

Ava: I’d love to see them pretend they’re dying for me to stay, honestly

James: as long as you’re expecting a performance on a par with the lowest-rated children’s film in place of one from the Twilight saga

Ava: 😏 you’ll make me laugh, which might help my own performance

James: oh good, I’d love nothing more than to grant you the fastest possible exit

[wiinterrose]

          ( xavier serrano , cis male , he / him, 23 ) no way ! i swear i saw 𝐌𝐈𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐋 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐒 walking down danforth avenue ! i just saw a post about them on 6secrets ! i think it said something like “𝐌𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐘 𝐅𝐋𝐎𝐑𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐏𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐀𝐌𝐎𝐔𝐒 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑'𝐒 𝐇𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐄 𝐀𝐓 𝟓 𝐀𝐌 : 𝐑𝐎𝐌𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐑 𝐘𝐄𝐓 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐆 ?”. isn’t that wild ? i guess that makes sense since they’re apparently 𝐃𝐔𝐏𝐋𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐓𝐎𝐔𝐒 and 𝐂𝐔𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆. fans will claim that they’re 𝐎𝐏𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐂 and 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐂.  i mean , it’s not like i know them personally — they’re a famous 𝐏𝐑𝐎𝐅𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑 / 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐁𝐄𝐑. whenever i think of them, i think of 𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐂𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐈𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐄 𝐓-𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐑𝐓𝐒, 𝐔𝐍𝐑𝐔𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐇𝐎𝐂𝐎𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐂𝐔𝐑𝐋𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐀𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐎𝐑 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐋𝐀𝐒𝐒𝐄𝐒, & 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐔𝐍𝐋𝐈𝐓 𝐒𝐌𝐈𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒. i wish i would have asked for an autograph ! ( oliver, they / them, 22, est ).

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐘

— mikey was born and raised in winnipeg because i think it’s funny when characters are from winnipeg. if you’re from winnipeg i’m so sorry. definitely was born on the coldest day of that year ( so like some point in january )

— but because of those long, cold harsh winters, mikey found himself in a dance studio a lot. his aunt was a dance teacher and with rather absent parents who meant well but both had long hours at the local hospital, he spent a lot of time with her. he fell in love with dance pretty early on, always having a certain fluidity and grace even when he was young.

— random but he also played hockey up until he was like 16 or whatever because he’s canadian and i’m not stupid. it happened. he can still skate tho. in a slightly different life he probably would have been a pretty good figure skater huh 🤔🤔🤔 but anyway...

— also feel like it makes sense that he did gymnastics. and trained in classical ballet.

— he went to university of toronto for college, studying kinesology and dance, and danced at one of the prestigious studios in the city.

— his big break moment was when in his sophomore year at ut, he made it onto the second season of world of dance in early 2017 ( lets pretend that show has been on longer than it has bc i don’t want it to be the first season of it sldk ). he made it all the way to the finals and quickly become a fan favorite along the way. though he ultimately placed second and missed out on the million dollars, that was the beginning of many doors opening for him. ( for those who, might have the vaguest clue what i’m talking about : i’m highkey feeling like, michael dameski style which is an idea i had after i named him michael so don’t @ me for him having the same first name ).

— millions watched that show, including some prominent agents and scouts who were able to help him launch a professional dance career : something he never thought he’d see himself actually doing. his first big gig was making the dance team for some singer’s north american tour, and he ended up not returning to ut to pursue a professional dance career full time. since then he’s danced in a few music videos for some uber famous musican ( same one he went on tour with or not idk ?? also a wc ?? maybe ?? ), a tv show, couple movies, and other various gigs around the city. he works part time at a studio when he has time, and has been honing his choreography skills as well.

— he makes enough dancing, but certainly not enough to make him RICH. no, that come from an impromptu vlog he did while on tour with aforementioned singer. having already garnered a following from world of dance, he soon rose to youtube fame as well, something he never could have predicted. i feel like his videos are very just, day in a life with various random athletic challenges mixed in, and various workout and flexibility tips. he also still does pieces and duets with other prominent dancers just for fun too. his natural charisma and attitude really just carries him through easily lmao.

— mikey developed a bit of a habit of sleeping around when he left for college, all the newfound freedom was just intoxicating and well. he was hot so. it wasn’t like it was hard alsdkjf. that stuck around well into his blossoming dance career. nothing that was enough to be scandalous, but he made his way around. and then a year and a half into this unforeseen new life, he met matthew glass.

— he’d had a couple serious relationships before, one in high school, one his freshman year of college but neither of them could hold a flame to what he felt when he was with matt. perfection wasn’t something mikey believed in, but he almost did with what they had.

— it was like for over a year and a half he lived in this insane dream, and then mikey and matt broke up and he was devastated ( behind closed doors and with curtains pulled tightly shut ).

— he then proceeded to broadcast how perfectly fine he was doing by going back to his old ways and sleeping around obsessively, this time with very little regard as to how many headlines he was making. as far as coping mechanisms go, i guess sex is better than alcohol ?? not to say he wasn’t also drunk at times l o l.

𝐌𝐈𝐒𝐂

— mikey gets around. has definitely been trying to forget matty with other warm bodies but honestly it’s not working

— very bi. very much does not care. if the world didn’t know he was before, it definitely does now lmao. he hasn’t come out in the sense he’s like posted a video about it and said “i’m bisexual” but it’s pretty obvious from the media and maybe he has gotten asked in interviews and has just shrugged and been like does it matter ?? i’m sorry he’s not the vocal bi ally we need. perhaps we will work on that.

— hasn’t dated anyone since matt bc he’s highkey lowkey still hung up on him but no one needs to know that right. outwardly, he’s very much the same : seemingly happy, but he’s a lot more careful with his heart and letting people close to him. if anything he’s become a bit of a two-way mirror, always seeing out but never really letting people see in, just what they want to see.

— probably goes without saying but extremely flexible. idk if any of you know who juuse saros is but apparently he can twerk in a split and i’m not saying mikey can but like. he just might be able to...

— straight up does not get cold. never wears more than a hoodie, probably danced shirtless in the middle of winter just fine. at least being from winnipeg is good for one ( 1 ) thing.

— i feel like people call him flower. idk guys. maybe im just thinking too much abt hockey goalies.

— always posting on instagram stories. u kno the type.

𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐓𝐘

— he tends to be extremely underestimated as he comes across a bit dumb and generally has a pretty positive outlook on life which people confuse for him being naive when that isn’t the case. but he’s found he can use that it his advantage and that sometimes, people will tell him things they think he can’t understand but he hears and remembers everything. it’s helped him out of a few difficult situations before.

— i feel like he has a bit of ethan dolan’s personality & dumbass energy idk guys...

— live in the moment kind of dude. his motto is probably like : you just gotta know what you want to do next. i mean looking back on his life it’s been pretty crazy and that’s only solidified his outlook that like, you really can’t control too much. just let it go where it takes you.

— people do like him though and they like talking to him for whatever reason. generally has pretty trustworthy vibes but he’s more slippery than he comes across. he’s a selfish person at heart and always has his own best interests in mind, even if it doesn’t seem that way at first.

— extroverted. i think ??

𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄

— 6′1″. chocolate brown eyes. curly brown hair. he has a lithe but extremely fit build due to his career. his core strength is especially impressive.

— he has a monochromatic lineart tattoo of a rose on his left forearm / wrist and a butterfly ( again monochromatic & just lineart ) on his right shoulder. small scar at the base of his neck by his ear from an unfortunate hockey accident.

— needs glasses but usually only wears contacts unless he’s in his apartment late at night.

— he’s not overly fashionable, going more for comfort than how he generally looks. on a regular day, he’s probably got the whole... college athlete look going if you know what i mean. a big fan of mirrored aviator sunglasses. wouldn’t know what dressing up meant even if it slapped him in the face.

— PINTEREST BOARD

𝐖𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐍𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒

first and foremost i want to say that i like to vibe and brainstorm with people to come up with unique connections between our characters but here are a few ideas :

— ( f ) a close friend he has had on his channel a few times and fans passionately ship them but they’re really just good friends. maybe they play into the drama a few times as well tho. — the singer whose tour he danced on — singer whose music videos he’s been in — mayhaps even actors for that tv show / movie he was in ( v small role but whatevs. maybe they just Vibed yknow ) — flirtationship 😔 — always ye ol good hookup l o l — we keep running into each other idk maybe we should talk ??

TAKEN CONNECTIONS PAGE HERE

𝐎𝐎𝐂

         hey guys, i’m ollie. my intros are either written really eloquently or a big mess bc im trying to rub together a couple braincells at 1 am and whatever comes out, comes out. no need to guess which category this one falls into lmAO. anyway, i’m a slow plotter bc i’m easily overwhelmed trying to do too many things at once but i swear i will try to get to as many people as i can. and yeah this entire character is inspired by my love of world of dance don’t @ me... if u made it all the way down here u should watch this bc 😳 & mikey has the same athleticism and strength.

[5hfanfiction]

there's nothing like me and you (and you know it)

there’s nothing like me and you (and you know it)

–

Famous Lauren sets up a dating account and uses her real picture. Camila meets up with her after the site matches them, thinking that she’s definitely going to get catfished.

Hit me up at jaureguicabello5eva on ao3/wattpad

–

Lauren has been looking at her computer screen for a good twenty minutes and she’s ready to call it quits and succumb to her ultimate fate of never finding anyone. She thinks she’ll be fine growing old alone with just her two cats if she doesn’t have to talk about what she likes to do in her free time ever again. Because now that she thinks about it, she doesn’t have much free time in her lifestyle anyway and so when she has a cleared schedule for the first time in almost two whole years, it’s like she’s forgotten how to function like a normal, social person.

She just finished her worldwide tour and has been give a couple months of break before she has to be back in the studio and although she’s thoroughly enjoyed it thus far, she was also reminded of just how single she is. Her best friend, Dinah, tired of her dramatics and constant complaints about being single finally pushed her to make a dating profile online because you never know, Laur. There are success stories in those things too, you know. Your last real relationship was your cheating ex and it’s time you get him out of your system, girl!

The raven-haired girl thought about it for a while and figured she doesn’t have much to lose.

What are your hobbies?

Lauren thinks about what she does when she’s not on stage or the studio or writing music. She wiggles her fingers, hovering just above the keyboard of her laptop as if that’s suppose to help her type up her profile.

“Okay,” she says to herself. “I like…to watch the food channel,” she says out loud as she types. “Oh! And hanging out with my cats. I also like to read anything and everything I can get my hands on.” Once she starts typing, she starts getting more comfortable and actually begins to feel excited to know that she has a life outside of music after all. “I prefer quiet nights in over partying in a club on the weekends and am currently learning how to knit.”

Lauren has a huge smile on her face when she starts to reread her profile, which quickly drops into a frown once she finishes going over it. “Oh my god, I’m a 90-year old grandma,” she groans as she drops her head on the dinner table and whines to herself. “God, this is stupid. How did I let Dinah talk me into doing this?” she asks herself. “There’s gotta be better ways to meet people.”

She reluctantly finishes the rest of her profile, citing her eyes as the first thing people notice about her (despite the question specifically saying “other than appearance”), music as the one thing she can’t live without, and the brain as the part of the body that she’s most attracted to. She figures that’s really not where that question was trying to lead her to but she doesn’t really give a fuck at this point. Whoever this site is going to match her with is just going to have to deal with her singing, knitting, and books-reading ass.

The green-eyed girl downs the rest of the wine in her glass and looks over the profile one more time, uploading one of her favorite pictures from her recent Vogue shoot as her profile pic before she clicks on submit. She heads straight to her bedroom afterwards and refuses to give the site another look, figuring that whatever happens, happens.

–

Camila’s attention is brought out of watching MasterChef Junior when she hears an unfamiliar chime on her phone. She raises an eyebrow at the notification when she sees it’s from the dating site she’s been on for a couple weeks now.

Her roommate and best friend, Normani, had created a profile for her without her knowledge because the girl thinks it’s high time Camila moved on from her ex and she couldn’t take the pouting and moping around anymore so she took matters into her own hands.

