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handsomelyhiddleston · 3 years ago

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Sticky Notes - Tom Hiddleston x Reader

It all started on the set of Ragnarok. They hadn’t even started filming yet. Table reads, choreography, costume fittings, set development…The cast, crew, and even Taika started finding little notes.

Some were specifically to certain people…

“Your laugh is contagious. Thank you for making this set so down to earth and inviting.” You slipped that into Taika’s (the director’s) fanny pack when he left it on his director’s chair.

“I know how hard you’ve been working on your fight choreography, and I just wanted to let you know you absolutely killed it today!” You left that stuck to Tessa’s (Valkyrie’s) water bottle.

Some you posted for everyone, like “I know that you all put such amazing effort and time into bringing this movie to life and I just want you all to know that it doesn’t go unnoticed.” That note was posted above a table full of ‘easy to grab’ snacks you laid out such as protein bars, fruit snacks, pretzels, and dried fruit.

This continued well into filming. Everyone had tried to figure out who was leaving these little daily encouragements. It got to the point that Taika started calling you Casper, as in “Casper the Friendly Ghost.” Every day at the start of filming he would say. “Come on guys. Let’s make Casper proud.”

Everyone had a theory. Most thought that it was actually Taika just trying to keep morale up. Taika accused Tom but took it back after some comment about the notes not sounding very British.

Your job on set was to cast extras. While you were present daily, you honestly only had to meet with Taika once or twice a day to make sure the next day’s cast extras were ready. You two fell into an easy rhythm working together and he started asking for your opinion on some other aspects of the set. One late afternoon, after an incredibly chaotic day of filming, Taika decided that he was going to scrap the entire scene and start it over.

He pulled out his phone and sent a text to you, Tom, and Chris. “Today can suck it. I’ve just watched the dailies, and something just isn’t right about that scene. Meet at mine in 30 so we can get ahead of it.” A few seconds later he added, “And for the love of God, someone bring some tequila.”

You laughed at his text, jogging to the trailer you shared with the other casting director. You changed into a pair of shorts and a baggy t-shirt and grabbed your keys and wallet. You jumped in your car so you could make a quick trip to the Starbucks down the street since it appeared it was going to be a long night.

“One Venti iced coffee with milk and 1 sugar, one Grande Americano hot with cream and 2 sugars, one Venti hot latte with vanilla, and one Venti hot water with two earl gray tea bags and four sugars on the side. Can I also get one of the small kid’s milk boxes?” You heard the barista repeat your order back and pulled forward and paid.

When you got to Taika’s trailer, Tom and Chris were already there.

“Oh, bless you” Taika thanked you, taking the Latte from you.

“You’re the best” Chris said, taking the lid off of the Americano so it would cool off a bit.

“Tom, I grabbed you tea.” You handed him the hot water and two tea bags, setting the sugars and milk next to him so he could make it to his liking.

“You’re too kind” Tom graciously took the hot water from you, noting that you grabbed his favorite kind of tea.

In Taika’s trailer there was a table with a bench on each side. Chris and Tom were sat on one side, leaving a space for you to sit next to Taika.

“Anyone grab the tequila?” you laughed, dropping your keys and wallet on Taika’s counter and sitting at the table with your iced coffee.

Taika grabbed the bottle and sat it down in front of you. “You’re already two swigs behind, love.”

“Bullshit” you laughed. “Prove it. Where are the shot glasses?”

“I said swigs, not shots” Taika smirked. “We don’t have shot glasses.”

“Look at how much is missing from that bottle. I just bought it.” Hemsworth backed Taika up.

You looked at Tom, knowing he would be honest with you.

“Hey, you trust Tom more than me?” Taika pretended to be offended.

“Tom always looks out for everybody. I don’t think he’d let me get two shots drunker than you fools.” You teased Taika, poking his side and sticking your tongue out at him.

“Watch” Taika said, putting his arm around your shoulders and looking towards Tom. “How many swigs did we all take?”

Tom laughed, “I’m sorry darling, but he’s telling you the truth.”

“Fine, fine.” You opened the bottle and took three swigs, handing it to Taika. “Catch up, then.”

Tom started thinking about the compliment you had given him as he took his third swig of Tequila. He felt flattered that you felt that way, but it also reminded him of one of the notes he had found stuck to his trailer door.

“Okay, we need to re-block this whole scene. It just did not translate from script to screen…” The four of you worked on a few line changes and mapped out a better way to execute the scene for over two hours.

There was a bit of dialogue that Taika felt was getting lost that he really just didn’t want to let go of. “We may just have to mess with this tomorrow while we’re filming.”

“Or you could have Loki say it instead of Thor.” You suggested.

“Could do.” You could tell that Taika was thinking it over.

“Here you have Thor immediately going into another hard-hitting line” you explained. “If that line comes from Loki, it makes it less likely to get lost.”

“I think that will fix this problem too” Chris started underlining other parts of the dialogue.

“What do you think?” Taika looked at Tom.

“I mean, I personally think Loki has already evolved enough at that point in the script that it suits him quite nicely.” Tom explained in a way only Tom can explain.

“I agree” you said. “You guys make Loki grow quite a bit in this film and as usual, Tom is hitting it out of the park. I’m 100% confident he will have conveyed that message to the audience by this point.”

“Thank you for your vote of confidence.” Again, Tom was flattered. However, he was growing more and more suspicious that you were Casper.

“Always” you replied, smiling at Tom as you finished your coffee.

“Let me type this up and we can table read it.” Taika grabbed the papers and went to the other side of the trailer where his computer was set up.

“While you do that, I’m going to steal your restroom for a moment.” Chris stood, throwing his empty coffee cup away and closing the bathroom door. Chris joined Taika a moment later.

“Y/n?” Tom said, kind of quietly.

“What’s up?” Your elbows were resting on the table with your chin sat on your hands.

“Can I ask you something?” Tom didn’t want to bring it up in front of anyone. He didn’t want the notes to stop, but he had to know.

Tom looked a bit serious, but you didn’t know why. “Of course.”

“Are you…” He stopped, reaching his hand into his back pocket to retrieve his wallet. “Is this you?”

Your eyes went wide as Tom pulled a small stack of pink sticky notes out of his wallet, laying them down next to each other. There must have been 10 of them in total. You were touched that he actually kept them. Sometimes you felt silly leaving them for people not knowing if they appreciated them. You tried to play it off, laughing. “I thought those were from Taika?”

He pointed at one of them, reading it quietly. “I tried the tea you always drink. I don’t think it could ever replace my love of coffee, but I wanted you to know it pairs well with a good book.” He pointed to another note. “I know you paid for everyone to Uber home after our last night out. I just wanted to tell you I appreciate you. Thank you for always looking out for us.” You could feel his eyes on you as he moved his hand to a third note. “I envy your ability to capture a room. You’ve got an amazing knack for making those watching you feel whatever emotion you’re trying to convey.” When Tom’s hand moved to the fourth note, you heard Taika’s printer turn on.

“Put them away” you said, trying to stack them quickly. Chris started walking towards you and you grabbed the small stack you had gathered and put them in your pocket.

Tom put the rest back in his wallet. “What do you think?” he asked Taika about the changes he had made.

“I think tomorrow is going to be a lot fuckin’ better.” He passed the printed copies around after joining the two of you back at the table.

Tom’s line went over great, and the dialogue flowed much more smoothly. All of the other changes made the scene feel more natural. When Taika called it a night, Chris laid down on the couch refusing to go back to his own trailer.

“Can I walk you to yours?” Tom asked as you stepped out of Taika’s trailer.

The two of you walked back to your trailer in comfortable silence, tired and a little drunk. When you got to the door, you turned around and pulled the pink notes out of your pocket.

“Please don’t tell anyone?” You placed the notes in Tom’s hand.

“I didn’t plan on it” he replied, tucking them neatly back into his wallet.

“I feel silly now that someone knows it was me. Why did you keep them?” You had to ask. You assumed, at most, that people read them, smiled, and threw them away.

“Hmm…” Tom laughed humorlessly, his eyes focused on his wallet. “I think you’re doing a lot more than you realize when you leave your ‘silly’ little notes.”

His response caught you off guard. He almost sounded…sad? Serious?

“Y/n, I’ve had to work with actors and crew that have made filming a project miserable. Whether they were rude or critical or just an absolute diva, there is always someone to bring the room down.” He put his wallet away and looked you in the eyes. “I wish you knew how many of us have kept these notes. Taika has them in the glovebox of his car. The catwalk above the set is covered in notes you’ve left the crew. They’re stuck all over the mirrors in the make-up trailer so that the cast sees them first thing in the morning.”

Your eyes went wide. “What?”

Tom put his hands on each of your arms as if to ensure you were paying attention. “An encouraging word or a genuine compliment can change someone’s entire day, y/n. You have no way of knowing what life has dealt any of these people. They could be depressed or stressed out or wishing they hadn’t woken up that morning…and all of a sudden they receive a tiny bit of kindness from someone and it makes it that much easier to get through another day. Maybe even with a smile on their face.”

Tom wore a soft smile and even though you felt a bit overwhelmed, you couldn’t help but smile back. “Thank you for telling me that.” You moved towards him, pulling him into a tight hug.

“Please don’t forget it.” Tom pulled back a bit and pressed a quick kiss to your cheek. “I hope you get a good night’s sleep.”

“You, too.” You watched Tom walk away before slipping into your shared trailer.

Over the next few weeks, Tom had left you multiple green sticky notes with compliments written on them.

“You looked stunning yesterday”

“Thank you for still being a good listener when I go on rants about things you couldn’t care less about”

“Taika was bragging about you to someone on the phone. I just wanted you to know. I know sometimes you hesitate to suggest your ideas, but you shouldn’t.”

“I appreciate how much time you spend making this a better set to work on.”

“You are an incredible friend.”

You’d find at least one note a day and for every note he left you, you’d leave one for him. The two of you got quite a bit closer after he found out about your secret. You’d spend breaks on set together and often times wound up back in Taika’s trailer with him and Chris. You cuddled and flirted and shared more than a few loving glances, but you never went any further. It felt like it was turning into something more, but Tom was such a gentleman you couldn’t tell.

The note you found this morning, however, completely caught you off guard. The filming was almost done and everyone’s time on set was almost over. You had just sat down next to the director’s chair and opened your laptop. There, stuck to the screen, was a green sticky note. “Darling, would you please be mine?”

You looked up at Tom on stage only to find him already looking at you. He lifted his brow and tilted his head, waiting for your response. You couldn’t help but smile as you nodded ‘yes’.

Taika looked between you, noticing the interaction and intentionally teasing you. “Oi, what’s this then?”

Tom turned, trying to hide his grin by talking to Chris. You closed your laptop to hide the sticky note.

“Nah, I saw you two. Don’t pretend like I’m crazy.” Taika was still looking back and forth between you and Tom.

“Maybe you’re still drunk from last night” you teased, putting your laptop in its bag so you could retrieve the note later.

“Oh, sure.” He dropped it, knowing he’d bring it up tonight when you all gathered in his trailer.

The rest of the filming flew by crazy fast. You and Tom had decided that you would go stay with him in New York until the press junkets and interviews started. When the premier rolled around, you two were already publicly dating so you got to escort him down the red carpet. It had been just over a year since the two of you had started dating.

As the credits for the film started rolling, you felt like you were walking down memory lane. So many people go into making movies of this scale and watching all of the names roll by, one by one, really puts that into perspective. You’d met almost all of these people and worked closely with quite a few of them. As the credits came to an end, you saw that Taika had added an extra credit.

The last few “SPECIAL THANKS” credits were in order as listed…

“The filmmakers acknowledge the assistance of the New Zealand Government’s Screen Production Grant”

“The filmmakers would like to acknowledge the Yugambeh and Bundjalung Peoples of Australia”

“The director would like to thank ‘Casper’, Ragnarok’s own personal friendly ghost”

It had been a year since you’d written one of those notes and it caught you off guard. Tom put his arm around your shoulders, pressing a kiss to your temple. “I told you.”

You and Tom mingled amongst your friends at the after party. Taika was flying. He was so happy with how it turned out and grateful for such a positive response. Everyone in the cast was telling stories from filming and catching up with their friends. By the time you two got back to your hotel room, you were blissfully tipsy and exhausted. You slipped out of your dress and threw on a baggy t-shirt before washing your face and getting ready for bed. When you left the bathroom, you saw Tom sitting on the edge of the bed in his pajamas with a soft, warm smile gracing his beautiful face. He was wearing his glasses and his hair was a mess and he could not have been more attractive if he tried.

“How are you feeling?” he asked, pulling you to stand between his legs.

“Pretty good. How about yourself?” you put your arms around his neck and pressed your lips to his.

“I think there’s only one thing that could make me happier in this moment.” He answered.

You thought he was being a bit cheeky, so you replied with, “oh, yeah? I wonder what that could be.”

Tom reached behind him on the bed and pulled out a small box with a worn, green sticky note on top of it. He didn’t say anything, letting you read it. It was the same note he had left stuck to your laptop screen. “Darling, would you please be mine?” Only now the word “forever” was written at the bottom.

#Tom Hiddleston #Tom Hiddleston x reader #Tom Hiddleston imagine #loki

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booksarelife-stuff · 3 years ago

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our secret moments in a crowded room

Jily (James Potter/Lily Evans), minor Wolfstar (Remus Lupin/Sirius Black)

My entry for the September Jily Challenge! @jilychallenge

Prompt: I tripped on the red carpet and you caught me

Partner was the amazing @kates836! Thank you for being an amazing partner!