In Camila’s defense, it had only been, like, two years since…she who shall not be named, so it hasn’t been that long. And she really is over the girl. She swears on it. Maybe she still feels a tiny, minuscule, super small, barely-noticeable bit of care for the other girl, but that’s probably only because they grew up as best friends and she was Camila’s first everything. So yeah, she’s not going to just abandon and completely forget the girl, even though that’s what she did to Camila, but she is over her.

Anyways, to prove her point, after initially freaking out over a dating profile that she did not create herself, Camila eventually gave in, if only to convince her friend that she’s totally fine and is just completely enjoying the single life, is all.

She’s changed a few things on her profile that Normani would probably shake her head at, but she figures she should be as honest as possible as to not send the wrong impression on whoever matches with her.

The brunette looks at the profile that was matched to her and laughs out loud in her empty apartment. The girl is using Lauren Jauregui, famous world-wide, multi-platinum selling pop star, as their profile picture and has hanging out with her cats and knitting on their list of hobbies. This girl is unbelievable, she thinks. How dumb can she be to use an actual famous person to catfish?

She shakes her head at the person and at the site creators for matching her with an obviously sketchy person and is ready to reject the match and exit out of it when she comes up with a brilliant plan. She’s going to meet up with this person and give them a lesson about fooling people on the internet. The brown-eyed girl thinks it should be fun to call someone out on their bullshit.

–

Lauren is fixing herself some cereal when she gets the dating app notification on her phone and she makes a mad dash to retrieve it before Dinah gets to it. The blonde Polynesian raises an eyebrow at her, which the raven-haired girl just shrugs off.

“Oooh, you got a hot date, Lauser?” the taller girl asks teasingly, waggling her eyebrows for effect.

“Shut up, Dinah,” Lauren rolls her eyes at the girl and moves away from her to read the notification. “Why are you still here anyway?” she huffs while discreetly trying to read the notification.

“Ally’s running a little late,” the other girl shrugs, but Lauren’s attention is elsewhere.

The raven-haired girl smiles at the profile that was matched to her. The girl, Camila, listed eating bananas as a hobby and talks about writing music as well, immediately intriguing the singer. After reading more about the girl’s favorite author, Charles Bukowski, and music artists, Ed Sheeran and The 1975 among others, the green-eyed girl decides she’d like to meet up with the girl. The picture on her profile is a whole body picture so Lauren has a hard time really seeing the details of her face but she can tell that the girl probably has Latin roots based on her features and one thing that’s not hard to notice, is that ass.

–

Lauren: Hey (:

Camila: Hi ((:

Lauren: I read your profile and it says that you like The 1975? I love them and actually met Matty a couple times before

Camila: Really?! That’s so cool, I’d love to meet the whole band someday. *sighs* Anyways, I saw that you’re into knitting? How’s that going?

Lauren: It turns out I’m not as good with my fingers as I thought

Lauren: Oh my gosh, I’m sorry, I totally didn’t mean for that to come off as sexual

Camila: lmao, well I hope your lack of talent in the fingers department is limited to knitting ;)

Camila cringes at the message she sends in the dating app’s messenger. Is she really flirting with this catfishing lady?

Lauren: haha, well that’s for you to find out ;) anyways, since the dating app gods have decided that we make a good match based on our profiles, would you be willing to meet up?

Camila thinks about it for a second and decides to go on with her plan.

Camila: Sure! Where do you wanna go?

Lauren: Well, I was thinking we could go somewhere kind of quiet? Like somewhere public, but also discreet. I don’t want to freak you out or anything, but I just don’t want big crowds

Camila re-reads the last message a few times and furrows her brows. Is this girl really sticking to the persona of Lauren Jauregui?

Camila: Yeah sure, your location says L.A., so how about the café by broadway and center street, it’s pretty low-key and only hardcore hipsters or 90-year old grandmas go to that one

Lauren: sounds like my kind of place. I’ve never been, but that should work. When are you free?

Camila: I have work all week so how does Friday night sound? Around seven?

Lauren: I’ll see you then (:

Camila: ((:

–

Lauren is fidgeting with her fingers as she nervously looks around. She’s wearing a baseball cap with her hair tied through the hole in the back and a grey NY hoodie with black ripped jeans so as to keep a low profile but she can’t help but think she’ll be found out. This is L.A. after all. She chose a somewhat hidden corner in the café and hopes Camila will be able to find her. As she surveys the area however, she feels a little relieved that not a single person is paying attention to her, everyone else too absorbed in their laptops and books and skinny lattes.

She had continued texting with Camila as they eventually progressed to exchanging numbers throughout the week leading up to their meet up and she can’t help but be excited. The girl is funny and intelligent and absolutely adorable from the conversations she’s had with the brunette and she can’t wait to learn more.

Camila, on the other hand, is rushing through the streets in an attempt to try to get to the café on time. She’d taken a nap after her work and slept past the time she was planning to get up for her meet up with Lauren. Despite enjoying her conversations with the girl, she’s still determined on calling out the girl for pretending to be someone else.

The brunette enters the café and looks around, trying to spot a baseball cap and a grey hoodie as that’s what “Lauren Jauregui” said she’d be wearing. She finds the back of the girl’s head in the corner and slowly approaches her, trying to replay in her head what she would say to the girl.

She takes the last few steps and gets in the raven-haired girl’s line of view, getting ready for her attack when her eyes land on Lauren’s face and her words die in her mouth. Her brown eyes widen at the sight of the girl, free of make-up but looking as every bit as flawless as she does whenever Camila had seen her on TV. Her green eyes are bright and her lips are plump and full while a single diamond stud rests on her left nostril and Camila is finding it hard to breathe.

She remains standing gawking at the girl before Lauren slowly stands up and awkwardly clears her throat, “Um – hello,” she says with a small wave of her hand. “I’m Lauren. You’re Camila, right?” she says while extending her hand and Camila snaps out of her trance.

“Holy shit!” the brunette exclaims, pointing an accusatory finger at Lauren while the raven-haired girl’s eyes widen in panic as she looks around to see if anyone is paying attention to them. “You’re Lauren fucking Jauregui,” she continues at a volume that makes Lauren cringe.

“Um, yeah” the green-eyed girl responds unsurely. “We’ve been talking for a week and I posted a picture of myself on my profile,” she explains. “You didn’t know?” she asks with a confused face.

Camila just shakes her head to try to get her thoughts together. “You’re actually Lauren Jauregui!” she exclaims again. “What the actual fuck is going on?” Then she looks around and looks like she just figured something out. “Oh shit, am I on Punk’d or something? Is Kutcher going to come out or what?” she says while laughing and enthusiastically looking around.

“Um no,” Lauren says. “Look, Camila. You seem like a nice girl, but can you tone it down a bit?” she whispers. “I really don’t wanna draw the attention of the paps here.”

“Oh my god, I can’t believe this,” Camila says as she ignores the girl’s pleas. “Lauren Jauregui actually decided she wanted to meet up with me,” she says in wonder. Then her expression changes to one of anger? “Why didn’t you tell me you were the real Lauren?! This whole time I thought I was going to get catfished?”

“I’m sorry?” Lauren says, hesitating for a bit. “For not catfishing you, I guess. But seriously,” she says while looking around desperately. “You really need to be quiet,” she begs as she surveys the place and sees that a couple customers are now looking at them.

“Be quiet?! I can’t be ‘quiet,’” she says while making exaggerated air quotes with her fingers.

“I really don’t want to do what I’m about to do,” Lauren warns. “So please, can you just sit down and we can talk?” she tries one last time.

Camila just shakes her head vigorously with a matching wag of her finger. “Oh no,” she laughs. “We’re not just gonna ‘sit down and talk’ – OH!”

Her words are interrupted with a yelp when she feels herself being lifted off the ground as Lauren throws her over her shoulder, wrapping her arms around her legs as she scurries towards the exit in the back.

“Oh my god, Lauren! Put me down,” she cries.

Lauren just continues to easily carry her to the far end of the parking lot and Camila feels herself being gently placed inside a BMW 3 Series. She sees Lauren hurry around the car and get in the driver’s seat, driving out of the lot after buckling her seat belt on.

“Put on your seat belt, please” Lauren says as she turns to a stunned Camila for a second.

Camila does as she says when she finally snaps out of her daze and looks around. “Damn, this car is nice,” she whistles. Lauren just chuckles and shakes her head,

“Thanks.”

The brunette notices that they pull in another small restaurant’s parking lot and she turns to the raven-haired girl, who’s turned in her own seat to address the girl.

“Okay, look,” Lauren says as she gestures to the place around them. “See, we’re still in a public place and you are free to get out whenever you want,” she clarifies. “I don’t want you thinking I’m kidnapping you or anything,” at which the brunette just raises an eyebrow. “I just didn’t know what to do and I panicked, okay? You wouldn’t stop freaking out and I really needed you stop talking before you drew any more attention to us,” she sighs. “I’m sorry for just carrying you like that,” the dark-haired girl says as she looks down ashamed.

Camila chuckles, causing Lauren to snap her head back up to look at the brunette. “No, no I’m sorry for being so extra,” she says with a light laugh. “I just – I really did not expect this to be real,” she shakes her head at herself.

“I mean, I don’t know why you were so surprised,” Lauren replies. “I posted a picture of myself and wrote my whole name in.”

Camila looks at her curiously, “Yeah, but ordinary people use famous people’s pictures all the time. I didn’t expect a famous person to be on a dating site and I definitely didn’t expect a celebrity to actually reveal themselves right away. I can’t believe you used a real picture.”

“Was I not supposed to use a real picture of myself?”

“Do you not know that you’re famous or something?” Camila asks amusedly while a faint blush forms on Lauren’s cheeks as she rubs the back of her neck. “Oh my god, you’re so adorable,” the brunette coos.

Lauren swats Camila’s hand gently when she tries to pinch her cheeks as she straightens up to ask what she was going to say, “So – um – did you wanna continue this date?” the dark-haired girl asks insecurely, eyes darting anywhere but Camila’s.

Camila smiles at the girl’s nervousness and nods her head enthusiastically, “Are you kidding? Of course! Yeah, what did you have in mind?”

“Well, um – nothing in particular. But I would like, if possible, somewhere low-key, you know?” she asks, meeting the brunette’s eyes. “I just don’t want the paps involved.”

“I know just the place.”

–

Camila gives Lauren directions and they eventually arrive at some hole-in-the-wall place that serves Cuban food.

“Their food here is absolutely amazing,” Camila says eagerly as they walk through the entrance, holding the door open for the other girl. “And the service is phenomenal. I know you’re Cuban-American so I thought you might like this place,” she explains as she looks around for a familiar face.

“Yeah, I’m definitely excited. I’m always down for Cuban food, you know?” Lauren smiles at the girl and the brunette can’t help but notice how a slight Cuban accent lingered around her words. Lauren looks around and marvels at how at-home she feels in the place. The restaurant is mostly dimly lit with dark shades of red painting the walls and fairy lights strategically strung around the entire dining area. There are also several framed photos that capture the Cuban atmosphere, Lauren notes as her eyes linger over the photos of street-cart vendors and narrow roads planked by antique buildings as well as Cuba’s beautiful beaches.

“Camilita!” they hear someone call for Camila and they turn to see an elderly Hispanic man walking towards them with outstretched arms, which the brunette eagerly runs into. “I’m so glad you can stop by, mija” the man says as they pull back, beaming at each other.

“Please,” Camila mock scoffs. “You know I can’t stay way from this place,” she teases the old man.

“Oh, of course. Of course,” he chuckles as he brings his attention to the the dark-haired girl, who’s still looking at the place around them.

“Oh, this is Lauren” Camila says gesturing to the girl as she introduces the the two. “Lauren, this is Alfredo, my second father basically,” the brunette smiles at the two of them as they shake hands.

“It’s nice to meet you, sir” Lauren says. “This is quite the place you have,” she says with pure admiration in her voice.

“Lauren?” Alfredo says as he scrunches his face in thought. “You look like somebody I’ve seen before, huh?” he muses.

Camila’s eyes find Lauren’s green ones and she’s able to figure out what the dark-haired girl is wanting to tell her without the use of words. “Oh, you’ve met too many people, Alfred,” Camila jumps in. “There’s bound to be similarities every now and then.”

“Ah, you’re right, mija” the man replies. “It’s the old age, you know?” he says lightheartedly. “It’s starting to get to me,” he chuckles. “Anyway, let me sit you and your friend, this way,” he says kindly as he ushers them to a corner.

Camila and Lauren continue their date as they bond over authentic Cuban food. “Oh my god,” Lauren moans into her food as she takes the first bite. “This is so good,” she says approvingly and Camila has to divert her eyes from the girl’s look of pleasure before she lets her imagination run wild.

“Right? I told you you’d love it here,” she smiles at the girl once she composes herself.

“I definitely do,” the dark-haired girl says while nodding her head. “So how do you know the owner?” Lauren asks after swallowing her food.

“Um, my parents have always been very busy people,” the brunette shrugs. “Being doctors and all, so I used to come here all the time when I was younger,” Camila smiles at the memory. “Alfred, and his wife Maria, are kind of like a second set of parents.”

“Oh, okay,” Lauren nods as she listens.

They learn more about each other, Lauren telling Camila some stories of her childhood, ones the younger girl hadn’t heard from the media or found out through Google, while Camila tells Lauren more about her own life and how she works as a writer for a major publication in L.A. They bond over their shared passion in music and talk about their similar tastes in music.

At the end of the date, Camila is glad she wasn’t catfished after all and Lauren feels like she hadn’t completely lost all of her social skills as she finds it easy to converse with Camila.

“Okay, since you decided on this date,” Lauren says as she wipes her mouth with a napkin, running her tongue over her lips afterwards to rid of any remaining food traces on her mouth, an action that Camila’s eyes immediately follow. “How about, I invite you for dinner for our second one?”

“At your place?” Camila asks, surprised.

“Yeah, why not?” Lauren shrugs. “I’ve been watching the food channel a lot and I really want to try this casserole I saw once and maybe I can impress you with my cooking skills,” the green-eyed girl says with a bright smile and who is Camila to really deny this adorable human being anything that she wants.

“But I could be a serial killer stalker or something,” Camila tries one more time.

“Are you?” Lauren asks seriously.

“No.”

“Well then,” the raven-haired girl claps her hands enthusiastically. “We’re on for the second date!”

Camila shakes her head fondly at the girl across from her. “Okay. We need to teach you how to deal with meeting people on the internet and inviting strangers to your home,” the brunette smiles as the other girl just flushes red.

–

Camila walks out of the elevator that leads directly into Lauren’s living room after getting escorted by the security to the dark-haired girl’s penthouse.

“Wow,” the brunette says to herself as she looks around, the place surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides. “Really living that rock star life, huh?” she teases the other Latina, who’s frantically moving around the kitchen, hair up in a messy bun and in an apron that has Know What Tastes Even Better Than My Cooking? with an arrow pointing down written on the front. “Nice apron,” Camila says with a laugh.

“Yeah yeah,” Lauren says dismissively, still stirring something on the stove. “My best friend thinks she’s hilarious. “Make yourself comfortable. There’s drinks by the bar or juice in the fridge or coffee or tea and I ha-”

“I got it,” the brunette responds with a light chuckle. “Just focus over there Gordon Ramsey,” she says teasingly while helping herself to a glass of water.

After a few more moments of small talk and Lauren working around in the kitchen, they’re finally setting up the table and Camila can’t help but be excited from the aroma that’s easily permeating the room. They sit down on one side of Lauren’s gigantic dining table and Lauren sets her forearms in front of her, waiting eagerly as the brunette across the table gathers some food on her spoon, getting ready to take the first bite.

Camila smiles at the girl, whose green eyes are wide and bright and she can tell the girl is holding her breath so she teases her and takes her time in lifting the spoon to her mouth.

“Cameeelaa,” Lauren whines. “Just taste it already.”

“Okay, okay,” Camila concedes while laughing at the girl. “Stop looking like an over-eager puppy and distracting me then.” Lauren flushes pink and rolls hers eyes to try to hide her embarrassment.

Camila finally takes a bite and it’s – horrible. Like, absolutely, without a doubt, incredibly horrific. How Lauren managed to make such a simple dish seem like it was concocted in a lab by mad scientists is beyond Camila.

She keeps it in her mouth with a tight-lipped smile and starts to chew slowly, so as to not accidentally swallow huge chunks and choke to death. Lauren is still looking at her with her excited eyes and her dazzling smile and Camila wants to throw up, but at the same time, it would be like kicking a puppy if she told her the truth. If it were anyone else, Camila would have simply gathered her things and ran out. Maybe call the police for attempted poisoning, but she figures Lauren is too pretty for jail so she stays.

“Mmm,” Camila says as she swallows the first bite, fighting the urge to cough as the rough texture of the food remnants scratch at her throat. “That was sooo good,” she says with a pained-looking smile.

Lauren’s facial expression drops and she pouts. “It’s bad, isn’t it?” It’s horrendous actually, but the brunette thinks she doesn’t need to be technical. “Let me taste it,” she says while trying to get some food from Camila’s plate.

“No!” Camila exclaims, pulling the plate out of reach from the girl. She doesn’t want her to be poisoned as well. Camila gathers more food onto her spoon and shoves it in her own mouth with a slight grimace. “See? It’s good,” she says around a mouthful of the devil’s casserole. “It’s really good,” she moans exaggeratedly. “You’re gonna put Bobby Flay out of business,” the girl insists.

Lauren watches the girl, absolutely endeared by her antics. She shakes her head as she gently pries the plate away from Camila and starts to put away the dishes. “I appreciate you trying to spare my feelings, but you look like you’re going to vomit so” she says as she continues to put away the dishes. “While you go ahead and do that, I’ll order us some pizza. How does that sound?” she asks the girl, whose eyes light up at the thought of edible food and Lauren feels like she’s falling a little more each day.

–

They continue to date secretly but not secretly at the same time. Lauren isn’t going to hold any press conferences anytime soon detailing her new romance, but she isn’t exactly hiding it either. She’s given up (as well as her manager) a long time ago on trying to convince other people on a certain image so she doesn’t care if people see that she’s dating a woman. Her biggest concern is worrying about keeping Camila from getting too involved in the messy paparazzi so she tries to find quiet places to take her to.

They’ll go on a few dates out every once in a while, but for the most part, they stay in watching movies and just enjoying each other’s company, basking in how they can go from intellectually stimulating one another and keeping each other on their toes, to cracking stupid jokes.

celeb_entertainment: Singer-songwriter Lauren Jauregui spotted leaving a restaurant in West Hollywood with unnamed brunette bombshell. Check out the pics of these gal pals! www.celeb_entertainment.com

@jauregayforlmj: 👀 👀 👀 

@ilovelernjergi: damn @LaurenJauregui…what’s her @…asking for a friend

@noticemelauren: okay but when are you going back on tour @LaurenJauregui???

@slutforjauregui: guysss!!! I found her! @camilacabello97 hi (((:

@jaguarnation: what are your intentions for our smol human bean? @camilacabello97? ✋👊

@marrymelauren: y’all delusional I swear

–

Camila: Lauren!

Lauren: Camila!

Camila: your fans are blowing up my twitter )):

Lauren: Aw, poor baby. This is what you signed up for when you decided to date me tho so

Camila: I cant even use twitter w/o it crashing :((

Lauren: are they being mean to you?

Camila: no, well, most of them aren’t. they’re just looking out for you

Lauren: give me their @s

Camila: lo, it’s okay. I blocked those one or two accounts *shrugs*

Lauren: im sorry, camz

Camila: Laur, it’s really fine. trust me. most of your fans have been actually pretty sweet

Lauren: okay, if it gets out of hand, just let me know

Lauren: anyway, im coming over. I need cuddles

Camila: is that all you need

Lauren: and I gotta eat too

Camila: I don’t have food

Lauren: good thing I didn’t mean food

Camila: Get. Here. Now.

Lauren: yes ma’am

–

Camila picks up her ringing phone and braces herself for the inevitable yelling coming her way. “Karla Camila Cabello Estrabao!” her mom’s voice rings through the receiver and she moves the phone a tiny bit from her ear to preserve her hearing. Lauren smiles amusedly against her neck as they cuddle on the couch, the green-eyed girl leaving soft nips along the column of her throat while sneaking a hand under her shirt and rubbing the warm skin.

“Hi mami, I miss you too,” she greets her mom, who huffs at her reply. She holds onto Lauren’s wrist, stopping the girl’s wandering hands from going any further than the underside of her boob and gives her a glare, which the dark-haired girl kisses off with a cheeky smile. The older girl opts to sitting next to Camila instead and intertwining the brunette’s hand that’s not holding her phone with her own, kissing the back of it sweetly before playing with her girlfriend’s fingers. Camila’s lips quirk up in a soft smile at how affectionate her girlfriend is.

Her mom’s voice brings her back to their conversation and she fights the urge to roll her eyes even though her mother can’t actually see her. “You’re dating a pop star?!” she yells again and Camila is really starting to worry about her hearing.

“Mami, please calm down. Yes, I am in fact dating a pop star and it’s going well if you must know,” she says with a smile. The girl next to her smiles instinctively as well as she continues to play with the brown-eyed girl’s slender fingers.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” and the slight hurt in her tone is enough for Camila to drop the attitude and appease her mom.

“I’m really sorry, mami,” she says sincerely. “I honestly was just making sure this was real,” she says while meeting the green-eyed girl’s curious gaze. “I had a hard time processing it in the beginning because it seemed too good to be true, so I’m really sorry I hadn’t told you.”

She hears her mother sigh and she knows she’s forgiven. “Alright, mija. But I want to meet this girl that’s got you all lovesick,” her mom teases her, letting her know that all is well.

“Okay that sounds good. When are you free?”

“I’ll drop by this weekend. How about this Saturday for dinner?”

“Yeah that works,” she says while kissing Lauren on the spot between her eyebrows, immediately easing her worries when she sees her scrunch her face in thought.

“Okay, take care, mija. Te quiero”

“I love you, mami. See you soon”

“So?” Lauren asks after a few seconds and goes back to nipping at Camila’s neck.

“My mom wants to meet you,” she says while closing her eyes tightly and preparing for Lauren’s reaction.

“What?!” the dark-haired girl says in surprise, jerking away from Camila in a panic.

“Can people stop yelling in my ear?” Camila says while cringing.

“I’m sorry, baby,” Lauren coos and sits back down next to Camila, rubbing her back in an attempt to comfort her. “But did you say that I’m going to meet your mother?” she asks nervously, the circles on the younger girl’s back getting progressively faster.

“Okay, hold up,” Camila says while taking Lauren’s hand in her own before the girl burns a hole in her back. “You’re gonna do great, baby. My mom will love you, I promise,” she says certainly. When the green-eyed girl just pouts, the brunette moves to straddle her and starts to kiss and suck the sensitive skin alongside her jaw and down her neck as Lauren closes her eyes in pleasure. “How about…I ease your nerves a bit?” she asks while pulling back with a smirk.

“That could work,” Lauren replies and abruptly flips them over so Camila is on her back.

–

Dinner with Camila’s mom, Sinu, goes better than either of the girls expected. Sinu is as welcoming and warm and kind as Camila is and took a liking to the dark-haired girl in a heartbeat. Sinu sees how Camila’s eyes light up every time the brown-eyed girl so much as looks Lauren’s way. The way they both get lost in one another and how they can’t seem to get enough of each other, always keeping close or playing with one another’s fingers, Sinu knows her daughter is in love with someone who cares just as much, if not more, for Camila and she couldn’t ask for anything else, especially after what Camila went through with her ex.

Sinu sees glimpses of how Lauren takes care of her daughter. She sees it in the way Lauren keeps a hand on Camila’s back wherever they go, no matter how short the distance. She sees it in the way the green-eyed girl looks at her daughter with tender eyes and soft smiles. She knows it by how the girl genuinely finds Camila’s terrible jokes to be the funniest thing to ever exist and in the way she comforts her with a sweet kiss when Camila pouts at her mom for saying only Lauren laughs at her jokes.