In a fake PR relationship with Severus Snape, Lily can’t help be distracted by the real person who has her heart.

Word Count: 4,077

Read of Ao3 Masterlist

The car took a sharp left and Lily tried to stabilize herself so she didn’t touch Severus, who was sitting beside her. She made eye contact with Mary, who was sitting in the passenger seat. Mary shot her the millionth apologetic look.

Lily glanced back down at her phone, just in time to see a reply to the picture that she had sent of her in her dress.

Ahdjsfhkjdsf I can’t breathe. How dare you send this to me right before I walk out on the red carpet.

She smiled widely down at her phone.

I don’t know how I’m going to function with you that close and can’t do anything about it.

She smiled faltered for a second, because yeah, that was truly going to be torture for her too.

I’m about to go out. I can’t wait to see you.

Lily bit her lip before typing a reply.

If you think this dress looks good on me now, wait until you take it off.

The message bubbles appeared instantly and Lily’s smile turned smug.

You shouldn’t have said that. I’m going to think about it all night now. Love you

Love you too

She locked her phone and handed it to Mary, who would be holding all of her personal items for the rest of the night. Severus sighed deeply beside her and Lily tried not to roll her eyes.

If Lily had it her way, she’d be arriving with a very different date. But Lily didn’t have a choice. What the studio wanted, the studio got. Including a semi-fake relationship with her co-star, Severus Snape.

They had just finished filming the final season of their wildly popular show, The Hollow Hour. The show definitely didn’t need this kind of press to be successful, but Lily still didn’t have a choice in the matter, considering she had already booked a leading role in another one of their shows.

On-screen, Lily and Snape played Tara and Gideon, characters who had been in love since they were children and fighting in a war where they possibly wouldn’t make it out. Off-screen, Lily could hardly stand the presence of Snape.

It didn’t start out that way. When they’d first met, Lily had thought he was pretty cool. The show had been her first big break, as she had only done television guest appearances before then. Snape had a few movies under his belt, one of which was super popular. Their friendship had started out as his kind of giving her direction when it came to the whole fame thing.

Then, it got a little invasive. He would just be in her trailer, coming in without knocking. He started asking for more date-like hangouts. His disgusting political beliefs started coming out through their conversations and his apparent hatred for their co-star, Remus Lupin because he was openly gay. And he started acting as she owed him something, especially since the show took off.

The rumors had started before Lily realized that Snape was the creep that he was. People saw them pining on screen and going out for the occasional drink after a long day when Lily could still stand him and suddenly, people thought they were in love.

It had been a real nuisance in Lily’s life. Every interview, she tried to squash the rumors, whereas Snape would encourage them. It didn’t help that the show got popular, like really insane amounts of popularity. The character shipping took a sharp left turn into people shipping them.

Snily, they called them. From fanfiction to edits and art to covers of glossy magazines. It was everywhere. No matter if Lily was doing interviews from one of her movies, they would ask about Snape.

And since Lily was some sort of a masochist, she knew exactly what the fans thought of their relationship. They thought Lily denied the relationship because she was very private about her life, and Snape would never say it outright because he wanted to respect her but also wanted the world to know that she is his.

It didn’t help that Snape had accumulated a very dedicated fanbase. Like worship-the-ground-he-walked-on kind of dedication. To the point where Lily would get occasional death threats because she was “hurting him by denying their relationship.”

They never seemed to believe Lily when she said no, much like Snape and their studio. Lily couldn’t flat out deny the relationship in interviews anymore until after the final episode. It made her want to dry heave.

The car was slowing, and Lily could hear the buzz of fans and reporters. They were in the queue now for the red carpet. Mary unbuckled and twisted around in the seat, doing a final check of Lily’s hair and make-up.

Lily smoothed down her green satin dress, her legs bent awkwardly to not crease the dress and also not puncture the fabric with her stiletto pumps. Lily’s after-party dress was hanging up in the back, but Lily didn’t know if she was actually going to attend.

It had taken her a long time to feel beautiful at these types of events. Being considered plus size in this industry felt like a death sentence, especially since Lily refused to play the “funny fat friend” or anything like that. But she felt good tonight, especially with the way it hugged her curves and the bit of cleavage showed.

Severus looked like himself, just in a suit. His greasy hair was covered in dry shampoo and tucked behind his ears. He turned towards Lily and smiled like a cat who got the cream.

“We could make this real, you know?” he said, for probably the millionth time. “You and I would work.”

Lily tried not to crinkle her nose in disgust. “Severus,” she said. “You know I have no interest in that.”

There had been many times where Lily wished she could speak her mind and rip him a new one, but she could not get branded as a diva. So, she played off these uncomfortable moments with a laugh and polite words, even when she was telling him no for the millionth time.

She saw the corner of his lips turn down in a slight frown and averted her eyes to stare straight ahead.

The voices outside got louder and suddenly the car was stopping. Mary jumped out of the car quickly as Lily unbuckled. Moody, Lily’s driver, and bodyguard, also got out quickly to open Lily’s door.

She had to take Moody’s hand to step out. She wobbled when she shifted her weight to her high heels but quickly corrected herself. She was going to have blisters for weeks after tonight. Mary appeared from the other side of the car, hands already straightening Lily’s dress.

They were covered from the cameras here, so no one saw Mary make sure Lily’s breasts were firmly taped into the dress. The low cut of the dress required her boobs to be placed perfectly and one slip would probably cost Lily her career. That’s why Lily had Mary, her best friend since they were children and who now worked as her PA. The back of the dress was practically nonexistent and her long auburn waves tickled her with every movement.

Mary quickly batted away one of her dark coily curls that snuck out of its bun before giving Lily a once over.

“You look gorgeous,” she said, smiling. “He’s not going to want to take his eyes off of you.”

Lily gave her a real smile and a quick hug before stepping away to get around the car where Severus was surely waiting. She already had her red carpet smile on and tried not to pay attention to the up and down look Severus was giving her.

Severus reached out his arm to escort Lily, but Lily walked past it. They said they had to arrive together, not actually walk together. Mary let out a snort of laughter as she followed Lily out to the carpet—to walk with Lily but hidden away.

The lights were blinding as Lily walked out on the carpet. Cameras flashing every second, people yelling questions at her. Lily was now a pro at this, after so many years of practice. The screams intensified, signaling Snape was now making his appearance.

Lily moved slowly down the carpet, making sure her smile stayed in place. Towards the end of her walk, Snape did sneak up on her, wrapping an arm around her waist taking extra care to let his fingers drag against her bare skin. She fought to not recoil away from him.

She smiled and laughed though she wanted to push him away.

The entrance to Royal Albert Hall was full of reporters and cameras. Lily never really minded this part of the red carpet because most of the time it was just questions like “who are you wearing?” or the occasional fun game with whatever fledgling media company had weaseled reporters in.

Lily was heading towards the first available reporter, a young woman who was smiling widely as Lily approached. But a familiar head of dark curls caught her eye, and she couldn’t help the way her attention turned immediately that way.

It had been six weeks since her boyfriend of three years had touched her. Six weeks since she had felt the indentation of him next to her in bed, felt his warmth, had him within her fingertips.

And James looked so good, it made Lily want to pull him away and find the nearest secluded spot. The way his tailored suit hugged the angles of his body, the body that she knew like it her own.

She could feel her heart start pounding in her chest, and she hoped the cameras weren’t picking up the way her hands were shaking.

“Lily Evans!” the young reporter cheered. “How are you on this fine evening?”

“I’m doing great,” Lily said, smiling and resisting the urge to look at James.

“So, you arrived with rumored beau and co-star, Severus Snape,” the reporter cheered. “Care to confirm anything?”

Lily fake laughed. “We just carpooled. Better for the environment.”

The girl’s face tightened a bit, but the reporter knew better than to press.

Lily answered her questions with ease. Who was she wearing? Did she feel good about her role as a presenter? What was she going to do after the final season of The Hollow Hour?

Once the interview concluded, she turned to go to the next reporter.

But there was James, looking at her with a slight smile on his lips. His dark brown eyes did a quick once over of her, appraising her every curve quickly. And goddamn, he wore his glasses instead of his contacts, reminding Lily of the quiet moments in her flat where they were tangled together, his glasses pushing into her face. His normal frizzy curls were more defined thanks to whatever hair product his stylist made him use. His brown skin was as flawless as ever, glowing in the camera flashes in the fading day.

It couldn’t have been more than a moment where their eyes met, but it was enough to thoroughly distract Lily to the point of missing the small bump in the carpet. Her shoe caught and the sensation of falling happened before she felt strong arms catch her.

“Are you okay?” James asked as Lily’s world steadied in his arms, the concern in his eyes.

Lily felt her cheeks redden, both from the embarrassment of tripping on the red carpet and the fact that she was in James’s arms. She nodded but when she stepped back, her right shoe gave out.

She moved away from James’s arms, but took his hand, their fingers clasping each other, to keep her balance as she lifted her dress up to see the heel completely snapped off.

“Well, that’s great,” she said with a laugh. James laughed with her. She wobbled for a second and James’s hand grabbed her side to steady her, his fingers making her burn.

Lily couldn’t help but smile softly at him as Mary appeared, getting on her knees in front of Lily, urging her to turn slightly. She let go of James’s hand and used his shoulder to keep her balance as Mary undid the straps on Lily’s shoes. Mary, who was definitely getting a raise after this, took off her own black kitten heels and gave them to Lily.

She was now several inches shorter and her dress dragged a bit on the ground, but it was better than no shoes at all.

“I owe you my life,” Lily told Mary, who smiled in response. Lily didn’t miss the way she gave James a glance and then a teasing smile back to her. She turned back to James. “Thank you so much.”

“No problem,” he replied. “I’ll see you around?”

She wanted to say that she would see him tonight, preferably with no clothes, but she just smiled and nodded in response.

As she let go and James stepped away, the last thing on her mind was the cameras catching every moment.

~~~

To Lily’s detriment, her manager had called Mary to tell Lily that she had to be seen at the after-party with Snape.

Lily tried not to recoil at Severus’s hand on her lower back as he led her to the after-party. The cameras were blinding against the darkness of the night, but Lily let herself be led into the venue, Moody doing his best to push back against the raging crowd.

The venue only had a few selective members of the press inside, but it was little enough that it put all the celebrities at ease. There was no real food, just snacks because seeing your favorite movie star get sloshed would sell magazines and get them trending on Twitter.

Lily’s stomach growled. She couldn’t remember the last full meal she had.

Severus kept a firm hand on her back. She smiled and laughed at the right times as they talked with winners from the night. A live band started and Lily’s ears rang with the loud music. She kept knocking back glasses of champagne because at least the buzz would take the edge off the hungry looks in Severus’s eyes and make her not recoil when he tried to whisper in her ear.

Her saving grace came in the form of Remus Lupin somewhere south of midnight.

She came back from the loo and purposefully walked away from where she knew Severus was waiting. The alcohol was thrumming through her veins, and she felt light. Her shoes—or Mary’s shoes—had been kicked off long ago, and she was stumbling through the crowds of famous people.

Remus stood at the picked-over snack table, probably looking for any scraps of leftover chocolate. He had been Lily’s co-star since day one and her favorite to boot. Severus hated him, mostly because Lily liked him more, but also because he was openly gay and in a long-term relationship with the model, Sirius Black, who Snape also hated.

Remus had been the reason she and James met. She also knew that where Remus was, Sirius wasn’t far, and if Sirius wasn’t far, neither was James.

And she wanted to see James more than anything.

“Boo,” she said, poking Remus’s side. The man jumped, almost dropping his chocolate-covered strawberry.

“Bloody hell, Evans,” he said. Lily laughed, already feeling better. She clumsily picked up a biscuit and took a bite.

“How’s your night been going?” she asked. Remus let out an amused huff.

“Same old, same old,” he said. “You?”

Lily didn’t respond and Remus laughed, knowing exactly how her night had been going. They grabbed a few more snacks and Lily proceeded to follow him, hoping that he would lead her to the person she needed to see.

James was sitting at a table across from Sirius, and Lily’s heart immediately started beating rapidly. His suit jacket and tie were gone, just leaving him in his tight white button-up. The top buttons were undone, hinting at his chest that Lily knew better than the back of her own hand.

The sluggish haze of the alcohol in her system reminded her of when they first met. It had been at The Hollow Hour season one wrap party, and Remus had invited James and Sirius. He had caught her eye from across the room, the curly black hair and glasses were a dangerous combination for Lily, especially with the dark jeans that had hugged his very nice arse. She was so nervous that she had had to take a shot before she walked over to have Remus introduce her.

She had taken him home and when she woke up in the morning, recovering from the best sex she had ever had in her life, she found him making breakfast for her.

He stayed the whole weekend.

Then they texted non-stop and started having dates, sitting in Lily’s apartment with take-away and cheesy movies.

And here they were, three years later, hopelessly in love, and pretending that they weren’t because her stupid television show needed promoting.

It hadn’t been meant to be a secret for so long. In the beginning, they just wanted to figure each other out without all the press breathing down their necks. It’s just how it all happened.

It wasn’t like the important people in their lives didn’t know. Their parents and most trusted friends did. And they already decided that once the whole thing with Snape stopped, they were going to go public because they wanted to move in together and finally go on real dates.

Lily saw the way he perked up when he saw her. A small smile on his lips, his shoulders moving back. There was a moment when Lily could have sworn that there were no other people in the room until someone bumped into her.

She slid into the booth beside him, not caring about how dangerous that was, especially when their legs touched.

“Hey,” he said, his deep voice tugging at her in a way she missed while he was gone.

“Hey,” she replied. She could tear her eyes away from him and she didn’t know if she wanted to, either.

“Bloody hell,” Sirius said, not even jarring the couple. “Get out of here before you start shagging on the table.”

James raised his eyebrows in question, which Lily answered with a smile. He reached down for his pockets.

“I’m texting Moody,” he said.

Anticipation pooled in her stomach and as she grabbed another biscuit to eat because it was something to do, her hands shook. James placed his hands on Lily’s thigh and she couldn’t think of anything else until he leaned over and told her that Moody said it was all clear.

Even in her drunk state, she located her shoes and practically sprinted to the back door where Moody was waiting.

There were a few paparazzi pictures taken as Lily quickly hopped into the back of the SUV and Moody got into the driver’s seat. He handed her her small bag that had her phone in it that Mary had been carrying. She was too excited to even get her phone out as Moody did two laps around the block before pulling right back into the same spot.

The second James jumped in and the door was closed, Lily was on him. She grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled him to her, meeting their lips in a deep, but sloppy kiss. Lily kicked her legs up onto his lap and pulled him down as laid down the best she could in the back seat. James laughed a little against her lips, causing Lily to pull away and laugh too.

“Next year, we’re going to this together,” she said, opening her eyes to see him in whatever light that shone in from the windows. She got flashes of his eyes and his wide smile as she sat up, still keeping her legs on her.

“Absolutely,” he replied, pressing a light kiss to her lips. “And we’re going to still traumatize Moody on the way home.”

Said man let out a snort. “No, I’m getting a divider.”

Lily barely remembers the rest of the car ride and getting to her flat. All she remembers is the taste of James’s lips and the feeling of his hands on her.

~~~

The blaring noise of a phone call is what made Lily wake up. She jumped violently, kicking James in the process, who let out a pained groan as Lily disentangled herself from him to be able to reach her nightstand to turn off the god-forsaken ear-splitting sound.

Her hand smacked into the nightstand, but her phone wasn’t there. She realized it must be James’s.

She nudged him and he groaned, but she could feel him move around in the bed. Finally, it stopped and James spoke.

“Hello?” he fell silent. “What are you talking about?”

Lily, who was already falling asleep again, opened her eyes at his tone and suddenly, he was shaking her.

“I’ll call you back Sirius,” James said as Lily sat up.

He hung up the call and threw his phone down on the bed. He tugged at his hair as Lily watched him with wide eyes.

“They know about us,” he said.

“What?” Lily exclaimed, reaching for his phone.

She typed in the passcode and saw the million phone calls from his manager and publicist. She opened Twitter, and right there, trending number one, was a still of James’s arm around her when she broke her shoe.

"Lily Evans, caught in a love triangle."

"Actress Lily Evans and actor James Potter are rumored to have left the BAFTA after-party together despite Evans arriving with Severus Snape."

She clicked on the first article while her stomach soured.

"Lily Evans and Severus Snape have long been rumored to have been dating, but last night’s events have seemingly squashed the rumors for good."

The article went into detail about the rumors between Lily and Severus, before finally getting to last night.

"James Potter, actor, best known in his role on the popular historical drama "Mountainside Valley', was able to catch Evans on the red carpet when her shoe broke. The footage from the cameras that were rolling by the pair has been released.

According to sources, the two are familiar with each other. Lily’s co-star, Remus Lupin is both friends with Potter and is even dating his adoptive brother Sirius Black, so we can speculate that they have met before. Based on the videos, they do seem to be familiar with each other.

What really solidified the relationship between the two actors comes from an unknown source who attended the after-party. 'She sat next to him and then a few minutes later, they left.'

Fans seem to be having a lot of mixed reactions to Evan’s alleged actions.

@snapewife45346 wrote: 'ALL LILY HAS EVER DONE IS HURT HIM. HE NEEDS TO LEAVE HER ASS FOR GOOD!!'

@snnnily394 on Twitter wrote: 'i don’t think it’s true. She would never do that to him.'

@taraisgod wrote: 'They have never said they’re in a relationship, you all are just projecting. Let her be happy!!'

@mountainbaddie wrote: 'Evans UPGRADED'

Lily set down James’s phone, unable to do anything else. She met his eyes and took a deep breath.

Her gut reaction was that it sucked. It sucked that they didn't come out on their own terms. The studio was probably pissed, or maybe they thought the bad press was good press.

But as she looked at James, sitting beside her on his side of the bed, the bed he only rarely got to occupy these days, she realized that maybe it was a blessing.

“We could deny it,” James said, a frown tugging at his lips. “Say that we’re best friends if you think that’s what the studio would want.”

Lily shook her head. “I don’t want you like a best friend. I don’t want to deny myself of you anymore.”

He smiled, soft and sweet. Lily yanked the bedsheets off of herself and crawled over to him, straddling his legs. She was only wearing a pair of knickers and one of his t-shirts. His hands immediately snuck up the shirt and caressed her hips, his thumbs teasing her panties.

“Joint statement?” he asked, as Lily leaned in. She kissed him soundly.

“In a minute,” she said, kissing him again.

#jilychallenge #jily challenge #jily fic #jily fanfic #James Potter/Lily Evans #James x Lily #James Potter #Lily Evans #Lily Evans Potter #Harry Potter fanfic #hp #marauders era #minor wolfstar #Remus Lupin #Sirius Black #celebrity au #secret relationship #established relationship

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agentnico · 3 years ago

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Free Guy (2021) Review

“Don’t have a good day, have a great day!”

Plot: When a bank teller discovers he's actually a background player in a brutal open-world video game, he decides to become the hero of his own story - one that he can rewrite himself. In a world where there's no limits, he's determined to save the day his way before it's too late, and maybe find a little romance with the coder who conceived him.

Last time I watched such a hyper-actively positive film I was seeing little LEGO figures jumping about on screen with Morgan Freeman hanging off a string in ghost form. Yes, The LEGO Movie shares a lot in common with Free Guy, not just in its opening sequence where Ryan Reynolds’s loveable Guy is starting off a perfectly good day every day with a nice cup of coffee and wishing everyone not a good, but a great day, goes to the job at his bank and goes back home, and rinse and repeat. But the character of Guy himself is basically Chris Pratt’s Emmett from The LEGO Movie - full of sunshine and innocence and taking everything that comes with child-like excitement and energy. You can also treat Mariah Carey’s “Fantasy” song usage here like “Everything is Awesome” with how many times its played, but damn if it isn’t catchy! And the film comparisons don’t end there. You wouldn’t be faulted for seeing references to Ready Player One with all the cameos and Easter Eggs and pop culture references thrown in the mix, to The Truman Show based on the general concept and obviously certain video games such as Grand Theft Auto, Saints Row and even Sims due to the video game open world that the movie creates.

Speaking of the video game open world that is created, you could tell director Shawn Levy and the producers went through a lot of effort to research modern video games and all the tiny little details and quirks that exist. For example it was a lot of fun seeing characters tea-bag someone they just killed to then a character glitching out and jumping into the wall repetitively or the obvious inclusion of Fortnite inspired dance jiggles. You also get cameos from various real-life game streamers such as Jacksepticeye and DanTDM, and I found an interview on IGN where those guys spoke about in regards to how Hollywood can never seem to get video-game-to-film adaptations right, and how they appreciated that the producers of Free Guy went to them and asked questions and actually showed interest in wanting to create a realistic feeling video game in the movie and getting the terminology right. Evidently unlike other video game adaptations Free Guy manages to succeed from the fact that it doesn’t need to replicate a specific game from real life. There are nods to certain games as I aforementioned, but otherwise they’ve created their own entire game and as such there is no expectation to impress a certain individual fan base. So in conclusion what I’m saying is that I guess Hollywood should stop trying to adapt film versions of popular video game franchises and instead do their own original stuff maybe? Then again I do want to see that Ghost of Tsushima adaptation come to life, so yes, I’ll just go and kindly shut myself up.

Taking the video game matter aside for the time being, I found Free Guy to be an absolute delight from start to finish. Well, to be exact from 20 minutes from the start to finish. Honestly when the film began I was concerned if the movie was going to turn out to be the typical “I live in a simulation” story, and though as a basis it is exactly that, there’s so much goodness thrown into the mix with funny jokes to the cameos (the cameos are to die for!) to the visuals to the music choices to the performances - the movie is such a joy to watch. Speaking of the cameos and pop culture references, Free Guy is also an interesting film outside of its narrative. This movie was in production during the time the studio that was behind it - 20th Century Fox - was being sold to a certain little known company called Disney. As such, you can tell after the studio’s transfer to Disney was complete, this film underwent some additional reshoots and last minute changes, mainly in the finale because there are certain surprises at the end of the movie that will be a geek/nerd’s wet dream and were only made possible after Disney’s acquisition of 20th Century Fox, now known as 20th Century Studios. Personally I still have my qualms about Disney being the massive conglomerate business giant that is buying out all the other studios, but not going to lie even I got excited and jumped up like a kid in my cinema seat when a certain something happened at the end of this movie. Luckily only my lovely fiancée saw me like this as she was sitting next to me, and yes, I’m certain that me revealing my true nerd colours definitely lost me some attraction points from her, but nevertheless I don’t care, the Easter Eggs at the end of this movie are real fun!

The entire cast is top notch here. Ryan Reynolds does his usual shtick that he’s been doing ever since he found success with Deadpool, however naturally here he’s kept PG-13 and not swearing every other breath. That being said, his charm and sarcastic charisma really worked for the role of Guy, and he presented himself as really loveable and naïve and it was impossible not to like him in this film. Jodie Comer in her role has also been getting humongous praise from critics and reviewers alike, and yes, the rumours are true, she shares great on screen chemistry with Ryan Reynolds and also is proper cool and badass as to be expected. That being said I was told by a certain someone that they know someone who knows someone who knew someone who spoke to someone who said that they worked with Jodie Comer on the set of Killing Eve, and this was just some behind-the-scenes worker, and apparently in their experience they found Comer to be a real diva and challenge to work with. So that’s now me here spreading some gossip for no apparent reason besides causing a little stir and now I can move on. Joe Keery has a much bigger role in this film that the trailers made it seem, and I must say the lad has really been doing well for himself ever since his appearance in Stranger Things. Whenever I’ve see him in anything since such as Spree or Death to 2020 he’s always been wonderful to watch. Here in Free Guy he’s no different, getting to play a character who at first comes off as a villain but then is revealed to simply be a guy working for the wrong person. Speaking of that wrong person, the villain of the movie is played by none other than actor-director Taika Waititi himself, and his role is really interesting seeing as he plays the owner of this big video game business company who only cares about money and sequels over art, which I found quite ironic seeing as this movie is distributed by Disney that’s all about sequels, remakes and reboots. Just saying. Also found it funny how even though this movie marks a little reunion of sorts for Ryan Reynolds and Taika Waititi, they don’t share any scenes together which was probably for the best, as last time they worked together Green Lantern occurred. Anyway, Taika is as goofy and over-the-top as you expect him to be, and I can see him being very divisive. You’ll either find him hilarious or super annoying. However both opinions would work seeing as he’s the villain.

Free Guy is an absolute cuddly crowd-pleaser full of casual mayhem and crazy ideas, and is sure to be a welcome boost of fun in a summer that naturally lacked bigger blockbusters due to what’s happening in the world right now. However nonetheless, this and The Suicide Squad have really made a point that cinema is back, hopefully to stay.

Overall score: 9/10

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ladyyatexel · 3 years ago

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I Finished A Manga

And watched a movie. Once again tucked under a read more for your comfort and convenience and existing likely only for the entertainment of myself and @anthropwashere

what the fuck

My impression of the final arc of the manga is that the author had to find a way to best wrap every dumb thing he'd ever come up with in several layers of plastic wrap in order to appear as though it was one whole. Since it's plastic wrap, eventually you can't tell what it's holding together anymore, how many pieces there are, etc, but if you start unravelling, you are left with Holy Fuck What On Earth Was That. This is weirdly also not a criticism, I guess. If I had to retcon everything I'd done for ten years with the knowledge that the old stuff was already public and printed in thousands of books, I'd have to make a saran wrapped pretzel with an ankh on it too.

I dislike Kaiba even more now! This arc did not help my feelings about him in the slightest, especially since he was basically a cop.

also gonna go with a hard No on the Blue Eyes White Dragon Plot Device Woman, no no no yikes, what the Fuck

I think if even One Person had said, 'wow the monsters in our souls look like nothing from our world' then how mismatched they were from the trappings of Allegedly Egypt would not have been so jarring for me

Egyptian names filtered through Japanese filtered through English, hooboy

Appreciated actually being able to read the Pharaoh's name before he yelled it out.

"The mummy is playing the game with us." I'm sorry, w hat

Playing card game as the NPCs in table top RPG of a dead king's memories on top of a diorama made by Satan's landlord body because he likes making models and his dad owns a museum while an ancient pendant hangs like a disco ball designed to project realistic versions of ancient mythology soul fighting Satan in a trenchcoat and changing but also not changing the fabric of reality maybe????

Everyone's father has the same goatee, and I think 80% of the fathers we know about get murdered (by their own children!), so now I'm left with wonderings about the author's father as well as his shoe collection.