She has seen it in how Lauren had no qualms in standing up for her girl amidst media speculations and outrageous gossip, not caring about her own image as long as Camila is protected and kept safe.

After getting Sinu’s unwavering support and approval of their relationship, the two girls continue a relatively problem-free relationship. Camila cooks for Lauren while the dark-haired girl thanks her in kisses and orgasms. Lauren brings Camila to premieres and red carpets, giving her backstage access to meet her favorite artists and the brunette thanks her girl with her own kisses that take Lauren to heights she’s never been.

They learn to compromise with one another and it’s easy and comfortable and they fall for each other with each day that passes.

Lauren eventually learns to read Camila and her moods, mastering how to effectively deal with her jealous tendencies, knowing when to push her limits and when to back down.

They’re lounging on Lauren’s couch, the dark-haired girl lying on her stomach with her head on Camila’s lap and turned towards the TV while the brunette is sitting upright and browsing through her Instagram.

“Can you stop pouting so loudly?” Lauren’s voice is muffled by Camila’s sweats.

The brunette scrunches her face at the back of the dark-haired girl’s head. “How do you know I’m pouting?”

“I have a Camila Cabello pouting radar.”

When Camila doesn’t respond, Lauren reluctantly gets up from the comfort of Camila’s lap and stares at her girlfriend, who’s still pouting at her screen. “Come on, what’s got you all pouty?” she says as she paws Camila’s legs with her toes, making the girl squirm.

“Nothing,” she mutters.

“Okay then,” Lauren shrugs as she returns her attention back on the TV.

“I just think it’s funny that-” Lauren smiles at her wildly and the brunette catches herself mid-sentence and abruptly stops talking. “Oh my god, I’m a crazy girlfriend meme,” she pouts even more.

“Okay, how about you actually tell me what’s going on,” the dark-haired girl says while gently prying the phone away from Camila and setting it on the table before turning towards her girl to give the brunette her full attention.

“It’s nothing really,” she says as she crosses her arms across her chest and stares straight ahead. “Your best friend slash ex just likes a lot of your pictures on instagram, is all” she shrugs as if she’s not affected.

The green-eyed girl fights to keep her smile contained as she moves to straddle the girl and gently grabs her wrists so she can uncross the younger girl’s arms. She then brings a finger under the girl’s chin and slowly lifts it up so she can meet her eyes. “Are you jealous?”

“No,” the smaller girl scoffs, bringing her eyes down again from Lauren’s piercing ones.

“Aw baby,” Lauren coos as she dips her head to nuzzle Camila’s neck. “You’re my main ho, you know that right? Keana knows that” she yelps at the sting of Camila slapping her arm.

“Lauren!”

“I kid I kid,” Lauren says pulling back with a smile and leaning forward again to kiss Camila’s pout away. “You know I love you.”

They both freeze the moment the words are out of Lauren’s mouth and Camila opens her mouth, only to close it back again, opting to continue to stare at her girlfriend with wide eyes instead.

After a few tense moments, Lauren lets out a nervous laugh as she runs a hand through her choppy hair. “You don’t have to say anything back. I’ve known for a bit and I didn’t wanna scare you, but I guess that’s all out the window now,” she explains, still chuckling nervously. She meets Camila’s shocked brown eyes and smiles. “I love you and it’s okay if you don’t feel the same way yet, I’ll wait.”

“Laur-” Camila doesn’t really know what to say so she’s thankful when she’s interrupted by a gentle hand on her cheek, Lauren’s thumb softly stroking her skin.

“It’s okay, I promise. Don’t feel like you have to say it back just because,” she says with gentle eyes and Camila’s heart constricts at the sight. She does love the dark-haired girl back. She knows it. She knows it by the way her heart speeds up every time someone so much as mentions the green-eyed girl. She knows it by the fact that whenever she’s with Lauren, it feels like it’s too much and not enough at the same time.

She doesn’t know why she can’t say it though.

So she kisses Lauren. She kisses her hard and passionately, bringing her hand to curl around the dark-haired girl’s neck as she pulls her down closer, swallowing her girlfriend’s gasps as she tilts her head to deepen the kiss. Camila kisses Lauren as if to say everything she can’t with words.

–

Dinah, Normani, Lauren, Camila, and Ally, which Camila learns is the green-eyed girl’s other best friend, whose job is to balance the crazy that the blonde Polynesian brings to her girlfriend’s life, are all sitting around Camila and Normani’s apartment, attempting to play board games like civilized human beings. Key word on attempting.

They’re playing monopoly at the moment and is on the verge of ruining every relationship they have formed with one another. Well, Normani and Lauren are still playing, the rest have resigned to their fate of defeat. Dinah was the first to go bankrupt after buying random properties and failing to build houses on them, while Ally eventually lost her money because she gave too many breaks to the other girls, feeling bad when she had to collect rent from them.

Camila had tried to seduce Lauren into paying with sexual favors instead of money for rent and was left unsatisfied and broke as the other girl rejected her advances, too focused on blocking Normani from building an empire on the New York properties while trying to build her own at the yellow spaces. Camila eventually relented when she went bankrupt and decided she was safe anyway because Lauren’s money was hers as well. She’d gladly have Lauren as a sugar mama.

Normani is on the verge of winning and forcing Lauren to mortgage her last property when they hear the doorbell ring. Camila looks around confused and Normani shrugs her shoulders because it’s almost eleven and the brunette was not expecting anyone that wasn’t already in the room.

The brunette gets up with a huff when she realizes no one else is going to get it and moves to open the door, yelling back at her friends, “Yeah no it’s okay, don’t get up. I got i-” Her words get caught in her throat when she turns around and sees who’s at the door.

“Luce?”

–

Dinah and Ally are with Lucy and Camila in the living room as they try to make small talk with the new girl while Normani and Lauren have retreated to the kitchen, pretending like they’re doing something other than burning holes to the back of the brunette visitor’s head.

“So, what brings you here?” Camila asks Lucy and she prays that her voice isn’t as unsteady as her heart.

“I was in town, so I thought we could catch up,” she meets Camila’s eyes pleadingly.

“So where are you based now?” Dinah tries to ease the tension in the room.

“Um, New York,” Lucy replies quietly.

“What do you do?” Ally jumps in the conversation.

“I’m a model.” There’s a flash of pain that crosses Camila’s features and the conversation hits a lull.

  “So, Lucy?” Lauren questions Normani as they stand idly by kitchen counter. “Who is she?”

“Um,” Normani laughs nervously as she fails to meets Lauren’s eyes while rubbing the back of her neck. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. “She’s Camila’s ex. Her first love, first everything. She was Camila’s go-to person because her parents were never around. They were best friends before they started dating and Lucy left her to follow her dreams in New York,” she gets it all out in one breath and Lauren can see anger in her brown eyes. “Camila was an absolute wreck when she left and she didn’t even bother to check on her,” she scoffs disbelievingly.

Lauren lowers her gaze to the ground, her heart thumping in her chest as she swallows the lump in her throat. She tries to steady her heart enough to get her next words out.

“Do you think-,” she breathes out a shaky laugh. “Do you think she still loves her?”

Normani doesn’t need the clarification on which girl she’s referring to when she sees the hurt in Lauren’s green eyes.

“She cares about you a lot, Laur,” Normani says sincerely. “I know for a fact, you’re the most important person in her life right now.”

“Right, of course,” Lauren nods while furrowing her eyebrows, not sure if she’s agreeing with Normani or trying to convince herself she’s okay.

After a few more moments of awkward tension, Normani finally kicks everyone out, telling them it’s late and she needs her beauty sleep. Lucy seems disappointed, Camila looks like she’s still in a bit of a daze, while everyone else just seems relieved. Normani decides she’s staying with her boyfriend for the night, giving Lauren a wink at the end to let her know that she should talk to Camila.

After cleaning up after their friends, Lauren looks around the apartment and sees through the balcony door that Camila is leaning against its rails, in deep thought. She takes a deep breath and prepares her heart as she picks up the blanket off the back of the couch and nervously makes her way out onto the terrace to join the brunette. She gently cloaks the girl with the blanket and wraps her slender arms around the smaller girl’s waist delicately, resting her chin on her shoulder and she feels her girlfriend sigh and relax against her, as if her touch was all she needed to release the tension from her body.

“Are you okay?” the dark-haired girl asks quietly, her warm breath hitting Camila’s neck and sending shivers down the girl’s spine that has nothing to do with the night air.

Camila turns her head to meet concerned green eyes and nods her head in the slightest bit.

“Yeah,” her answer comes out breathy and she gives Lauren a smile that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. The green-eyed girl wraps her arms a little tighter and closes her eyes, reveling in the girl’s warmth, hoping that the girl is really okay. That they’re really okay.

–

“Hey, honey, I’m home,” Lucy playfully sings through the apartment as she sets her things down and spots her girlfriend cooking in the kitchen. “Oooh, what you got over there?” she asks Camila as she sidles up behind her and hugs her from behind, leaving kisses down her neck while the girl just smiles at her actions. Camila turns her head to meet Lucy’s lips in a kiss before she gets back to cooking.

“Your favorite,” she says with a soft smile. Lucy reaches over and turns off the stove. “Luce!” she squeals as Lucy wraps her arms tighter around Camila and carries the laughing girl through the apartment to their bedroom.

“I’m craving a little something different,” she husks in her girlfriend’s ear as she sets her down on their bed before crawling towards Camila and seductively hovering over her.

–

“No, Lucy! Please don’t do this,” Camila sobs as she grabs hold of the girl’s retreating arm, her eyes pleading and desperate. “I love you. I love you so much, you don’t have to do this.”

Lucy looks at the pain in the girl’s eyes and she swallows hard while trying to keep her tears at bay. “I do have to do this, Cami. It’s what’s best for us.”

“No it’s not! How is this best for anyone? Why can’t we stay together while you’re in New York? We can make this work, I promise,” the girl continues to sob. “Please don’t leave me like this.”

“It’ll be too hard and just hurt us in the end, Cami. I have to do this on my own, it’s better that we end like this and we can look back on it and say we broke up on our terms and not because we slowly tore each other apart because of the long distance. I’m sorr-,” her words are cut off by a searing kiss as Camila tries to pour her heart out in the only way she knows best. She brings her hands to cradle Lucy’s face with both hands as she opens her mouth to deepen the kiss, conveying every emotion she’s feeling through this kiss. She pulls back and leans her forehead against the brunette.

“I love you, isn’t that not enough?” Camila can feel her herself losing her hold on Lucy. She can physically feel the girl pull away, taking Camila’s heart with her.

“I’m sorry,” Lucy says one more time, prying Camila’s hands from her face before going out the door and leaving Camila’s life and heart in shambles.

–

Camila is mindlessly flipping through the channels on her TV when someone knocks on her door. Begrudgingly, she gets up and opens it without really expecting anyone in particular and her heart drops at the sight of Lucy nervously wringing her hand in front of her.

“Hi,” the girl says quietly while meeting Camila’s eyes with a sad smile. “Can we talk?”

Camila feels like she’s on autopilot when she lets Lucy in and they decide to go on the balcony to talk even though Normani isn’t home.

  Lauren is going through the familiar streets that lead to Camila’s apartment, her movements practiced and easy as she’s been to the girl’s place for as many times as she’s been in her own penthouse. She’s quietly opening the girl’s door with a key Camila gave her with one hand, while trying to keep the bouquet of roses secure with the other when she’s finally able to push it open. Her girlfriend has been feeling down for the last couple of days and she plans on taking her out on a getaway weekend, because it’s been too long since she’s seen the brunette with a genuine smile and Lauren couldn’t take it anymore. She doesn’t really want to think about why Camila is sad because it feels like a stab to her own heart.

She finally spots the girl in the balcony and moves to surprise her when she halts in her tracks as someone else comes into view. She sees Lucy step towards Camila and cradle her face before leaning forward and taking her lips in a soft kiss. Lauren looks on and she can feel her heart tighten at the sight, her eyes blinking rapidly as she tries to keep her tears in. Oddly enough, she doesn’t seem too shocked, although that doesn’t really make it feel any less painful.