I don't. I don't think we needed Zorc, or really any of the extra souls in the Ring? I feel like the rage of the sole survivor of a concentrated slaughter/genocide could have been enough and more interesting.

Got the eerie feeling I was supposed to be sympathizing with or relating to the Pharaoh and his Priests, but I was firmly on the side of 'revenge on society for melting the bodies of everyone I've ever known down into magical jewelry' man. I mean, he's part of the Bakura Cinematic Universe, so of course I'm biased, I guess, but I was sitting there like, "Why are you booing him? He's right!" the whole time. I guess dragging the king's father's corpse across the floor was a dick move and is probably why we needed to extra manhunt for this dude, but I feel like I could have been spared like a dozen pages of indecipherable monster explosions if someone had just been like 'fuck, hold the ancient egyptian phone, we maybe owe this dude some airing of grievances, the mass murder was bad form'

speaking of the phone, Ancient Egyptian Bound Book was what made me put it down for several minutes. After everything else I endured, that it was not a fucking scroll of papyrus just shattered what will power I had to continue pretending it was Egypt. Not the dragons, or the stupid hair, or 'why are we all trying to murder the war orphan who is justifiably pissed as fuck', the Book.

Walk Walk Fashion Baby. Everyone wearing cute fucking slippers and excessive amounts of rad ankle bracelets and pinkie rings. Yeah, I'll take that, you all look cute as hell at least from the knees down.

Pharaoh trying to get out of a bad situation by appealing to Yami Bakura's commitment to staying in character while RPing, thank you, what a good. Movie stuff , that is, the Dark Side of What The Fuck Is Happening Movie:

I'm glad Yugi grew up, look at him go! He got taller to fit all his new confidence in himself. Also, Fashion. We love a choker and black shirt.

Many people got to Fashion! Love alternate wardrobe options.

Kaiba continues to Get Worse??????? I understand that he's a fan favorite, I just think whatever makes him appealing to everyone else makes me want to see him get punched in the throat. So every time I felt like the narrative and the visuals wanted me to think he'd gotten more badass, I was yelling "WHY" at the screen. He just seems like a tyrant dictator with too much money. That is everyone else's speed just like mine is homicidal revenge and dead things, I guess.

I suffered from not understanding who or why the fuck until like the last ten minutes, despite the thoroughness of my immersion in this weirdly specific hell for two weeks. Also, despite saying it was a manga continuation, it clearly was banking on you knowing more shit about the anime/real life card game than I ever knew, so I spent a long time either confused about what the fucking stakes were with Aigami/Diva (...why did he even need two names???? what purpose did that serve???) or bored as hell (Kaibaaaaaa).

Yay, Bakura for like five minutes, though. Even though the narrative and everyone in it only cares about him as plot vessel. He comes back from another dimension in the middle of a fucking stadium and no one is like 'shit, dude, what happened over there?' We are focused on the card game. The last thing he was doing was breaking the fuck down over things he'd blacked out, but Yugi is playing a cardgame while Kaiba insults him at the presentation of the new iPhone, so fuck off I guess. His voice actress getting some time to do Evil Laugh is always appreciated, though.

Bakura didn't even get to express a generic post gradation goal like everyone else, why do you guys even hang out with him or take him anywhere then

I feel like vinegar about this.

Mokuba being voiced by a 77 year old lady is just fantastic news to me. Also, his haircut and suit, yes, good for him. Cute.

why was it a movie about another new rando though, just make a movie developing the cast you already have, why do we keep adding more tragic orphans

just to kill them, usually

Yu-Gi-Oh: where orphans and fathers with goatees go to die.

#yugioh #i'm not tagging any further #whatever #shut up lady

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gutwrenchflowerbomb · 4 years ago

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Note: This is long but I felt like getting it out there not just for the sake of newer fans but because it’s been a long time since I’ve written about wrestling and I’d like to get into the habit again.

So I’m still pretty new to the current form of WRESTLING TUMBLR™️ but I am a Tumblr vet (joined in May of ‘09 baybee). I am also a vet when it comes to being a wrestling fan. I’m talking 25 years (since I was 10). And I feel this urge to be the cool aunt to all the newer and/or younger fans. I don’t wanna act like I am some super authority figure or that my thoughts and opinions are fucking gospel, but like...apply the wisdom I’ve learned over the years.

Especially as someone whose favorite wrestlers tend to be somewhere in the lower to upper mid-card range.

There is a lot of anger/disappointment/etc right now regarding AEW and some of the recent booking and I just wanna say a few things about it that hopefully will resonate or ease some of that.

-People who are upset with Kenny and/or the Bucks being the champs because they are EVPs :

They deserve it. Why? Because AEW is their baby. Yes, Tony Khan is a big part of it but ultimately the Bucks, Kenny and Cody are the originators. They took a huge risk and it has paid off handsomely. So why is it that just because they happen to be EVPs that means they can never be booked to win big? This whole industry is and has been booked that way. Plus, it’s not like they put the straps on themselves instantly. It’s been over a year and I think it’s fair to say they earned it. Also: they won’t have them forever. Wrestling isn’t fun when the belts never switch hands. We know this and they know this as well.

- Chuck and Trent being underutilized and Orange Cassidy being pushed the moon:

I am a HUGE Best Friends fan. Have been for years. In fact, one of the first shirts I ever bought that wasn’t WWE was a Best Friends shirt and I’ve worn that bitch to All In, Double or Nothing, All Out and Revolution. Do I think they could be on Dynamite more often? Sure. Do I think they are being buried or anything like that in favor of Orange? It’s not that simple.

I love OC. He’s cool, fantastic in the ring, looks good but most of all he is just soooo different than what most casual wrestling fans are used to. In this case, it’s worked out to his (and the company’s) advantage. I can’t tell you how many videos I’ve seen online that show people who don’t know shit about wrestling reacting to him in the ring. The Buzz is good and the result is TNT is VERY interested in OC. We all know TK loves him too. The result has been Orange getting more screen time. But I hope most folks realize this is not his fault. Plus, there’s always gonna be like...designated roles in a wrestling stable. There’s gonna be your singles guys, the tag teams and sometimes a woman or two. It’s just naturally how stables are. And people who are in stables generally are seen supporting their fellow members.

The Best Friends do appear to be on the back burner as far as storyline/prominence goes right now and that’s ok. There is so much talent on that roster, especially in the tag division. If you pull back and look at the episodes objectively, you’ll see that they (the bookers) really try to get everyone screen time as much as possible. When’s the last time PnP had a match? Or Jurassic Express? I can count on one hand the number of times TH2 have been on dynamite this year. That means that a lot of times a team won’t actually have a match on Dynamite for a while. They usually try to even that out by having them on Dark. Again, that is ok. The only alternatives to this would be to A.) cut screen time to several other performers in favor or just one or two teams or B.) have more performers on but the matches would have to be cut to 3-7 minutes. Personally, I would rather have longer matches less often then every week have some dumb ass short matches.

- My favorite ______ deserves ___!

Listen, everyone has favorites and naturally we all want to see our favorites as much as possible and want them to be dripping in championships. The reality is, if the same people/teams are the champions all the time it’s boring as fuck. Seriously. In good companies, there is a nice ebb and flow of changing of championships. Titles changes that happen too often lose their prestige. When they take too long to change hands it becomes boring and predictable.

In my over two decades of watching wrestling I’ve learned to embrace this. When your favorite finally gets booked in a higher profile feud, it makes it all that much more exciting and important. Take my current favorite AEW star: I am patiently waiting for Colt Cabana to get something bigger than his current position in the Dark Order. It may be a while. It might be in a few weeks. In the mean time, I just appreciate it when I get to see him at all.

- The women’s division is trash in AEW right now

It could be better, but believe me: it could be way fucking worse. If any of you remember the Diva’s Championship era of WWE know what the hell I’m talking about. I think that right now, with Covid-19 and injuries for some performers, the women’s division is in a holding pattern. It sucks. There’s no way around it. If you watch Dark, that’s where the ladies shine. There is often 3-5 women’s matches on there and they feature some bigger players and some lesser known jobbettes. Sometimes that means there’s a squash match. But often the performers are given a solid 6+ minutes to go at it. That doesn’t sound long but it’s actually pretty generous especially for those performers who are new/unknown. Yet on Dynamite we usually only get one MAYBE two matches and generally it’s involving the same people.

I think this is probably going to continue to be the case until the pandemic is under control and they are able to travel again. Not just travel in the sense of going to different cities, but also travel for performers. I personally cannot wait until we get some of the wonderful Joshi ladies back in the mix. I honestly think AEW really truly wants to have the women in their company to shine as bright as the men but they are struggling to figure it out. When the company was started, they had some big, well known names in the men’s division i.e. Chris Jericho. I mean, Double or Nothing we got Mox debuting. That’s some name recognition that the women’s division didn’t get and I think they have suffered because of it. That doesn’t mean that the women are any worse than men or that they are any worse than other companies’ women’s divisions.

I hope if anyone actually read all this comments to let me know what they think. Again, I never want to come off as an elitist (lol) or know-it-all but rather like the weird old cat-lady who’s lived through some.

#aew #all elite wrestling #personal opinion #kenny omega #the young bucks #best friends #orange cassidy #chuck taylor #trent?#wrestling #pro wrestling #colt cabana #long post #seriously this is a long ass post

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pitubea1910 · 5 years ago

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Watermelon Sugar

Pairing: Harry Styles x Reader

Words: 6k

Warnings: -

Tags: -

Request: -

Notes: this was writen in 3rd person because I found it easier to write :) it’s been a while since I wrote for Mr Styles but when WS video came out I had to write something. I hope you like it! Leave a comment and/or reblog!

Masterlist

She opened the door of her apartment and walked in, breathing heavily and all sweaty. The weather in L.A. had been quite hot the last few days, which had made her morning jogs a bit more challenging. All she could think about was the cold bottle of water she had in the fridge and the shower she was about to get.

(Y/N) had lived in Los Angeles for six years. She moved from San Diego when she decided to pursue her dream as an actress and, to be honest, she wasn’t doing as bad as her mother told her she could do. She hadn’t been in any big production, but her agent kept on telling her that she was in the right track.

She had been in several ads, some music videos and even as an extra in a couple of TV shows. She knew her big chance would come and just had to be patient. Sadly, patience didn’t pay the bills, so she was also working as a waitress. It hadn’t been easy to find a job where they would allow her to take a random day off for an audition or to film something, but her friend Kelly worked there as well and had put a great word for her. She would always be thankful.

(Y/N) checked the time and sighed when she saw that she had less than an hour and a half to get to work. She drunk the water she was craving and hurried to get to the shower. Twenty minutes later, she was already drying her hair and got dressed with some dark jeans and a sweater. She would change into her work uniform when she got to the restaurant, so she didn’t pay too much attention to what she was wearing.

She heard the familiar ding of her phone, telling her she had a text message. It was probably Kelly.

I’ll be there in 10. Be ready, xx

Kelly picked her up almost every single day to go to work, which (Y/N) deeply appreciated. Even though she had her license, she couldn’t afford to buy a car and having someone driving her was way more comfortable than using the public transport. Running around her one-room apartment, (Y/N) collected the few things she would need: wallet, phone and charger. She threw everything into her black bag and hurried out of the door, locked it and went downstairs.

Her shift went by as usual. Since it was Tuesday, a work and a school day, there weren’t many clients. Weekends were another story. She used to do extra hours due to the number of customers they had. Not that day. She finished her shift at 4 p.m., as usual, and waited for Kelly to finish changing so she would drive (Y/N) home.

She was patiently waiting, scrolling down her Instagram feed, when she saw a photo of Gemma and Anne. She smiled sweetly and liked it. She didn’t talk to Gemma as much as they did when (Y/N) was dating Harry, but they still were in touch and talked from time to time. They had connected the very first moment Harry introduced them almost two years ago, short after they got together and the last time they had seen each other was four months ago, a month before the breakup.

Their relationship had been one of the best (Y/N) had ever had. Harry was the sweetest and most caring guy she had ever met. He had always been there for her, making sure she was okay, even spoiling her when she allowed it. And even when she didn’t. Everyone in their inner circle kept on saying that they were the perfect match for each other. Harry was the calm that (Y/N) needed and she was the light in his lonely life.

At least until she wasn’t.

(Y/N) shook her head, pushing the thoughts away and got out of the app. She was about to lock it when it started to buzz. The name of her agent appeared on the screen, which made (Y/N)’s heart stop for a second. Maya would only call if there was a job for her. Immediately she picked it up.

“Hey there, girl”, (Y/N) said trying to sound chilled, although she was biting her nails. A nasty habit she couldn’t shake.

“How’s my favourite future Hollywood princess?” Maya said on the other side, making (Y/N) laugh.

“She just left the castle where she’s held by the evil stepmother”, she said looking at the door of the restaurant.

“Joanna was in today?” Maya asked, referring to (Y/N)’s manager.

Joanna was a forty-years old woman who happened to be one of (Y/N)’s manager. It could be said that their relationship wasn’t the best.

“Yeah”, (Y/N) sighed. “She made it impossible, as usual. But I’m used to her by now.”

“Well, I have something that will cheer your whole day up”, she said, not wasting anymore time.

“I’m all ears”, (Y/N) said with a big smile.

“Music video. In two days. Malibu”, Maya said.

“I love music videos!”

And she did. They were so much fun to film and it was an easy to make money. There wasn’t much acting involved, but she had always met the most decent people in those crews. Plus, she had got to meet some really big celebrities.