  Camila stands frozen as Lucy leans forward to kiss her and she instinctively closes her eyes at the familiar lips. She doesn’t reciprocate, but she doesn’t push the girl away either as she stands unmoving for a few moments. She’s finally snapped out of her daze when she feels Lucy swipe her tongue across her lips and she immediately pushes the girl off.

“No, Lucy,” Camila says with a shake of her head. The movement allows her to see somebody in the living room from her peripheral vision and when she turns to look, her heart drops to her stomach.

“Lauren!” she yells after the girl and hurriedly opens the balcony door as she sees the green-eyed girl slipping out the front door. “Lauren, wait!” the brunette yells down the hall as she tries to keep up with the girl’s pace.

The older girl abruptly stops and turns around with Camila almost running into her. Her green eyes are cloudy with unshed tears and she’s gripping the bouquet of roses so tightly that her knuckles are turning white. A myriad of emotions are visible on her face, pain being an obvious one, but to Camila’s surprise, anger isn’t one of them. Lauren just looks broken, and the brunette almost wishes she was angry instead. She’d take anger and yelling over the absolute anguish that’s marring the girl’s features. She looks a lot like someone who’s given up. Like someone who’s already lost the fight.

“Lauren, I can explain, please,” Camila begs.

Lauren just looks at her with the same hurt expression, staying silent the whole time.

“I – um – I’m sorry, I was –” Camila runs a hand through her hair frustratedly as she tries to gather her thoughts. When she can’t formulate a coherent response, Lauren just nods sadly,

“I thought so,” the green-eyed girl responds with a shaky breath. “You know I came here to tell you that they approved my request to postpone the few extra tour dates they wanted me to do before going back to the studio. I fought for this extra time so I could spend it with you because you’d been so down lately,” Lauren’s eyes drop to the ground. “I guess it’s best that I go on those tour dates after all.”

“No wait! Lauren, I love you,” she cries when she sees the girl start to turn.

Lauren gives out a pained laugh and shakes her head, as if trying to erase the girl’s words from her memory. She doesn’t want to hope for too much. “No you don’t. That much is clear to me,” she responds calmly, and her quiet demeanor chills Camila to the bone.

“Lauren,” Camila takes her hands and searches for her eyes. “I do, I love you,” she tries to convey her sincerity. “I was just caught off guard, I – it was – I’m sorry. I made a mistake by not pushing her away but I mean it when I say I love you,” tears are now streaming down her face.

“This is when you decide to tell me?” Lauren asks with a crack of her voice. “I’ve been dreaming of the day you say it back and you tell me when you think you’re gonna lose me,” she responds and Camila sees Lauren’s tears finally cascade down the slope of her cheeks.

“Laur, please belie-”

“I get it,” Lauren nods resolutely as she gently takes her hands away from Camila’s grip. The brunette’s heart shatters at the loss of Lauren’s warmth. “I can’t compete with that, now can I?” Lauren asks sadly. “First love, first everything?”

“There is no competition, Laur,” Camila sobs. “You’re the one I want.”

“Do you still love her?” Lauren asks as she watches Camila’s brown eyes swim with uncertainty.

Camila only hesitates for a second before she answers, “No.”

“Yeah, you need to work on your acting skills, babe” Lauren says with a sad smile as she brings a hand up to wipe the tears from Camila’s face, unable to help herself. “That’s why you couldn’t say it back, right? Because you still love her. And that’s okay,” she replies in a broken tone, as if conveying to Camila that she’s letting her go.

“No Laur, please believe me. Maybe I still care for her because we were friends for a really long time. I’ll always care for her, but I am not in love with her anymore, Lo. I love you,” she tries to convince the girl desperately.

Lauren just shakes her head once more. “I know what it’s like to be someone’s second choice, Camz,” she says, her voice barely audible. “Don’t put me through that again. Sort your feelings out, for your sake and for mine. Just –” she takes a deep breath in an attempt to steady her voice. “Take this time to make sure you know what you want, okay? I love you,” she says one last time before leaving a lingering kiss on the brunette’s forehead.

Camila watches Lauren go as she takes half of her heart with her. She walks back to her apartment, trying to keep herself from completely falling apart in the hallway and she sees Lucy sat on her couch.

“Get out.”

Lucy turns at the voice and immediately walks up to Camila, who takes a step back with her hand held out. “Cami, forget about her, okay? I’m the one that’s here, we can try agai-”

“How fucking dare you?” Camila spits out venomously, her tone low and her eyes cold. “How can you think that you can just walk out of my life and come waltzing back in like you didn’t completely break me when you left?”

“That’s why I’m here, Camila,” Lucy replies. “So we can try again”

“Really? You came back here because you’ve loved me all along and regret everything you did or is it because you saw on the news that I was with someone else. That I was happy?” she asks the girl with an icy tone. “Are you really that opposed to my happiness that you’d come back here just to ruin everything again?!”

“Please, we deserve a second chance,” the girl pleads.

“No we don’t! You don’t deserve another chance. I fucking followed you to New York,” Camila says, her voice cracking at the memory. “I tried to fight for us. And you sent me away, you were too busy living your dream, remember? You don’t love me, Luce” she shakes her head. “You love the idea of us. And now that you see me happy with someone else, you can’t stand it. You were my best friend, Lucy. If you truly care for me, you’d let me be happy,” she says resignedly. “So if you have nothing else left to say other than trying to get me back, you can go,” she says without looking at the girl.

Lucy looks at the girl pleadingly and hesitates before she finally leaves through the door, leaving Camila to break down in her own living room.

–

Lauren goes on tour and puts on a show for her fans, pouring all her attention on performing and tiring herself out so she wouldn’t have to cry herself to sleep. She doesn’t know if leaving for tour was the best decision, but she does know that her heart is tired and as much as she loves Camila, she needs to take care of herself too. She needs to put herself first.

Camila still stalks the dark-haired girl’s social media accounts, following her likes and reblogs, trying to keep up with the girl’s life even if it’s through a screen. She sees the green-eyed girl like a post about missing someone and heads to twitter, only to be met with her mentions being bombarded with #camrenisover tweets and it feels like her heartbreak is under a magnifying glass for the public to agonize over.

She’s moping again in her living room, scowling at the fact that Lauren’s newest picture has multiple comments from Keana, the girl leaving kissy face and heart eyes emojis all over the comments section.

“Okay, I can’t take this anymore,” Camila’s head snaps up at an irritated Normani standing over her. “This whole –” she gestures vaguely around her, “-moping around and being sad and I miss Lauren so much look isn’t attractive, Mila” she says sternly.

Camila tries to hold back her tears and Normani’s face immediately softens, opting to sit next to the brunette instead. “I just miss her so much, Mani” she nearly cries.

“Okay, you fucked up,” she ignores Camila’s glare. “But shouldn’t you be doing something about it?”

“What do you mean?” the brunette sniffles.

“Do you lover her?” Normani asks pointedly.

“Yeah, I know that now. I’d been waiting for closure with Lucy for so long, thinking that’s what I need to move on and then –” she hiccups from crying so much. “When I finally got it, like, it didn’t even matter. Seeing Lucy again only let me know that I really am over her. I will always care for her because she was a big part of my life, but,” she sighs. “I just don’t love her like that anymore. I love Lauren and I hate that it took losing her for me to finally admit to my feelings,” she cries even more and leans on Normani’s shoulder.

Her friend tries not to move away from the wetness she can feel seeping through her clothes and gives Camila a comforting pat on her shoulder. “But have you told Lauren about how you feel?”

“She said I didn’t know what I felt, but I do, Mani. I really do,” Camila says almost urgently as she pulls back to look her friend in the eye. “It’s like I don’t know what to do without her. I miss her smile, her eyes, her company, just all of her, and I feel so lost.”

“Okay, then maybe you should let her know just how much you love her,” Normani says gently. “Maybe she’s just waiting for you to fight for her.”

So Camila finds herself on a plane to Paris the next day where she knows Lauren is staying for a couple days before performing on stage for the city of love. She’s determined to let Lauren know that she’s nobody’s second choice. Not to Camila anyway.

The brunette quickly checks in the same hotel as Lauren’s crew (she contacted Dinah and bribed the girl for information in exchange for mending her best friend’s heart back from its shattered pieces) and takes the elevator to Lauren’s room, ringing the doorbell before she loses her nerve.

Her breath gets caught in her throat when it’s opened by Lauren, dressed casually in ripped jeans and a plain black v-neck shirt, hair looking like a carefully organized mess and face bare of make-up. She’s as breathtaking as Camila remembers, eyes as green as ever and lips looking as soft as when she last felt them on her own. It’s only been about a week since they last saw each other but Camila feels like she’s missed too much already.

“Camz,” Lauren breathes out, shock evident in her face. “You’re here. In Paris,” she says disbelievingly. “What are you – what are you doing here?”

The younger girl is about to answer when she hears Keana’s unmistakable voice ring through the room, “Who’s there, babe?” and the words grip at Camila’s heart.

“Oh – it’s um- it’s just Camila,” Lauren says as she looks back to where Camila assumes the girl is and Lauren’s words hurt even more as they seem to drag Camila’s heart through the confines of her ribs, throwing it on the ground to helplessly fend for itself.

Camila wills her tears back as she says in a small voice, “Can we talk?”

Keana comes up behind Lauren and her eyes widen at the sight of Camila. “Um,” she laughs nervously as she runs her hand through her flawless hair, Camila notes. “I’m gonna go for a walk,” she says as she moves out the door, ignoring Lauren’s pleading eyes. “Call me when you’re – when you figure it out, ya?” she finishes while walking away.

Lauren lets Camila in silently and before she can say anything, the brunette speaks first.

“I’m here to fight for you,” she says determinedly with a resolute nod of her head. “To show you that I fucked up by not immediately pushing her away, but I’m here to prove to you that I was honestly just caught off guard. It’s you that I want. It’s you that I love,” she says quietly.

Lauren shakes her head and starts to pace the floor. “Don’t do this if you’re not sure, Camila. It’s okay if you don’t know it yet, but don’t rush into things for my sake.”

Camila lets out a frustrated growl and looks at confused green eyes before she moves forward and wraps her hands around the back of Lauren’s neck as she pulls her forward for a hard kiss. The brunette swallows the dark-haired girl’s gasp and feels the girl relax when Lauren’s hands rest on Camila’s hips as they fall into a familiar rhythm. Their lips move against one another in a sensual dance and they fight the burning in their lungs to stay connected.

Camila pulls back as she tries to catch her breath and sees Lauren’s eyes still a little dazed. “I. love. you. I’m sorry for what I did but I know that I love you. I want to be with you and I’m going to do everything to show you just that,” she breathes out, keeping Lauren’s gaze as she tries to convey her feelings. “The first step is to tell you I love you, and that’s why I’m here. But I want you to know that I’ll still be here when you get back from tour and I’m going to win you back, okay?” she says with a smile.

“I’m – I -,” they’re interrupted when Lauren’s manager comes strolling in the room.

“Lauren we have to g-,” he stops mid-sentence when he sees the two and raises an eyebrow. “Am I interrupting something?”

Camila fights the urge to respond “yes,” and watches Lauren’s conflicted eyes move from Camila to her manager.

“I’m sorry, Camz,” she says as she gathers her things. “I have to go.”

“It’s okay, I’ve said what I needed to say,” Camila says as she picks up her jacket from the couch. “Just know that I’m going to wait for you. You deserve someone fighting for you, Laur,” the brunette says with a smile.

–

Lauren is standing outside of Camila’s hotel door (she’d contacted Normani about Camila’s room in exchange for fixing her best friend’s broken heart) and tries to calm her heart that is thundering hard against her chest.

The tension she feels dissipates immediately when Camila opens the door dressed in SpongeBob sleep shorts and a shirt with a small rainbow flag. She’s wearing huge glasses and her hair is in a messy bun, her bangs stubbornly framing her face while a pizza is hanging halfway in her mouth and Lauren knows she’s in love.