“I know you do, girl, that’s why I thought of you the moment this came to my table”, Maya said. “You want it?”

“Who’s the singer?” (Y/N) asked.

“They haven’t said it”, Maya said, which made (Y/N) sigh in annoyance. “I know, but you know how some of them are with their privacy and secrecy.”

“Yeah, yeah”, she said. “I just like knowing who I work for, you know?”

“All I got is that is a guy and I only know it because they referred him as ‘him’”, Maya said. “So…?”

“I’ll be there, no problem”, (Y/N) said anyway. Even if she would rather know who her employer was, she still needed the money.

“Perfect. Come by the office tomorrow morning so we can get the paperwork done, okay?” Maya said.

“10 a.m.?”

“Make it 11. I have a meeting at 9 that looks like a long one”, Maya said.

“Okay, got it. Tomorrow at 11 a.m. Thanks, Maya. You’re a lifesaver”, (Y/N) said just when Kelly walked out of the restaurant. She looked pissed and (Y/N) didn’t even need to ask why.

“I love you too. See you tomorrow!”

“Okay, bye!” (Y/N) hung up, locked the phone and put it into her bag. “What happened?” She asked.

“Joanna happened”, she sighed. “She came to me complaining about the state of some tables! I wasn’t even in charge of that area. Roger was”, she explained as they started making their way to the car. “But of course, dear Roger will never get scolded.”

“How can they be so obvious?” (Y/N) rolled her eyes.

“I hate favouritisms”, Kelly said. “Anyway, who were you talking to?”

“Maya”, (Y/N) smiled. “She got a job for me. Music video in Malibu on Thursday.”

“Great!” Kelly exclaimed. “Who’s the singer?”

“No idea. Maya said they wanted to keep it a secret”, she shrugged. “Seriously, it’s so annoying when they do that. I know they want to avoid anyone talking and ending up with fans at the set but c’mon. We’re adults here.”

“Not everyone is an adult”, Kelly said, still angry at Joanna.

“Good point”, (Y/N) sighed. “I took it, of course. I need the money. But still.”

“It will be okay”, Kelly said unlocking the car. “Do you mind going to Target for a minute? I need to get some stuff.”

“No problem.”

***

“I don’t understand how you always talk me into this”, Kelly said before taking the straw in her mouth again.

After going to Target (Y/N) had casually mentioned how she was craving something sweet. As usual, Kelly said she was on a diet but, to be honest, she had been on a diet ever since they met. It didn’t take too much convincing to get to Cocobella Creamary. Kelly ordered a banana and strawberry smoothie and (Y/N) ordered an Oreo Frappuccino.

“You didn’t have to order anything”, (Y/N) shrugged.

“It’s weird if I just sit here without anything”, Kelly said.

“I’ve done it sometimes”, (Y/N) said.

“Weird I said”, Kelly said, making (Y/N) laugh and nod. “You know what I was thinking?”

“Strike me.”

“Who the singer of the video might be”, Kelly said with her eyes narrowed.

“Some diva probably. Those are the ones who don’t want to say who they are in my experience”, (Y/N) said.

“I think it might be Harry.”

(Y/N) almost choked on her Frappuccino when Kelly said that. She coughed, covering her mouth, until her eyes got all watery. Kelly was quick to ask for some water to the waitress who came back running to the table. Thankful, she took the glass and drank a little.

“Thanks”, she told the girl, who looked relieved to see that a customer wasn’t going to die on her shift. When she walked away, (Y/N) looked at Kelly who was obviously almost laughing. “Not funny.”

“I just said his name”, she said with a funny smile.

“Unexpected. That’s all”, (Y/N) sighed. “And it’s not his video.”

“He’s in town and there are rumours he will make a video for Watermelon Sugar”, Kelly shrugged.

“Unrelated”, (Y/N) shrugged. Kelly looked at her with an eyebrow raised. “It’s not him. And I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Okay, fine. But that doesn’t make the chance go away”, Kelly said.

(Y/N) glared at her friend but decided not to say anything. Instead, she drank from her Frappuccino while looking out of the window. She didn’t even know Harry was in town. It wasn’t a surprise since he spent so much time there. Honestly, she had been to London in the time they were together and she couldn’t understand why he preferred Los Angeles. Yes, the weather was way better, but there was something much more appealing about England. However, Harry had always loved the west coast.

Actually, she knew that if it wasn’t because of how fond Harry was of L.A. they would have never met. Although since they broke up, she wished he wasn’t around so often. It wasn’t like they had ever run into each other at a party or anything -she avoided those unless she had a reason to be there- but knowing that he was in Los Angeles made her feel anxious. She wasn’t ready to see him again.

When Kelly dropped her off in front of her apartment, (Y/N) felt exhausted. So she went straight to the her couch, laid down and turned on the TV as she silenced her phone. She needed a bit of quite time every time she came back from work. The restaurant got so loud sometimes that it could be too much, so she loved the quietness that her apartment offered.

Next morning, when she went by her agent’s office to sign the contract, she looked for any sign that would tell her who the artist was but there was nothing. Maya knew nothing. (Y/N) would be lying if she said she hadn’t been thinking about what Kelly had said, but she refused to believe that it was Harry. It would be too much of a coincidence.

Knowing that racking her brain wouldn’t help, she decided to just forget about it. There was no way of knowing who the singer was if he or she didn’t want anyone to know, so she decided to take the day to relax and be ready for the video.

Maya texted her that night to tell her that she had to be on set at 10 a.m., so she would send a car at 9.15 a.m. so make sure she was on time. (Y/N) laughed a little. Maya and her had been working together long enough to know that punctuality wasn’t (Y/N)’s strongest suit.

Thanks to that, she managed to get to set fifteen minutes before ten, which gave her plenty of time to order a coffee at the Caffe Luxxe. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, it was a bit windy but not enough to make it uncomfortable, it was warm but not hot. It was perfect.

Once her order was given to her, she crossed the road towards where all the crew trailers were. If she had been paying attention to her surroundings, she would have seen the small group of nervous girls who looked like they were waiting for someone, but she was focused on her phone, answering a text from Kelly who was wishing her good luck.

She looked around the beach and smiled. She had always loved the ocean. Her father was a great surfer, even though she had never been able to even stand on the board, and he used to take her to the ocean every day he went to train. She had basically grown up in the water and all she knew was that, no matter where she lived, she needed the ocean nearby.

“May I help you?”

(Y/N) turned around, startled, to the man who had talked to her. He was in his late thirties probably and was carrying a binder with a pair of headphones on top of it. He was probably part of the crew.

“Hi! My name is (Y/N)”, she said, quickly looking in her bag for the identification badge that Maya had given her the previous day. Try to find it while she was holding the coffee was tricky. “I’m in the video.”

“Do you have any sort of…?”

“Here!” She finally said, taking it out of a small pocket. She handed it to him with a big smile.

“(Y/N) (Y/L/N)”, he said and opened the binder. “Here you are”, he nodded. “You need to go to trailer number 2 to get ready. We’ll start as soon as possible.”

“Okay, thank you”, she said taking the badge back from him. “Where’s the trailer?”

“That one”, he said pointing to one of the trailers that were parked next to the road.

“Thank you”, (Y/N) said again. “Will we be shooting here the whole day?” She asked, out of curiosity.

“Half of it. Then we will move to another location”, he informed her.

“Good”, she nodded. “Thanks again.”

(Y/N) hooked the identification on her bag, in case someone else asked for it, and made her way to the trailer.

“Coming through!”

She stopped on her tracks to let a man pushing a cart full of watermelons walk in front of her. What the hell? She chuckled to herself, wondering what the music would even be about, and walked towards the trailer. Since the door was opened, she just walked in while she sipped on her coffee. There were six chair lined up in there, with four of them already occupied by other girls who immediately looked at her.

“Hi”, (Y/N) smiled nicely. “I hope I’m not late”, she added.

“Hello there!” A red-headed woman said, hurrying over her. “Not at all, darling”, she said with a thick British accent. “I’m Martha, I’m in charge of make up and hair”, she introduced herself.

“Nice to meet you”, (Y/N) said, shaking Martha’s hand.

“Come and sit right here and one of my girls will be with you in a second”, she said pointing to one of the chairs. “We’re right on schedule but the faster to get to it, the sooner the show can start.”

(Y/N) decided she liked Martha. She looked like an easy-going person who loved her job. It was obvious she didn’t spend much time out of the UK because of her accent and the lack of tan on her skin, so probably she had come all the way to the States because of the video. (Y/N) wondered why the singer had made someone come all the way from Europe. The thought that Kelly had put in her head appeared again, but she pushed it down.

Once (Y/N) was settled, she finally looked at the rest of the girls to introduce herself, although she didn’t expect them to be already staring at her like they already knew her.

“Um… hi”, (Y/N) said, waving awkwardly. “I’m (Y/N).”

“We know”, one of the girls said. “You’re his ex.”

“Excuse me?” (Y/N) chuckled.

“Good morning, everyone!”

That voice made (Y/N) freeze. She would recognize that deep voice and that accent anywhere in the world even when she hadn’t listened to it in three months. When she looked at the door of the trailer, her heart started speeding and her stomach twisted when she saw Harry Styles walking in, wearing that dimpled smile he would always have.

She would have loved to go unnoticed, but suddenly she dropped her cup of coffee, spilling it everywhere and becoming the centre of attention.

“Damn it”, she said getting up, since she was now covered in the black liquid.

“(Y/N)?”

She gulped. She had always loved the way he said her name and it looked like it hadn’t changed. She still felt goose bumps. Taking a deep breath, (Y/N) looked up to meet those green eyes that, even in the distance that separated them, made her feel like he was looking into her soul.

“Hi”, was all she was able to say.

***

Harry thought he was having visions.

He had woken up that day full of energy, excited to shoot the video for Watermelon Sugar. It had the potential to be his favourite video yet and he couldn’t wait to see the result, although it would still be some time before it was released it.

As usual, he had been involved in the whole process: from choosing the location, the people in the video, the storyline, everything. That’s why he was so shocked to see his ex in that trailer. He hadn’t chosen her, so what was she doing there?

He was completely blank, but he could feel all eyes on both of them, which was only making the situation worse. He looked at the rest of the girls, whose eyes were going from him to (Y/N), like they were waiting for some kind of drama to explode. Harry couldn’t let that happen.

So he took a deep breath and forced himself to smile again and greet everyone, acting like (Y/N) wasn’t there. Luckily, she was seated on the last chair, so when he had welcomed and introduced himself to everyone, he faced her again.

Since Harry started saying hello to everyone, (Y/N) just sat on her chair, her face burning and fighting the urge to run away. Every single time he talked, she shivered, remembering all those times he would whisper sweet secrets in her ear at night. She could feel him approaching and yet, she couldn’t look up. Not until she knew she had to.

Taking a deep breath, she looked up to find him looking straight at her through the mirror. She gulped and looked up, to see him directly.

“Can we talk?” He asked. “Outside.”

“Yeah”, she nodded and got up. It wasn’t like she had anywhere to hide.

(Y/N) was first to walk out of the trailer and she breathed deeply, letting the air get into her lungs like she had been holding her breath for minutes. She heard Harry walking out as well before he grabbed her wrist.

“Come with me, please”, he asked her.

Harry let go of her wrist, feeling his hand burning at the contact, and started walking towards his own trailer. It was the only place where they could talk without being seen by some busybody paparazzi. He didn’t even have to look back to know if she was following. He could feel her presence. When they got to Harry’s trailer, he opened the door and let her walk in first.

“What are you doing here?” He asked straight.

“What do you think I’m doing here?” She asked back. “Same thing you do. Working.”

“But I… I didn’t pick you.”

(Y/N) clenched her jaw at that, to try and act like it hadn’t hurt her. She knew what he meant by that, but it still wasn’t a nice thing to say. It wasn’t the first time Harry hadn’t picked her and the memory still stung.

“I figured”, she sighed, blinking away the tears that threated to come out. “My agent called me yesterday and told me about this.”

“And you said yes? Knowing it was me?” He asked frowning.

“I didn’t know it was you, smartass. She didn’t know either”, she said. “Trust me, I wouldn’t have come if I knew.”

Harry looked away at that. Even when he knew how mad she was, knowing it hurt.

“That’s nice”, he chuckled.

“Excuse me? You’re the one who didn’t pick me and I’m the nice one here?”

“Did you want me to pick you?”

I wanted you to do it when it mattered, she thought.

“I didn’t even know you were in the States!” She exclaimed. “Don’t blame me on this, Harry. Maybe some of your picked ones got sick or couldn’t make it and they called me. What were the chances of me being your ex-girlfriend?”

Harry didn’t want to admit how it still hurt to think of her as that, even though he knew it was his fault. He messed up and she broke up with him. He couldn’t deny it, but it still hurt.

He took a deep breath with his hands on his hips and he looked down. He couldn’t send her away, of course, but he couldn’t picture working with her for a whole day. Not when he knew he wasn’t over her. Not even a bit. However, he had to keep things professional like he had always done.

“Okay”, he sighed. “You’re here and there’s nothing we can do.”

“Exactly”, she nodded.

“We’ll just do our jobs and…”, he shrugged. “Move on at the end of the day.”

“Sounds like a plan”, she nodded, trying not to show how his words were hurting her.

“Good”, he said quietly.

“I gotta get ready”, she said and walked to the door, but she stopped when she remembered something. “Why so many watermelons?”