“Laur,” she squeals in surprise, her voice muffled by the pizza. She quickly sets the pizza on the box lying on her bed and hurriedly wipes her hands on her shirt as she chews quickly, flushing a deep red when she sees Lauren watching her with an amused smile.

Lauren lets herself in and turns around to address the flustered brunette.

“Did you mean what you said?”

“Which one?”

“About you loving me?”

“A hundred percent,” and Camila sees relief wash through Lauren’s features as her plump lips curve into a soft smile.

“Okay then.”

“Okay then what?”

“Okay then we can try again,” she shrugs as if she hadn’t just shocked Camila’s heart back into life. “I love you and you love me and I don’t want to waste any more time apart,” she says sincerely as she meets watery brown eyes.

“I love you,” Camila whispers as she surges forward to kiss Lauren deeply, instinctively wrapping her arms around the girl’s neck as the green-eyed girl wraps her own slender arms tightly around her waist, lifting her in the air. Lauren’s heart flutters in her chest and her nerves alight at being able to touch Camila again. She can taste pizza and love and Camila’s laugh in the kiss and she can’t get enough. Eventually, their smiles are too wide to maintain the kiss so they break apart reluctantly.

“So, you’ll be waiting for me when I finish the tour?” the green-eyed girl asks as they pull apart slightly, arms still around one another.

“I’ll wait for forever if I have to baby,” Camila responds with a cheeky smile.

–

@camilacabello97: there’s nothing like me and you and you know it 🌙

@LaurenJauregui: I know it ☀

@jaureguicabello5eva: excuse me, some people are tryna sleep @camren

@camren4lyfe: for the love of god, camren, leave our hearts out of this

–

A/N:

Hey everyone,

Hope y’all are doing okay and living your best lives, and if not, working on it at least.

Shameless self-promo: if you haven’t already, check out my full fic in progress, Hold Over My Heart. It’s available in all your known platforms, 5hfanfic/ao3/wattpad (@jaureguicabello5eva). Will be updating that soon ((:

As always, feel free to leave a vote/comment/feedback if you feel like it!

Hope everyone has a fantastic weekend and stay safe please (esp. if you’re getting snow).

-Maddox

[survivorelsalvador]

EPISODE 7 - I Love Our Tribe And Don’t Want Anyone Out - Regan

(If a confessional is just a gif or a picture then it was most likely Veronica, winner of Jeju Island, uwu <3)

LILY

Well. My plans to take out queen Dana have failed. Luckily she still trusts me and kai. So I'm in a good spot. I trust Richie the most and hope we can make it far. But honestly I feel like I have no real alliances so I could be in trouble too. I wish that my immunity win wouldn't have been wasted on someone being med evacted. I wanted to make a damn big move! Haha oh well, I guess there is always next time. But I suck at trivia. Soooo it will probably be sooner rather than later. Wish me luck....

ZAKRIAH

brooke has always been better than flick idk why she gets so much slander flick is fucking stupid

KAI

AHHHHH WILLA WENT SO NO MORE STRONG MAJORITY ALLIANCE. *sad face*

ASHTON

*Talks shit about rob or whatever*

LILY

Sorta nervous that Dana will stop trusting me based off of my FTC speech in Bahamas. I hope this isn't the case but I'm a tad worried. Also I still feel like I have no real allies and I ain't gonna get 7th. Your girl really needs 7th or an FTC shortly or I'm gonna lose it. Hopefully we make merge after this vote but I have a feeling we will have one more immunity.

AUSTIN

Almost had a mental breakdown and quit because y'all think you're XD comical roflcopter funny!!!!!!!!! But you're not

DANA

"Heylo

1) Ashton and Richie are targeting me. Why? Probably because I never talked to them. This is 100% my fault. Oops. Glad we don't have to go to tribal this round because I literally sold my soul to the trivia challenge/

2) I'm trying to work with Lily and Kai in this game...after voting them both out of another game VERY recently... bad strategy? Definitely. Just bring me back to Willow and Zak.

3) I'm 99% sure the idol clues are leading me to something that has to do with... JLo. Honestly, wouldn't be shocked if I'm right, this seems like something Rob MIGHT do. If I'm wrong? This is going to be a VERY embarrassing confessional to read at the end of this game. If I'm right? We'll then things could be looking up for me! "

RICHIE

"awkward i loved for dana and she's still here because willa got another strike so i still havent talked to her or addressed the fact that she def knows i voted for her bc i completely ignored her before tribal because im a flop lmao.... i was going to throw the immunity so we could just vote her out again this time but then with the resistance that austin gave last round against voting dana + lily told me that dana/kai/austin/lily started an alliance before the last vote i didn't want to risk it so we won and yay i guess??? i need to step up my social game or like just talk to anyone because i'm sucking big time i can see myself being an early merge boot with the fact people might think im a challenge threat and my lack of connections.....

on another night im conflicted because when i found the idol it was with the help of chips i had asked him about the clues he got earlier in the game and i was talking with him bouncing ideas off eachother to try and figure it out and when i found the idol i said something so now he knows i have it which is fine because i trust him but im dumb i should have just kept my mouth shut and kept the idol for myself bc im going to need it going into the merge but i asked chips if hes getting voted out and he said no one on his tribe is talking to him so now i might give him the idol................. but if i give it to him and he doesnt play it and doesnt give it back i'll be pissed and if i give it to him and he uses it and he's not getting votes im going to be pissed... so the chances of me being pissed are like 66%??? idk im not good at math but its chips so ill do it for him if i think it will save him so that i go into merge with one good ally "

NICHOLAS

hi hey hello so i still don't really know what im doing so lets hope i dont go home ; - ;

JOSH

https://vignette1.wikia.nocookie.net/gremlins/images/f/fa/Gizmo.PNG/revision/latest?cb=20090920192843

WILLOW

I wanna vote out chips bc he doesn't talk a lot

REGAN

This round was hard because we have to vote Chips out, he knows hes going (might have an idol? says he doesnt). its just I love our tribe and don't want anyone out. I love willow but honestly Id rather have her out than Chips at this point because I adore chips. But I might as well go with my alliance or theyll get mad so.

CHIPS

"It has been a long time coming me making a confessional for this season.

I want to thank you hosts again for being so gracious giving me time to get settled in my new state and living quarters and being flexible with your requirements. I'm sorry it has taken me this long to give you my thoughts, honestly.

In summary of my experience so far - I don't remember much from the first tribe as I think we were only there for one round and then got swapped. If that is not the case it must have been at a time where I was barely on the computer.

We got swapped and I was the first picked in a schoolyard pick by Lily who's this really sweet person who really wanted to work with me in another side season that I was playing in!

Our tribe didn't have tribal and did really well and then we got randomly swapped again (I think it has something to do with the number of quitters?)

Anyway, that initial tribe did well in challenges and got clues and then Richie asked to see the old clues that I had gotten at other times and he deduced where to find the idol and he found it. And so that's cool...

When we got swapped the second time I got swapped onto a tribe where I had not been on a tribe with anyone else and it was a double tribal with individual immunity. I knew I had to win because of everyone I'd be the easiest vote since there'd be no previous connection.

I was immune and then this person named Bulgaria left instead. Anyway, then we had to do some trivia which was pretty fun until I got busy the next day and missed nearly every post of a question - our tribe lost and I was shocked to find that the hosts didn't even do that basic thing where you can give up all the points to force a tribe to go to tribal for an advantage that has become popular recently.

Anyway, our tribe is going to tribal so I message everyone to ask them about the vote and stuff and no one gets back to me except for Regan. Regan just wants me to give her a name so I tell her Zakriah because he was the last person of this group to accept my contact request having done so just at the end of the last tribal council.

Anyway, eventually Nicholas messages me to tell me that he thinks there's an alliance of Regan/Zak/Willow/Josh because they were all on that tribe together and that they are going to be voting between either me or him.

Richie messages me and asks if I think that I'm maybe going. I tell him that no one is really talking to me and tell him that Nicholas told me about that ""maybe"" alliance and he says he'll find out if he can send me his idol. Richie sends me the idol and tells me that I can play it to stay safe since no one is talking to me, but if it's not the majority vote he's going to be mad at me.

Well, I can't guarantee if this group of people isn't all self-voting since no one is talking to me so I am going to play it and vote for Josh instead of Zakriah. I figure that a random vote for another person if the rest are voting the other way will at least shake up some suspicion if there is a group as to who cast it.

Gosh! I really hope this isn't just a really inactive tribe and that there really is some secret plot against me. If not, these players all need to be medically evacuated as soon as possible, because trying to speak to them is worse than Mattie from Atomic Survivor Death Valley."

"[7:24:00 PM] Regan: what do we do [7:24:00 PM] Regan: I [7:24:37 PM] Chips: I... don't know tbh. [7:24:52 PM] Regan: I feel bad either way [7:24:54 PM] Chips: I mean, I voted Josh so I kinda wanted to stick with it. But then like... I dunno. :/ [7:24:54 PM] Regan: who flips in a merge [7:24:55 PM] Regan: honestly [7:24:59 PM] Chips: Me. [7:25:02 PM] Chips: I flip in a merge honestly. [7:25:16 PM] Chips: Like.. you really think I'm not going to. [7:25:17 PM] Regan: UR FLIPPING [7:25:18 PM] Chips: >.> [7:25:22 PM] Regan: well fuck [7:25:24 PM] Chips: When EVERYONE VOTES FOR ME TO LEAVE

Um... I?"

REGAN

THIS IS THE MOST STRESSFUL TRIBAL OF MY LIFE. BETWEEN ZAKRIAH AND JOSH AND I CANT VOTE OUT EITHER. BECAUSE THEYRE MY FAVES. AND LIKE ITS NOT EVEN FAIR TO ME.

[survivedeathvalley]

EPISODE 3 - “BLESS RANDOM.ORG” - BIANCA

Paul tried it.............. he really did huh!!! Its funny how even though I helped 0% in the challenge I still stayed. I've got the Deadly Viper Assassination Squad with me and that's all I need. As long as I have those numbers, I feel great. If we end up losing again.. bye bye Mattie! 

honestly at this point of the game my alliance is intact and hopefully we make it to merge or in a good place if there's a swap but im not worried whatsoever

Well, I stuck with Misty and Bianca, and Mattie is going to draw the flag, I think.  So this will be exciting, i'm perfectly okay with handing over the reigns to someone else during this challenge, hopefully it will earn us our first win! 

Alright, so the vote actually went as planned. Tanner went home unanimously while voting for Alex. This is great because it means that if I'm on a tribe with snakes that they have yet to embrace those negative tendencies. https://i.makeagif.com/media/11-11-2015/cVGFpC.gif Also, after getting voted out Tanner got online to message me (and everyone else according to the hosts) the word "fake". I'm just... https://img.memesuper.com/3bc6766bbe76cc8447a30d21e851df82_1000-images-about-gifs-on-gif-meme-guy-blinking_624-352.gif 

Tanner literally said nothing to me yesterday except what's up? I even gave him a response which I count as a chance for him to respond, no? Like... if you don't say anything to me during the day then: 1. How are we supposed to strategize if the vote is going to fall any differently 2. How are we supposed to vote for the same person - at all 3. Why would I want to play with you - that makes for a very unreliable alliance http://rs207.pbsrc.com/albums/bb263/slimkid_buckeye/animations/bang-head_zps471ffe0c.gif~c200

Also, our immunity challenge is flag making. Which... I'm a shady ho and I'm gonna say, works better as a reward challenge. Given the amount of people who claim not to be creative in this community making a challenge dictate safety based solely on creativity is a "no" from me. http://68.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_mb4x3nlrJh1rt2432.gif 

Our challenge is fun though because it's kind of "themed" based on the sorting hat's opinions of us. And the sorting hat decided our tribe was full of the goody-goodies or is it goody-two-shoes? I don't even know, honestly. Anyway.. so I was thinking angels because when I think good I just... think of heavenly bodies? I dunno https://m.popkey.co/a7fc03/e09Oo.gif 

And then Alex, gem that I adore suggest superheroes! And I'm on board completely. These super powered people and all the good they do for the world are perfect. Also, potential for something really cute. Now, if I were an artist this would be absolutely perfect... but I'm not. And Alex already made something so that's neat. I think I'm gonna see what I can do to make it more high quality or something (maybe change it around a bit) since it looks a little pixelated, but yay!  It's adorable. http://cdn.smosh.com/sites/default/files/legacy.images/smosh-pit/122010/Batmanlovescookies.gif

I actually... lowkey hope we lose this challenge LOL "When bitches vote for me, bitches go home" Sound familiar Mattie? And just THINK how iconic it would be if Bianca, Gabby, and I were the sole members of Panamint and slayed the tribe swap

I'm still doing nothing this week and that makes me happy, i hope they don't need me, disconnecting for awhile is nice, i wish i could do it with my main account. 

https://youtu.be/hOcOVfi2l8E

I honestly don't know what I expected out of this experience, but it wasn't this. When I played Divergent, the cast was about 70-80% active throughout an entire day. But this time, it's only active about 25% of the day. The only two people who even say or do anything are Giruga and Dianna, the two people I dislike the most. I have to work from ground up with building relationships with these people because I haven't been present to do that from the start, and I'm worried that my window of opportunity has closed up already. I wanna get the two of them into a chat where we can stick together as the active people of the game (so far). If I have it my way, we can vote off William or whatever his name is. Even though Layla and Kat are more useless than he is, I think he's trying to be deceptive about everything (saying he's NEVER played orgs before, or how he has NO idea how to make alliances) while most people just conceal their personal lives. I find it difficult to socialize too and I have shared these laments with Dianna in the past because we both know it's difficult to engage in proper conversation with others without unintentionally giving ourselves away. I hate that. And also, this game is helping me finally go over the bridge for ORGs. I truly think this will be my final experience, and so far I don't have hopes that it'll be a good one. I'm at a crossroads with these games and my personal life, because I can only take one path, no turning back. I want to say that at the end of this, I'm ready to move on. I'm ready to be happy again. I don't know if I'm here for the right reasons, but let's just try to make it right.

I'm actually... very happy with the flag I made. Imagine if I win this challenge for our tribe after not being here for the last 2? Come on redemption arc!

I wish I knew what was happening. I've gone days without being able to get on Skype bc of the toilet incident. It wouldn't surprise me if they just vote me out lmao

https://youtu.be/33GLERbsEqY

Going to tribal sucks but hopefully the outcome favors my game. 

WHEWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I won for our tribe.... and now I'm gonna get them to send me to the devils hole so I can search out some idols bicth yes!

Alex? Barely know him but an Icon! My time at the Devils Hole was short. I found nothing, but my main goal was to find new potential alliances if we swap. As I said.. It was short so idk if I was allthat successful. 

Tribe swap has occurred...

This is so ICONIC!! I got Bianca to pick Alex.. who I'm good with from Devils Hole I got Alex to pick ME I got to pick Gabby.. my ally from my tribe I got HER to pick Giruga who seems like I could get him on my side I LOVE BEING A MASTERMIND!

We swapped last night while I was away which is fine I'm still with Jenny. We've got work to do since everyone else comes from the same tribe but that's ok bc I found an idol! My first ever idol in my org career oh boy. I'm not telling anyone yet bc idk if I really trust Jenny or Alex completely yet, we'll see 

I'm really nervous about tribal if we go or we lose bc if we win Giruga could go home but if we win there's a chance the other 3 might have an idol

https://youtu.be/BPBgQ1QBXWU

So Giruga and I were talking He seems pretty cool and someone I could work with. He's the only one from his old tribe on this tribe so I think I could easily swoop him up. I am worried about the other 4 on our tribe noticing that us 3 Panamint members are close. I wanna work with Alex but I'm worried about his bonds with the other Zabrinskie members. Sooo yeah I'm just trying to make a deal with Giruga rn and hopefully if we go to tribal I'm in majority and my edit stays good! (I'm hoping CP4.... Last episode I better have gotten a positive edit and the one before that I probably got a negative one when Paul went home)

so i was late to the merge party... oops. i like the newbies on my tribe and i also like that now we're at one world, i can get to know everyone now! 

So one world, huh? That's a thing. Interesting to finally meet all these people and see what their like. I need to start making alliances, otherwise I'm screwed.

I...  Giruga and I are flirting by sending dog memes to one another I'm----   anyway, maybe this means that we can swing him over to our side to dominate the vote. ;) 

A fucking tribe swap, and one world. Imagine that. At least now I can start getting a feel for everyone that wasn't originally on Panamint. I've been talking to Dianna a bit because I remember going to DH with her, but sadly she isn't on my tribe so I can't really align myself with her. The bright side is that my alliance with Misty and Gabby (queens!) is all on the same tribe as me. If we can pull in another member of our tribe we could have the numbers to control votes if we ever have to go to tribal. Bless random.org for making me a captain <3 <3 <3

Dianna HAS to be either Dom, Nick or Nic.  Or Ashley but I'm betting it's Dom.  Dianna and I worked close together in Festive BB, and then it was revealed that she was a catfish played by Ashley >.>.  I don't think Ashley would play her again but Dianna's handwriting looks a lot like Dom's now and Dianna, then Ashley and I were a duo until she cut me at final 3 after winning the final HOH!   but I've played two games with Dom, hosted him once and he's hosted me once, I KNOW HIS TYPING STYLE AND the putting 'ME' after everything anywhere, that has to be him and I'm taking notes.  

So we lost.. it sucks. However it gives me more air time so? I love a good bright side! Anyway, of course Gabby/Bianca and I start talking. Apparantly Alex/Kai are pulling her into an alliance. Alex is cancelled. I mean.. how dare he not include me. But anyway. Adelaide may not have spoken to me yet but... Kai, I've got my eyes on you. For now I'm gonna work on Giruga wish me luck!

my alliance didnt want to throw this, but I did. so I performed poorly. I submitted a score of about 3000, which isn't great by any means. If my tribe loses, I'll claim that my second submission (of about 5000) was not scored and I'll make a very public argument over it. of course, the hosts cannot do anything, and effectively send my tribe to tribal council :) then, I'll flip on the old titus bitches and send one of them home (PROBABLY Kat because I don't like the game she plays) I want to go the distance with William and Dianna and Giruga, but Kat is way too unknown for me to ever trust her enough to keep her around. I'll start talking to the three other people on the tribe and hopefully get them to turn their sights from the bigger threats of Will and Dianna. For my strategy, Will and Dianna will be the perfect shields to take into another swap but also the merge. They've got numbers swarming them and I want to minimize our status as threats by having five of our original tribe members going into a merge, and I know that I'll be deceiving them bad, but I hope they don't hold a grudge. Although I'm turning over a new leaf as a player by truly wanting to stay loyal to big threats, I'm still playing the same, old, jaiden way

At this point I don't even have to try at challenges bc I'm always on the winning team *giggles*

Giruga just told me he wants to work with me and the other neutrals Which is the best news I could've heard right now!!!!! I trust him a lot and him plus us three makes four. Tbh I don't really care who goes home between Kai or Adelaide or Alex at this point. I'm just excited to have numbers 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fXtP_vOxDzA

IT ONLY TOOK LIKE 800 TIMES AT THE DEVILS HOLE BUT I FINALLY FOUND SOMETHING GAME CHANGING. I have the ruby idol, which could automatically makes a rocks situation if I feel festive enough for it. Hopefully I won't be in a position to use it for a while since I now have an alliance with Misty/Gabby/Giruga in addition to my alliance with Misty and Gabby. I feel good about having majority on the tribe, but I'm trying to stay close to Dianna since she's on the other tribe. I think I'm gonna give her my glow stone when I'm done with it, so that way I can prove that I trust her. I just hope I'm not making a huge mistake.

Aaaa whatwhat isit haopening?!?!!?

I can't make a video right now, but in the event that I get voted out tonight I just wanted to say a few things. So far I've aligned myself with the Neutral tribe and I'm really hoping I'm not being screwed over... because I seriously want to work with them, especially if it means down the line I can flip the game on old Titus. Please just let me survive my first actual tribal!!!!

Help I am being held hostage and the only way to get my freedom is if I make a confessional.

I AM PROB GOING HOME I AM NEVER ON

EP 3 EDGIC

[allylikethecat]

my dear ally!!!!

friday’s ATKH update was so so wonderful & on a friday was equally as heartbreaking / exciting i must talk about it!!!!!

okay i am LIVING for hot & cocky fictional!george & his ability to make our sweet fictional!matty blush it is so cute and so fun lmao

the flowers???!! he brought him flowers??!!! and he was all flustered omg i could cry

also the Pop cameo??! super cute. I know absolutely nothing about horses but i love reading this fic so much bc your love and passion for horses comes through so beautifully especially with fictional!george and fictional!matty and it just makes the fic that much more genuine and enjoyable.

this chapter was so so adorable & i LOVE this insight into super cool fictional!george i just hope he keeps his romeo act up and doesn’t emotionally destroy our fictional!matty too much.

now i must dissect on a friday because OH MY GOD. I was so excited for this update it did NOT disappoint

the way you depict fictional!mattys discomfort and pain is so heartbreaking but so so good

the way this man only wants fictional!george like HELLO DUH he is the only one for you and we must make this happen!!

no but the way this genre is something i have avoided for many years & somehow i am so fully invested in this fic & this dynamic it is insane ally u are a genius and i am beyond obsessed

and fictional!george to the rescue!!!!!! i fear things r about to really kick off and i am very very excited.

you, my wonderful ally are a literary genius and you write gatty fic like no other & i thank u terribly for ur service.

also! to make this ask even more of an essay — I saw ur book discussion and just wanted to say i LOVE leigh bardugo & the ninth house/hell bent were so good - i haven’t got to the familiar yet but if you say its good i’ll have to bump it up my tbr list!!!

yours,

- 💌

AHH Hello My Dear Letter Anon! I hope you are well! I am about to write you an essay in return so buckle up!

I'm so happy that you enjoyed the new chapter of All the King's Horses! Writing a strictly happy / fluffy chapter was a new thing for me and I'm so glad you enjoyed it! The calm before the storm lol ATKH Fictional!George knows he is hot shit and has the advantage right now- plus making Fictional!Matty blush is so much fun! He's so cute all pink. Listen, no one has ever brought Fictional!Matty flowers before it was very unexpected and a lot for him to process lol Pop tried so hard to become the main character in this chapter lol I cut so much that was basically just him being cute, I was like sir this is not your story 😂 All I can say is... even if Fictional!George were to cause some hurt Fictional!Matty is tough, he's made it through worse already and unfortunately almost expects it at this point, things are starting to feel too good to be true to him at the moment...

YAY! Thank you so much for reading the new chapter of On a Friday as well! I know that ~things~ have happened and the ball is now ROLLING! Thank you so much I feel like that is the biggest compliment omg I am so happy that you're enjoying my writing style and the pain that Fictional!Matty is feeling, he wants Fictional!George SO MUCH and is so conflicted over this fact. Also thank you SO MUCH for giving it a chance, especially if it's not something that you usually read oh my gosh, I am even more honored that you're enjoying it! Hehe yes Fictional!George is on his way...

AHHH YES NINTH HOUSE FANS RISE UP I had the worst book hangover after I finished Hell Bent I was like WHAT DO YOU MEAN THE THIRD ONE ISNT OUT YET. I literally lay in bed at thinking about those books and I finished them in January lol SO GOOD Alex is like my current favorite book MC she is so fucked up and flawed but also so strong and badass? I love her and her gentleman demon. I'm about 100 pages into The Familiar so far- I'm doing a buddy read with my cousin which is fun! So far I think I am enjoying it, I'm not usually a huge Historical Fiction person but the fantasy aspect of it is interesting and I like Leigh Bardugo- I will report back once I have read more!

Thank you SO MUCH for sending me this wonderful multipart ask! I smiled so wide when I saw it! Also thank you so much for like reading my fics in the first place? You are incredible and I am so grateful! I hope your Tuesday was spectacular and that you have a wonderful rest of your week!