“Oh… the song is Watermelon Sugar and the concept is…well…”, he blushed a little. “I told you the concept when I wrote the song.”

(Y/N) blushed immediately as memories came to her head. Memories of an afternoon in Italy, in a yacht rented by Harry. Memories of Harry in between her legs, claiming how good she tasted. Later that day, (Y/N) had found Harry writing the song.

“Oh…”, was all she was able to say.

(Y/N) hurried out of his trailer and went back to number two, where she had to face the looks of the other girls again. Only this time she barely paid attention to them, she was busy trying to control the beast that had gotten lose in her stomach. A feeling that only Harry had ever managed to cause in her.

Harry took a deep breath when (Y/N) left his trailer. He knew he wasn’t over her, but he would have never imagined how much seeing her would affect him. And now they had to spend a whole day together doing this video. Precisely… this video. He knew it was going to drive him crazy, but he had to keep it together and be professional, like he always was.

Soon after, Harry started filming the solo parts of the video. Although there weren’t many of them, it still took a couple of hours before the girls were called on set. He tried to act natural, but he couldn’t help looking for (Y/N) and, once he saw her his jaw fell. She was wearing a pair of denim shorts with the top of a pinkish bikini. On top of her head, were a couple of heart-shaped sunglasses.

“First, thank you all for coming!” The director said when they were all gathered around him. “You all know the concept of the video since I’ve explained earlier.”

(Y/N) gulped and looked at Harry carefully. She couldn’t believe she had been chosen to be a part of this video. She was going to have to touch him, kiss his cheek, being closer to him than what she expected. There was no way she would have been prepared for it even if she knew what she was getting into.

The director explained what scenes they were going to do at the moment and they all went to their positions. However, when (Y/N) was walking towards the rest of the girls, Harry blocked her way.

“Are you sure you want to do this?” He asked looking down at her. She sighed and looked at the crew, who was looking at them.

“We have to”, she shrugged. “It’s our job.”

Harry nodded and took a deep breath before stepping aside. They had to do this. He watched her while she joined the rest of the crew who were already lying down on the sand, on the towels they had been given. Before he joined them, they had to do some parts of them alone, so he just stood there watching. Watching her.

He smiled a little when he saw her taking a watermelon and playfully putting in between her open legs, a gesture that brought so many memories to his head. It wasn’t the first time he’d seen her acting. He had always loved how carefree she was when she was in front of a camera. It was obvious how happy that made her.

“Okay, Harry, come here!” Brad, one of the directors said. “Lay there in that towel, in the middle of everyone.”

Harry nodded and walked to the towel, noticing just before laying down that it was (Y/N) who was just next to him. She was wearing that glasses and he saw how juicy her lips looked due to the watermelon slice she was eating. He tried to keep his thoughts away from that, but it was so damn hard when she looked so beautiful.

“Nice glasses”, he said when she caught him looking. A small smile appeared on her lips.

“Thanks”, she said. “Here, take them”, she said, taking them off and going closer to him.

He hadn’t even noticed the music playing again nor the camera rolling. All he could see and think about was (Y/N) putting the glasses on for him. He gulped and smiled a little.

“Looking good, Styles”, she said with a smile.

“Thanks, (Y/L/N)”, he winked.

Another girl, named Cassy if he remembered correctly, touched his shoulder and offered him a piece of watermelon, which he took immediately with a smirk. (Y/N) chuckled a little and kept on doing what she had been told: flirting and teasing. It was obvious that the whole idea of the video came from Harry. He was a flirt and a tease himself.

After doing some shots like that, they were told to come closer together to have some images of everyone together. The chances weren’t high but (Y/N) ended up just next to Harry. She gulped when she saw how good he was looking. Just then he looked at her, with that naughty grin that always drove her crazy.

“I don’t know if I could ever go without…”, he mouthed along with the song, looking at her.

Without even thinking about it, she placed a hand on his other cheek and planted a slow and sensual kiss on his cheek that made his grin go even bigger. Then she took the sunglasses from him and put them on. Immediately, he tried to take them back but she moved away, now that they were all separated again, and winked again.

(Y/N) loved these kind of music videos. The ones without actual choreography where they could just do as they pleased while the music was on. Although this time she wasn’t even noticing the effect it was having on her. She would have never imagined how happy she would feel for messing around with Harry like nothing ever happened. She couldn’t deny how she felt every time they touched or every time he looked at her. Harry had always made her feel like she was the only girl in the room with just one look and he was doing it again.

“Are you okay?” He asked when they were taking a break after being in the water goofing around.

“Yeah”, she nodded. “Although I don’t know if I can eat any more watermelons”, she joked, making him laugh.

“Maybe I went a bit too far with that”, he nodded.

“Are you okay?” (Y/N) asked after a few moments of silence.

“Better than I’ve been in a while”, he honestly said, looking at her. “You’re doing great, by the way”, he added. “And you look great.”

“Thanks”, she smiled a little and looked down. He took that moment to take the glasses from her head. “Hey!”

“Sorry, they’re too good”, he said and put them on. “And I look great in them.”

“I found them!” She laughed and tried to take them from him.

Harry was taller than her, so it wasn’t hard for him to keep (Y/N) from taking the glasses. However, keeping balance on the sand wasn’t easy, so the moment he tried to take a step back, he tripped over and fell down on his back, laughing out loud and bringing her with him since he was holding her hand to keep her away from the glasses.

“Damn it”, she laughed, laying next to him. “Give them back.”

“Take them”, he challenged her with a smile.

(Y/N) bit her lip when their eyes met. There was that childish humour in his eyes that made her feel like everything was possible. Not saying anything, she took the glasses from him and put them on her head, using them to keep her hair back. Harry sighed and, slowly, placed a hand on her cheek.

“I missed you”, he whispered. (Y/N) closed her eyes with his touch. “I missed this”, he added before leaning closer.

“Don’t…”, she whispered, placing a hand on his shoulder gently.

“Please, (Y/N)”, he said.

“You hurt me, Harry”, she said, taking his hand. “You said you couldn’t make it here for my birthday and the day before I found you in that club with Camille?”

“I know I fucked up”, he said. “But we never did anything, I wouldn’t do that. Not to you. Ever.”

“It really looked like you had done it”, (Y/N) said sitting up as memories came to her head.

“I know”, he said doing the same. “But I swear I didn’t do it.”

“Then what were you doing there with her after telling me you couldn’t even come from London?” She asked.

“I…”, he sighed and looked down at his hands. “I wanted to surprise you for your birthday. I arrived in the States two days before but the plan was to appear on your door the morning of your birthday, so I stayed at James’. Camille called and she told me to have dinner with her. You know we’re friends so I said yes, and then she asked me to stop by a friend’s party. It was going to be just five minutes and it was. And that’s where you saw me.”

(Y/N) was speechless. When they broke up, he never explained any of this to her. He just let her think the worse of him and went away. Now that she knew what had really happened, she didn’t know if she could believe him.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” She asked.

“I knew you wouldn’t believe me”, he shrugged. “I saw in your face that you had already made up your mind.”

“So you decided not to fight for us? For what we had?”

“Would you have listened?” He asked, looking at her.

“Yes”, she immediately said, but she knew it wasn’t true. And he knew it too, judging by the look he gave her. “Eventually at least”, she sighed. “I had the right to know.”

Harry sighed and placed his arms on his knees, picking on the nail polish he was using. He knew she was right. He should’ve explained everything to her, but he had been so angry at her for not trusting him that he thought there was no point on even trying. Of course, he regretted it the moment he set foot back in England. By then, it was already too late and (Y/N) wouldn’t even answer the phone.

“Will you even consider us again?” He asked, not daring to look at her.

“I don’t know. And I can’t think about it right now, Harry”, she said. “We still have work to do and, maybe, when we’re done… I’ll think about what you’ve said.”

Harry nodded but didn’t look at her. He heard her getting up and walking away from her, so he finally looked up to see her walking away. He closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. He had been such an idiot. He should’ve talked sooner. Instead, he had lost the best thing that ever happened to him. Idiot.

(Y/N) tried to ignore the looks she was receiving and just walked into the trailer she had been assigned to that morning. She didn’t know what to think about what Harry had just told her. She wished she had known sooner. It would have changed everything. Maybe they would still be together. Or maybe not. But she had the right to know. Instead, he had chosen to go away without a fight. Did that mean that he didn’t care enough? Didn’t love her enough? (Y/N) didn’t know the answers to those questions. All she knew was that she wasn’t ready to think about it and she still had work to do that day.

The spent another hour filming at the beach before they moved to another location. Nobody, except for the filming team and Harry, knew where they were heading and definitely no one expected where they appeared. When (Y/N) recognised the house, another whole lot of memories hit her like a rock.

“We’ll be filming in the backyard!” Pablo, the other director, said when they all walked into the propriety. “So, please, follow Brad around the house and you’ll be given instructions.”

How many days had she spent in this place? How many nights? She couldn’t believe Harry had actually offered his own place to make a music video, given how private he was with his life. It actually made her think that he had acquired a new place, which wouldn’t be surprising at all. She looked at the door and sighed, remembering the last time she walked out of there.

They didn’t have to do much filming there. Actually, it was barely two hours before Pablo gave the final cut after they took a group photo in which (Y/N) managed to be as far from Harry as possible. She hadn’t been able to stop thinking about what Harry had previously confessed and all she could think about was how much she had missed him and how happy he used to make her. If he was being honest and nothing happened with Camille… did he still love her? Would she be willing to give him another chance?

“Thank you so much everybody for joining me today!” Harry was saying. (Y/N) forced herself to focus. “It was great having you, you’ve been amazing and you’ve done an awesome job. Thank you for making this idea come true and thank you, thank you, thank you.”

Just like he had done at the beginning of the day, he went one by one thanking and saying goodbye to everyone. (Y/N) was tempted to just leave, but it would have been rude.

“Your house, huh?” She asked when he finally reached her.

“It has great views”, he shrugged. “And no one knows I live here, so…”

“No one?” She said with an eyebrow raised.

“Except you”, he nodded and crossed his arms. “Thank you for staying after you found out it was my video.”

“It’s my job”, she shrugged with a small smile. “And I had a really great time, so thank you for not kicking me out.”

“I’d never do that”, he said, making her smile. “Will I ever see you again?”

(Y/N) took a deep breath and looked away, not really knowing what to say. Well… she did know, but she didn’t know if it was right. She took the heart-shaped sunglasses from her head and looked at him. She had missed him so much and she knew he deserved the chance he should’ve gotten if he had been honest from the beginning.

She didn’t believe in signs or in destiny, but maybe getting that call from Maya was a sign of what was right.

“Here”, she said, offering them to him.

“They’re yours”, he frowned.

“Consider them a lend”, she smiled a little. “Plus, you can pull them off better than I do.”

“A lend?” He asked, taking the item from her hands with a small smile.

“Yeah”, she shrugged. “That way, you’ll have to give them back at some point.”

“Really?” He asked, his smile bigger now.

“Of course”, she said, smiling too. “Maybe tomorrow at 7? When I finish my shift?”

Harry felt his chest getting lighter with what she said. He took a deep breath and let out a loud relieved laughter. He nodded and bit his lip.

“I’ll be there”, he nodded.

“Be punctual”, she said before she started walking away.

“I’m British”, he shrugged, making her laugh. “(Y/N)!” He exclaimed. She stopped and turn around to see him looking at her with that smile that he had only for her. “I won’t let you down.”

(Y/N) bit her lip to fight a smile, but it was impossible. She felt happy, like everything was in place again. They could work it out.

“I know.”

#harry styles #harry styles x reader #harry styles x yn #watermelon sugar #watermelon sugar music video #watermelon sugar video #fine line #los angeles #imagine #pitubea #my work #original #styles #one direction #malibu

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mahou-furbies · 4 years ago

Text

It is time for

Last year the Dazzling Pink Precure were supposed to host the event but were unavailable due to being redesigned, but this time they are ready for the job!

Here is the magical girl (and related) media consumed on this blog this year:

(you can read my closing thoughts on them here)

Anime: Kaitou Tenshi Twin Angel & the 2 OVAs, Twin Angel Break, Pretear, Happy Seven, Ojamajo Doremi (started), Healin’ Good Precure (most of it that’s out now), Magia Record (also following the game news though I don’t play), Myriad Colors Phantom World, Re:Creators, Concrete Revolutio)

Movies: Fresh, DokiDoki, Happiness Charge, Go! Princess, KiraKira & Star Twinkle Precure season movies, Spring Carnival & Miracle Universe crossover movies, Magical Sisters Yoyo and Nene)

Manga: Magical Girl Site (finished), Zodiac P.I. (reread), Sugar Sugar Rune (reread), Nogi Wakaba is a Hero, Puella Magi Suzune Magica (reread), Puella Magi Tart Magica (reread), Can You Become A Magical Girl, Colourful Macchiato)

(revisits to old familiar stuff don’t qualify for an award unless I had forgotten everything about it, Doremi is ineligible since I've only seen 1/5th so far)

Unexpectedly I managed to finish quite a lot of stuff on my last year's "plans for 2020 list".

As for blog stuff, this year the Precure Chibi Project was concluded for the designs that exists so far, but obviously it will continue when more are released and I'd also like to draw some more of the civilian clothes too. But this year over 400 chibis were drawn...

Then we of course had the Precure Dress Tournament, with Cure Magical emerging as the winner. Hosting it was a lot of fun since I like graphs and numbers, as the fact that I keep a google sheet that documents the dates when I draw the chibis (it also calculates useful data such as how many percent I've finished).