❤️Ally

[allylikethecat]

ally!!!!! i’ve always loved You Know Where the City Is but wow this is the best chapter by far! like i’ve gone from obsessed to mega ultra double obsessed. everyone talking about wrapping fic!matty in a bunch of blankets and feeding him some soup is so real- you always manage to make the most cozy sweetie pie characters no matter what the fic is about. (it goes without saying that fic! taylor much like the real deal is just perfect and i love her)

counting down the chapters till we meet fic!george. so intrigued to see how there relationship will play out since you said it might not be what we expect…. love a good surprise!!!!

im practically bursting with excitement to read the christmas fic and any of the prompts you have been working on but good things take time! please don’t feel rushed to give us new content you already do so much for the sickfic matty community lmao.

hope you have a happy holiday break🥹 sending love always (also don’t be alarmed if i reblog the majority of your prompts on here soon- i have such a bad habit of liking a fic and then scrolling past it once i’ve read it so i need to go back and hunt for them all and actually save them for next time)

Ahhh thank you SO MUCH for this lovely ask omg, and thank you so much for always being so lovely, and kind and supportive 🥰 I apologize this took me a few days to respond to- I usually try and respond to asks on my laptop because I find them easier to formate and alas I had not been back on desktop Tumblr until now.

I'm so, so, so happy to hear that you enjoyed the newest chapter of You Know Where the City Is! I went back and forth on that chapter a lot (an original draft included a trip to Target lol) but I'm really pleased with how it came out and am glad that other people like it as well! Fictional!Matty (and Fictional!Taylor) could REALLY use a hug oh my gosh. They are both going through it and the worst part is they don't even realize how unwell they all 🥺 Fictional!George will be making his appearance very soon! All I can say is that Fictional!Matty is an unreliable source of information 👀 I hope people end up liking how it plays out!

I'm so excited about the Holidays fics but WOW I hope I can actually finish them in time! I haven't even finished the first one yet and I feel like the holidays are getting closer and closer faster and faster 😩 one second is was the beginning of November and now suddenly it's the end of December?! Who allowed this to happen!? I'm behind on the little schedule I made for myself- but hopefully I'll get them both done! Of course my plot bunnies are like "ummm Ally we have all the inspiration for this completely unrelated project!!!" and I'm over here like "not NOW"

We will hopefully be back to our regularly scheduled prompt fulfillment and sickfic programing after the holidays! I'm sorry about the delay, I know people are looking forward an end of SATVB / IV situation fic and I promise I am working on one!! Alas I have just also been really busy with real life.

Thank you so much for the love and I hope you have the most wonderful holidays as well! If you're ever looking for all of the prompt fills I have filled - they can be found here!

Thank you so much again for your kind words, for reading my fics and for your support! You are just so lovely and I am so grateful for your kindness! I hope you are having a wonderful night / day and will hopefully have some more fic ready soon!

❤️Ally

[wherearemyglassesbro]

i saw that you play genshin impact, so i’m kind of curious... what’d be the axis and allies’ vision and weapons?

Uh oh...now you got me started. Be warned, it’s a long one cause I have no self control

Some key terms for those who don’t play genshin impact and want to be included!!

Cryo -> ice, Hydro -> water, Dendro -> nature, Geo -> rock, Pyro -> fire, Electro -> lightning

Hilichurls: a common enemy found in the wild. Despite looking like hairy trolls, they have a district language as well as texts, art and song that they share together making them an advanced species!

Ruin guards: another enemy. Giant, scary robot...they scare me...

Knights of Favonious: an organization of knights within Mondstat that keep order and peace :) very nice guys and gals over there!!

Mondstat: modeled after Germany

Liyue: modeled after China

Alfred: pyro, claymore, Springvale Mondstat

Alfred would be a super heavy hitter in battle but his drawbacks are that despite his energetic nature, he’s slower because of the weight of his weapon

He blows stuff up a lot and sets all of the grass around you on fire so if you fight with him...His teammates will take damage from him Jeez Louise!!!

Since we don’t have all of the nations of Teyvay unlocked, I don’t know where he’d be from! I’d have to explore to get a sense for it so for characters that don’t have a place on the map yet, I’ll mark them with an asterisk from now on! :)

Idk where he lives but I do know that he’d be a devoted member of the adventurers guild! He’s always willing to offer a helping hand to anyone in need! Wether it be helping Granny Ann make hash browns or taking comissions to go kill a huge ruin guard who’s terrorizing the town!! He’s always leaping into new jobs! He isn’t even in it for the money or rewards! He just loves helping out!

Arthur: Dendro, archer, Mondstat

Artie is a beast in battle! Shooting vine Aries at enemies to tie them up or temporarily blind them??? Sick as fuck. Keep in mind, Genshin doesn’t have any Dendro characters that are playable yet so idk how they’d fight but I think I can guess :)

Artie is technically part of the knights of favonious because he works in their library. He translates books written in ancient texts into the standard language so historians and others can read what the old civilizations had to say

Instead of having normal eyes, they’re slit like snake eyes. And he has leaves instead of hair :)

He has a little seelie that floats around at his side. He talks to it but it doesn’t really do anything but provide company to a lonely guy :’) he needs more friends

Matthew: Anemo, catalyst, *

It’s always good to have a catalyst on your team! Ningguang is a great example of an underestimated catalyst cause she can do INSANE damage man!! So I think Mattie would be the same way

Matt isn’t violent and doesn’t enjoy fighting so his in-game voice lines would say that lol

Mattie is an alchemist! Well...A student alchemist. He didn’t take up an interest in alchemy until like, 3 years ago so he’s got a lot to catch up on still! He’s doing his best!

He gets very annoyed with Alfred since Mattie is detail oriented and gentle...Alfred is not any of those things. But he still loves his brother and on rare occasions, he’ll assist him with his commissions

Ivan: Cryo, catalyst, Liyue(temporary)

Ivan would be a support character for sure but he’d do a damn good job of doing it

He’s buff but he doesn’t do hand to hand combat, he’s mastered magic for a reason

Ivan spends most of his time studying hilichurls. He writes books about them, translates their texts and acts as a peace keeper when he can. He gets information from them about the Abyss Order in return for free reign of small portions of protected land where they can live without fear of being killed

Because he’s from Schneznya(spelling?) he’s kinda expected to be a bad guy but he left a long time ago. But he still sounds like he’s from there and...He’s super pale too so there really is no mistaking where he’s from

Ivan can’t stand how ignorant humans are towards hilichurls so he does everything he can to advocate for them. He’s covered in scars from when he first started engaging with the beasts. A huge scar runs down his face but he doesn’t mind it

He’s got big, sharp teeth!! So he doesn’t often smile cause he thinks he looks weird

Francis: Hyrdo, long sword, *

Fran is underestimated when it comes to combat (like Kaeya...I see you slandering this man) but he has so much potential!

Since he’s a hydro, he is so useful for elemental reactions! If he’s paired with a cryo or pyro user, he’d totally boost them!!

Fran is a traveling entertainer, he goes between the 7 nations as a singer and actor for small stage plays. He has a crew of friends who travel with him, they’re one jolly bunch!

He always acts all nonchalant and stuff but once he’s in a battle, he’s wild. Especially if the abyss order holds up his crew on their way to their next tour destination “We need to be in Liyue Harbor in four hours you are NOT holding us back!” *tidal wave*

He’s a regular tavern hopper! A very recognizable face since he’s been banned from a handful for getting too rowdy

He can make not one, but 2 special dishes :0

Yao: Dendro, polearm, Liyue

I just imagine him as a shorter, richer and cooler version of Zhongli

He’d do that kick move that Zhongli does with his polearm oh man that looks SICK dude!!!

Yao would shoot vines out and they’d strangle enemies for a few seconds before disintegrating but if he’s leveled up enough, they’ll totally strangle those stupid hillichurls lol

Yao sells rare gems and other miscellaneous items for very high prices in Liyue where he grew up. His shop is upstairs by the Fatui bank. Rich people enjoy looking at what his shop has to fifer and will argue prices with him. They’re getting scammed for sure. He’ll list a set of cor lapis earrings as $50,000 and the rich will be like ‘I’ll pay $25,000, no more than that’ and he’ll take it!!....Cause thise earrings are worth $5000 at most >:)

Hes close with a lot of the higher ups in Liyue and is often invited to fancy lunches or dinners where they discuss policy, contracts and vendor permits. He doesn’t really get a say in any of that but he benefits from listening

Kiku: Electro, claymore, *

Kiku would be SUCH an awesome electo user are you KIDDING me??? I can see it now, him swinging that huge sword around, purple lightning bolts flying all around and he looks like a total badass? Amazing vibes

When paired with cryos???? He’d do an insane amount of damage fr

Kiku runs a small restaurant where he...runs the place...but doesn’t cook. His restaurant is extremely exclusive and people often throw fits when they can’t get in cause the wait list is over 5 years long. He’ll rest his hand on their shoulder and smile ‘is something wrong? I’d love to take a complaint if you have one’...No one has even dared to complain to his face lol

Behind the restaurant front he deals with the Fatui, buying and selling minerals or artifacts. That’s where his knowledge is at, not with food. He pays his staff to ignore what goes on behind the scenes and the locals are too busy enjoying the restaurant to question what goes on after dark

Gilbert: Pyro, long sword, Mondstat

Gil would be one of the free characters given to you at the beginning of the game but hey, I’m not complaining

He’s highly destructive and very chaotic in battle, he can do that spin move even though that’s meant for claymore users

He’s Mondstat’s biggest trouble maker. He runs an underground gambling room that sits underneath a tavern. He isn’t really into gambling but he makes a lot of money by running it

The only knight who knows is Ludwig which is not good cause...Gil pretty much bribes his brother into not telling the knights of favonious (peace keepers of Mondstat)

Gil never got his gliding certificate cause he kept flying into buildings. He broke his nose doing that lol

Lovino: Pyro, catalyst, *

I can’t add anymore images so imagine a floating, red and black orb. Lovi doesn’t get a book catalyst cause he doesn’t read :) That’s the catalyst thing I’m talking about 😅😅

My guy has the angriest in game voice lines, he’s inconvenienced by every battle, every enemy is ugly and a fuckin disaster. He’s just. Angry.

He’d be a super weak character if he needed to rely on hand to hand combat but he learned magic for a reason babey

He owns a flower stand in his country and makes all kinds of beautiful flower arrangements. He even picks his own flowers in the fields when he can (but usually pays the town’s children to do it for him to ‘teach them the value of hard work’).

Everyone knows he’s a total hothead and will piss him off on purpose just cause it’s funny lmao. But then somehow...Their hair or clothes will just...catch on fire. So is it really worth it to tease him? :/

Feliciano: Hydro, archer, Mondstat(temporary)

I feel like Feli would also be a free character, not cause he isn’t good or anything! But you always need an archer on your team!

Feli has healing properties for his team and doesn’t do an insane amount of damage but when given the right resources, he’d be a pretty sick healer

He moved to Mondstat to join the church there. He leads prayers in front of the church and sings in the choir inside.

He is the sweetest and has never committed a crime in his LIFE but he’s afraid of the knights lol he’s terrified that he’ll get in trouble and be kicked out of Mondstat forever! That would never happen but he’s a worry wart cause of his brother

Ludwig: Geo, long sword, Mondstat

Lud is the only one that I could really think of as a Geo but Geos are awesome :)

He’s a hard hitter but has like...No shield so he’ll take damage fast if you don’t give him those artifacts with shield in them or whatever lol uhhhh I wouldn’t know anything about that cause I suck at building my teams ;-;

He’d totally be in with the knights of favonious! (I think that’s spelled right lol) but he’d take his duty as a knight very seriously!! He’s a familiar face around Mondstat, the elderly absolutely adore him and the local teenage girls swoon over him which he finds super embarrassing lol

He has to work hard to keep Gilbert in check cause even though Gil isn’t a knight, his actions reflect negatively back on Lud very often... :(

Please ignore the spelling errors and terrible photo cropping on my part lol this was so fun!!

By the time you’re seeing this, ive already made full outfit red sheets for everyone mentioned above!!!! :D