(Also Megumi's heart dress should totally have won the tournament)

The Precure positivity posts were also a thing this year. Usually the franchise is bitched at here at Mahou-Furbies so I tried to say something nice about each Cure that I had seen. Which was a major struggle in some cases but hopefully they don't come across as too much damning with faint praise. I plan on writing similar posts for the Cures from the other seasons too as I watch them, but also because I managed to write an entire post about Mana without complaining I take that as justification that I get to write a huge bitchy "the flaws of the Precure franchise" post later.

And then now at the end of the year the Dazzling Pink Precure finally managed to emerge again with their new designs. I hope I'll be able to post more about them in 2021!

And now, the Mahou-Furbies 2020 magical girl awards!

Let's start with Best Henshin Design: Megumi Moka from Magia Record! I always love a good sweets theme and I can't get over how cute she is.

(Kikko from Concrete Revolutio was also a strong contender)

Best Team Design goes to Nogi Wakaba Is a Hero, I've always loved the YuYuYu henshin outfit design.

The Best Powerup Look award goes to Lala's Cancer form in the Star Twinkle Precure movie! I just really like the fresh colour palette...

Runner-up is Nagisa's MagiReco Valentine's outfit which I like for being sweets themed but I guess it's more like an alternate form than a powerup?

There weren’t that many contenders for Best Civilian Design but let’s say that since I like the casual outfits in KiraKira Precure in general, The Movie was also good at this. So let’s reward Ciel’s look, it’s nice to see a more muted colour palette in Precure every now and then!

Oh, right! Also everyone from the Star Twinkle Precure movie! Love all their outfits.

Best School Uniform is the one from Sukoyaka Middle School, from Healin' Good Precure! I like the colour palette, and the cut of the dress.

The uniforms from the Twin Angel franchise are also fun with their cherry ribbon.

Best Hair award goes to Kikko, from Concrete Revolutio! The "rectangular" cut ends are fun.

Best Magical Item is Mamika's wand from Re:Creators! There's really nothing special about it, I just think it looked nice enough with the candy cane and the heart crystal (and also not so merchandise driven since this isn't a kid show).

The Best Henshin Scene award goes to Sudachi from MagiReco! I don’t like how detailed all the body curves are drawn in the few seconds before her outfit appears, but otherwise there’s great backgrounds in this, starting from the space theme, twinkling stars, beautiful blue sky and then ending with cute hearts.

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Best Fan Creation award goes to Marighoul’s comic “First Hunt”! (read it here) It was a fun little story and the colours were amazing!

Best Relationship is Hikaru and Lala with the alien in the Star Twinkle movie! I would never have guessed that I’d enjoy Precures raising a “baby” mascot this much, but it is true! I love how much role their bond had in the story, and the conclusion was more epic than anything Precure has managed to offer elsewhere.

The Best Mascot of 2020 is... the aforementioned alien UMA! Unusual design for a girl show, doesn’t have an annoying voice or speech pattern (or in fact doesn’t talk at all), and has an interesting role in the story.

Second place is Nyatoran from Healin' Good Precure, he pairs well with Hinata and I love the scene where she records cat videos of him with her phone.

As for Best Supporting Character, this is a joke character, but I have to say Mayune from Pretear. I'm sorry I just like this kind of dumb diva characters (with the o-ho-ho laugh!) and always had a good time when she was on screen.

Discount Tuxedo Mask from the Twin Angel franchise was also fun, he had nice chaotic energy to him.

Best Visual goes to Kikko's magical effects from Concrete Revolutio! We always get the standard sparkles so I was so happy to see something different for once.

Best Audio award goes to Pretear OP! The song feels a bit dated but in a good way, this is just the kind of music I like.

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The Best Scene award goes to Healin' Good Precure attack!

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Usually in Precure I really don't care for the stock attack animation and instead just focus on the henshins, but in this one I really like the bit where the giant hands rip the element spirit out of the enemy. The music is so good in that part, and the huge hands compared to the tiny spirit feel majestic.

I also liked Re:Creators scene where the (in-story) writers create a powerup for their character by getting their audience excited about it by tweeting. It was dumb how a tweet from some ranobe author goes viral in a matter of seconds, but I still thought the scene was fun and worked well.

The Innovation Award for doing something magical girl related I haven't seen dozens of times already goes to Happy Seven! I thought it was fun how the main character wasn't on the magical girl team at all and instead was practically the Muggle friend for most of the story!

Re:creators is the runner up here with its "fictive characters show up in our world" story, but I think it could have done more with the idea, and I think Happy Seven is commendable for doing something that feels refreshing without having to be all smart and self-aware about it.

Then the Golden Mana Award for one thing that I really didn't like this year.

The questionable honour goes to Meguru's unbearable behaviour at the start of Twin Angel Break, when she keeps pushing her friendship on the blue girl who has made it very clear that she'd rather be left alone. And of course the blue girl is secretly lonely and ultimately caves in so Meguru faces no consequences for being selfish and entitled and having zero respect for other people's boundaries. Stuff like this fuels my rage at the Friendly-And-Energetic-Stock-Magical-Girl-Heroines.

For Best Character I want to pick Lala from the Star Twinkle movie but she won Best Character last year so let’s pick someone else. To be fair nobody (else) this year made me super excited, but leaving such a broad category as this completely empty would be really stupid, so the winner is Himeno, from Pretear!

She had a lot more multifaceted personality than I initially predicted, had interesting and different relationships with many different characters, and of course had many unique henshin!

And finally, Best Work of the year... I know I picked Star Twinkle as the best series last year (award has been renamed now) so this feels somehow redundant, but I still can't get over how enjoyable their film was and as you may have noticed it has been mentioned in plenty of other awards already so it deserves the spot. On principle I liked that it wasn't centered around the pink Cure for once, and additionally it was about Lala who is my favourite Cure, and also since there wasn't really a villain the plot was more interesting than the same old "bad guy wants to take over the world". Also great visuals.

And that’s it for 2020! It has been a weird year, but that didn’t really show on this blog.

Plans for 2021:

Also once I finish drawing the chibis for the Madoka girls, expect a Madoka themed character tournament in 2021!

#blog stuff #annual wrap up

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iturbide · 4 years ago

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Character Breakdown! - Marianne 💖 and Dorothea

MY GIRLS

How do I feel about this character?

I love her. I love this gentle girl who has gone through so much pain and hardship, who’s lost her parents to what she believes is a curse that she shares, who is afraid of herself as much as she fears the hatred of those around her. I can’t tell you how many times I started talking to my screen while going through her supports, because you’re wrong Marianne you do deserve happiness you are good at things I believe in you even if you don’t believe in yourself. She’s very relatable, honestly, with her shyness coupled with self-deprecation as a defense mechanism to keep people away, not to mention the deep depression; again, mental health issues are generally a taboo thing in media, so I was more than a little shocked when I got her A support and realized just what she’d been praying so fervently to the Goddess for. But I also love that about her: she held strong, and she made it through to a better place, which is such a wonderfully hopeful story for anyone with similar struggles, showing that things can get better if you just hold on.

Who do I ship this character with romantically?

I have an answer this time and technically I spoiled it in an earlier character breakdown. Because it’s Dimitri. I love these two broken people and the idea of them managing to support each other, using one another as an anchor to keep from falling further and slowly pulling themselves back out of the lonely places they’ve fallen, both with the other’s help and with the other in mind. I think they would make a wonderful pair since they understand the other’s struggles so deeply, and I’m aiming for their paired endcard in my AM run in progress.

Also, not gonna lie, I do low-key ship her with Hilda because cotton candy girlfriends. I just think they’re sweet and I love how Marianne laughs in their A support, how bright and open and cheerful it sounds. It just does my heart good.

Who is my brOTP for this character?

Marianne deserves to have so many friends. Aside from Claude (who is friends with just about everyone, this is non-negotiable with me), I really love her supports with Ignatz, and how he’s so gentle in coaxing her out of her shell and reassuring her that he enjoys sharing time with her. They’re sweet, and I love their friendship dearly. Also, surprisingly, Lorenz is another one who comes to mind; their A support was one of those that hit me right in the heart, and the fact that he’s so conscious of her feelings and urges her not to force herself to talk about things that upset her makes me think they would be very close friends, with Lorenz looking out for her and even running casual interference for her when she gets overwhelmed before inviting her to tea so she can calm down.

What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character?

Okay so I know that Fandom loves the idea that Marianne is Berkut and Rinea’s kid. And my unpopular opinion is that that is a terrible, terrible thing to do to her.

It’s not that I don’t find the idea appealing, because in all honesty, I do. The notion that Berkut and Rinea, or some reinarnations of them, had another chance in Fodlan and fell in love and had a daughter is delightful, and I would love to see it. But let’s not forget that canonically, Marianne’s parents disappeared and are presumed dead, deeply traumatizing her and leaving her terrified of her own Brand and the monster she might become. After what happened with Berkut and Rinea in Valentia, having them meet a fate that scars their daughter so utterly in another land and another life is utterly devastating, so I would much, much rather have her parents be anyone else than see these lives destroyed again and in the process destroy their child’s peace of mind.

What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon?

Okay so this is maybe a weird one but I wish she could appear in every route even if you don’t recruit her. Because I obsessively collect every student I can recruit in my own runs, I’ve had to do a fairly substantial amount of digging for fic writing purposes, but everywhere I look for non-VW runs...you don’t see Marianne. She doesn’t appear at Gronder in AM, nor does she appear at Myrddin or Derdriu in CF. And while it’s entirely possible that her absence has a benign cause...well, if you’ve read her Supports, there’s a far more likely, far more dire explanation -- and that thought breaks my heart like little else. So I wish she could have appeared somewhere over the course of non-VW routes, just so that we can see she made it through her depression and found something to cling to. Even if it does open up the possibility that she might fall on the battlefield, the idea that she might have fallen outside it where no one could see or know hurts somehow worse.

and of course the diva herself

How do I feel about this character?

Glorious. Stunning. Inspired. Dorothea is a phenomenal character, someone who I endlessly enjoy seeing and talking to through the game. She’s cultivated this perfect image of herself for the monastery to see, but as you get to know her the truth is so heartfelt: while she comes across as just a girl looking to find a husband during her time at Garreg Mach, she came from nothing, enduring abuse during her life on the streets of Enbarr before she was found by chance and brought into the Mittelfrank Opera Company; she’s terrified of going back to that when her looks and her voice no longer pass muster, and she’s looking out for her future with a keen and critical eye, even though she has no real expectations of finding love through it. And this can all come out before the timeskip, no less: afterward it’s...honestly a little heartbreaking, to see how deeply the war has affected her.

While Marianne has found something to fight for and managed to get her depression in check, Dorothea has gone in the opposite direction, seeming to succumb to depression instead. The war has had a dire effect on her mentality, such that she feels it’s stripped her of all but the ability to survive (”only thorns left on this rose,”) and so many of her lines and comments just feel bleak and lost. There aren’t that many characters in 3H who really embody the impact that war can have on people, because so many of the characters are stepping up specifically to fight for what they believe in and holding strong to their resolve for the sake of their loved ones and their homes. Dorothea is the standout example of someone who’s fighting just to make this all stop, because she can’t take it anymore. The war affects her so deeply, in ways that it doesn’t seem to hit other students, and I end up feeling like she more than anyone is at risk in the War Phase because of it.

Her character is just very raw and very powerful in surprising ways and I love her.

Who do I ship this character with romantically?

hhhhhh

it’s Lorenz okay

It’s always been Lorenz and you know what I’m already under the cut so just skip to the next header if you don’t want to read my long rambling explanation of where the fuck this comes from.

So in my first playthrough (Golden Deer forever), I spent...roughly 170 hours getting to the end. This is almost entirely because I played on Normal mode and did an endless number of auxiliary battles grinding supports between all the characters -- and since I did, in fact, go the extra mile of recruiting every single student and professor I could in my first playthrough, I had a lot of characters to work with. (I actually still missed out on some because I didn’t unlock their C’s soon enough -- Marianne with Ashe and Ingrid with Annette didn’t get unlocked until my next run since I knew what to look out for.) This is a big part of how I ended up liking Lorenz in the first place: I worked through all his supports this way, and saw the full measure of him rather than just writing him off after how rough his C supports were mostly across the board.

Out of all his different supports, though, there were three in particular that stood out to me: Leonie, Mercedes, and Dorothea. With Leonie, he learned to relax his strict notions of separation between nobles and commoners and accept the idea of friendship with her as equals. From Mercedes, he got rightly scolded about treating commoners as beneath his notice and unworthy of consideration where marriage was concerned, and rightly corrected when he floated the idea of marrying her since it continues to fall in line with valuing nobility and Crests over personal character. And in Dorothea, he absolutely met his match: not only is she someone who has near-identical motives in her quest for a spouse (not necessarily looking for romance so much as the perks that come with an advantageous marriage), but she’s someone capable of playing him directly, playing his emotions to reveal the folly of his mindset. The way he laughs in their A support...I don’t think he laughs like that anywhere else. It’s open and it’s earnest and it’s joyous, even as he concedes that she has utterly bested him.

And that, really, is what sold me on them. Having grown so much over the course of those years, having met so many people who affected him and broadened his view of the world, when Dorothea bested him at his own game, I think he really did fall for her in truth, rather than just admiring her beauty and her craft. In the end, both of them get everything they wanted and more: Dorothea gets the reassurance that she’ll be taken care of for the rest of her life, Lorenz can boast if he wants about marrying the star diva of the Mittalfrank Opera...but more than that, they’re equally matched as partners, both bringing different strengths to the table to improve conditions in the Alliance for everyone (and especially the commoners), and able to engage in productive back and forth with one another, challenging the other thoughtfully and coming to agreements and compromises on good terms. I love how well-matched they are and how well their personalities play off each other and I think that they could have an incredibly powerful, productive partnership.

...also I totally ship her with Petra too because their supports are fantastic and also Petra is wonderful and deserves the best.

Who is my brOTP for this character?

Ferdinand von Aegir. I love their supports so much and how he goes out of his way to try to understand her perspective, and changes her understanding of him as a person in the process. She understandably has things to work through, given their history and her own misconceptions about him back then, but I love the idea of them banding together as dear friends who do their best to support each other as best they can. Also, Dorothea and Bernie is a delight, and I love the idea of Dorothea keeping in touch and helping to draw Bernie out of her shell bit by tiny bit.

What’s my Unpopular Opinion™ about this character?

Are. Are there popular opinions about Dorothea? I actually don’t see that many character impressions about her: most of what I see is fanart, and it mostly seems to be because she’s pretty. I guess if I had any unpopular opinion, just based on the way I usually see her on my dash, it’s that she’s a whole heck of a lot more than just a pretty face: she’s cutthroat when she needs to be, incredibly capable as a fighter as much as a singer, and would probably make an excellent spy if the situation called for it. I don’t think it’s fair that she’s treated mostly as eye candy when the truth is that her character is so much deeper than shallow beauty, both before and after the timeskip.

What’s one thing I wish would have happened with this character in canon?

This is silly but I wish we could have heard her sing more. The only real song we hear from her if I’m remembering right is in her supports with Edelgard, where she improvises a few lines about the Empress-to-be. And her voice is glorious! I would have loved to hear her sing more, rather than getting so much from Manuela (which was...pretty painful, honestly, I do not care for her singing voice at all). Especially considering how important singing is to her, not just as a former opera diva but just as a part of her life in general, it feels like a shame that we couldn’t hear her sing more throughout the game, either in her Supports or even in the choir sections at the monastery.

Give Me a Character

#answered #fallingfruitfish #meme #fire emblem: three houses #marianne #dorothea #my girls deserve nothing but the best #this got way out of hand though so be warned #and don't feel obligated to read the long sections if you don't want to #i just have no concept of brevity

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mhdiaries · 4 years ago

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Frights, Camera, Action! – Hauntlywood Honey Swamp Diary

2 April

Mama Swamp has always said that navigating the waters of New Goreleans gentility is tougher than a cypress stump, but looking at what’s waiting for me this year, I’ll swear high society has nothing on high school! What with advanced film studies, the school newspaper, Fearbook photography, and all those lil’ social engagements a lady must keep, my calendar is filling up faster than a cistern in a hurricane. Nothing to fret about though, as I’ve formulated a ghoul-proof plan to make this year a success;

Create a student film that simply overflows with passion and originality

Impress Mr. Rougarou, my film teacher, so very much that he enters it into the annual Bayou Boovie Fest

Win accolades galore from the judges for my breakout cinema-togre-phy

Get discovered by Hauntlywood and move out west to work with the monstrously talented SoFeara Gorepola. We'll make a divine boovie-making scream team!

My student flick last year—"Lurking on the Levees"—scared a major coup thanks to my expert eye for film decomposition, but the script was... well, just a teensy bit lacking, I must confess. Visually I'm always top of my class, but I'll be honest; cryptwriting is not my forte. That's why this time I'm going with a much more "cinéma scarité" approach—my neck of the woods is fairly alive with true stories to tell! Now I just have to find a subject that screeches "Hauntlywood", and I'll be all set.

10 April

Creeping kudzu, I do wish my hair would behave! I've been so busy dealing with the humidity I've hardly had time to think about anything else. Monsters outside this little soggy neck of the world don't know how lucky they have it with the weather; I may have been born here, but my lovely locks have not adapted. Lately they've been either limp as a wet noodle or more ornery than an itchy gator. I should whip up a batch of my famous smoothing marsh mud and see if that helps. A ghoul has to look her best, even if I'm more comfortable spending time behind the camera than in front of it.

19 April

My mama has, at least to my mind, a particularly unusual fascination with vampire royalty. She can tell you all the queens and their names and who their families were down to their 20th generation. She also has a whole bookshelf just stuffed full of stories about the "missing vampire queen" and who she is and where she may be hiding, and if the current jewel they use to detect who the true queen should be is real or a fake. There have been supposed sightings of her all over the world. One ghoul even wrote a whole book that says the missing queen has actually been unliving her life as a high school student. Now I know some drop dead debutante divas in my class that would give any royal highness a run for her money when it comes to acting like a queen but none with the pedigree for it. So, although I don't pay much mind to it, I have to say it has been rather interesting here lately, especially since now the news is saying that the new vampire queen has been found at... a high school. Now there's something you might be able to turn into a film or a book.

25 April

Today in film studies we had to give a presentation about our industry scream job. Most of my ghoulmates talked about being cryptwriters, directors, and boovie stars, of course; I was the only cinema-togre-pher in the class. Not that I'm all that surprised, mind. Most monsters get into booviemaking to see their names in lights, but cinema-togre-phy is a lot of responsibility without nearly as much recognition. A cineme-togre-pher defines the "look" of a boovie; she's a director's right-hand-monster for everything that you see on screen. The lighting, the camera movement, the special effects—everything has to look its beast if she wants an audience to lose themselves in the film. If she does it right, it's almost undetectable—but if she does it wrong, it's all anymonster will be able to see! I must have made a convincing case, because when I'd finished my presentation, half the class wanted to change their focus. Mr. Rougarou was impressed (all according to plan!) and said he'd be "very interested" to see my finished film, which makes me as nervous as a long-tailed werecat in a room full of rocking chairs! I gotta find a subject, and soon.

2 May

Still lurking for the perfect subject for my documentary. So far I've rejected half a dozen concepts, from an exposé on Mardi Claw (too cliché) to a search for the perfect gum-boo recipe (mine, of course, so it'd be a hideously short film). So far, nothing quite has that spark of inspiration I crave. My friends, bless their scary-sweet hearts, call me a perfectionist. Which I absolutely am! But unlike them I don't think of it as a weakness. After all, being a perfectionist doesn't mean you do it right the first time, every time—it just means never giving up until you're satisfied, even if that means you have to do it a hundreds times. That's how truly great art is made. Rotten Scaresese or Alfeared Hitchshock never would have given up after trying just one measly lil' time, and neither will I. Besides, I still have a hundred other ideas I have yet to give a fair shake—a little more time and screesearch should have me in the pink.

5 May

It was club picture day; always a busy one for the Fearbook team. I'm still learning about film, but photography will always be my first and dearest love—even when it's just snapping shots of my ghoulmates making freaky faces. The only fangup was a couple of vampires sneaking into every photo—of course, their faces didn't show up, but the out-there accessories they were wearing sure did! It was so funny I about fell out laughing... and then I realized we'd have to do all the shots again. Sigh... so not scare.

10 May

I took some time this weekend to haunt around Jackson Scare, looking for inspiration for my boovie. The deadline is still far off, but time is flying by and I have to admit I'm getting a lil' bit nervous—what if inspiration doesn't strike in time? I've got a half-dozen half-shot films, but nothing I can really call a boovie yet. And I want it to be good enough to blow away not just Mr. Rougarou, but all the judges at the Bayou Boovie Fest. I had some coffee and boue-uiets at the Cafe du Moau, watching the tourists stroll by, but still nothing came to me. If fangtastic southern cooking can't make your brain give up the ghost, what can? I clearly need to shake the ol' idea tree a little harder and see if something else falls out.

14 May

Last night, Mama hosted a dinner for some visiting digniscaries and asked me to lend a claw with the cooking. Entertaining is a big part of a Southern gentleghoul's repertoire, and you gotta be good at it. Photography isn't my only skill! I come from a long line of excellent cooks on both sides—Mama's always said one of the reasons she married my daddy was for his dead beans and rice! It's hard work, but between the two of us Mama and I kept the ladies and gents grinning all evening. Eventually talk turned to famous New Goreleans legends. It's an old town, and hauntings and happenings are all around. Our frights are famous and our mausoleums are second-to-none! One of the monsters in attendance mentioned the legend of the Bayou Bijou, and I sat right up. I'd heard of her, of course, but had no idea she was still floating. I should mention, "she's" a ghost ship, rising from the waters and floating across the bogs in the dead of night, with the famous plays and performers that appeared there still echoing on her stage. I asked the gentlemonster why this information wasn't better-known, and he said it was because the Bijou is so deep in the swamp that sightings are rare, and information rarer still. But nowhere in the bayou is unreachable for a Honey Swamp. Finally, an idea with bite!

15 May

There are advantages to being born and raised in the bayou—you get to know the lay of the land like your own scales. It was the work of just a few hours tracking through the swamp to find where the ghost ship rises. Seems she only appears on the full moon—so I had to lie in wait for a bit, but patience is one of my many, many virtues. Pretty soon I had the first-ever footage of the Bayou Bijou in all her beauty! It'll take a few more stakeouts, but I think I can finish my boovie in time for the festival—and with a subject so unique and fabulous, it won't be hard at all to make a film worthy of recognition. Just wait, Hauntlywood... Honey's comin'!

#monster high #monster high diary #frights camera action #hauntlywood #honey swamp #sometimes I really question the fonts chosen

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rusty-guitar-strings · 5 years ago

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Sleep Schedule

or This Fic Switches from Fluff to Angst so Fast it Gave Me Whiplash and I’m the One Who Wrote It (Not Sponsored by Starbucks)

Summary: Someone can’t sleep. Two someones, actually, and neither of them want to do anything about it. They do want the other person to sleep though. How could this possibly be solved?

Logan has work to do. Remy has no work to do, but is staying up anyway, for some reason Logan can’t comprehend. Remy is hiding something. Logan intends to find out what.

Rating: G or T

Pairings: Losleep/Sleep Schedule (goin’ full RWBY on these ship names)

Word Count: 2,025

Warnings: cursing, playful arguing, two very slight sexual innuendos, use of an undesired name (not deadnaming but similar), crying, one mention of religion

Note: This was written on request/suggestion from @blinksinbewilderment. My first kind-of sort-of request. I do take them!! Anyway enjoy. Also I love Remy. (If you can find the nod to blink I crammed in there, you win a hat)

All-nighters were better when they weren’t ‘all-alone-nighters’ as Remy liked to call them. Luckily, Logan wasn’t currently dealing with loneliness. No, it was quite the opposite.

“Oi, Squid-nerd, check it.” Logan’s very important financing for props of an upcoming video was suddenly blocked by the Sleep aspect’s phone, which contained a meme of some sort. He squinted wearily and adjusted his glasses, leaning in to get a closer look. It appeared to be Winnie the Pooh (what was a ‘pooh’ anyway?) effectively mimicking Logan’s current expression. The top mentioned something about someone’s mom looking at memes, and it was all he could do not to sputter.

“That is not nearly as amusing as you seem to find it, Remigius, and it doesn’t- it’s not even accurate, I can’t- I’m not your mother, that’s impossible- stop laughing-“

Remy was rolling on the floor now, knees to his chest, absolutely weeping with laughter. He got far too giggly when he was sleep deprived, in addition to the sass, and it was as frustrating as it was endearing. “I can’t believe that worked! Girl, you are too much!” He shrieked and wiped his face, chest seizing with giggles.

“How do you expect anyone else to be asleep with all this pandemonium?” Logan couldn’t quite hide all the fondness from his voice. “Aren’t you supposed to be monitoring Thomas’ dream activity, anyhow?”

“Boring business,” the diva wheezed, waving Logan off dismissively. “Same old stuff, weird self-inserts he won’t even remember when he wakes up.”

“Remigi-“

“Remy.”

“Yes, fine, Remy. Your job is important, you should be taking every aspect of it seriously.” Logan lifted an eyebrow at him, managing to pull a serious enough expression for how late at night it was.

The figment in question was sitting up in the blink of an eye, grinning smugly. His shades obscured his eyes for the moment, but Logan knew they were gleaming with mischief.

“Ha. You said ‘Spec.’”

“Really? That’s what you went with?”

“The best jokes are unanticipated and take time to understand,” he stated matter-of-factly, in an infuriatingly accurate impression of Logic himself.

“You shut your mouth, sir.” Logan shoved a hand in Remy’s face in a feeble attempt to get him to stop.

Instead, he took Logan’s hand and, making eye contact over his shades for a split second, pressed a gentle kiss to the back of the side’s knuckles. “Like this?” He purred, lips curling into his usual smirk.

“That’s acceptable, yes.” Logan, determined not to be deterred from his signature stoic state, took back possession of his hand and patted Remy twice on the head before returning to his laptop. He bit the inside of his lip to avoid smiling at Remy’s obvious deflation. He continued his budgeting uninterrupted for a few blissful moments.

“Hey L, I have a proper- poorpro- a propsit-“

“Proposition?”

“Yes, a that. I have one of those for you.” Remy stared up at him through his shades, now kneeling next to Logan’s swivel chair. His arms were folded on one arm rest and he had his chin on them, successfully equating him to the puppies that Roman summoned so often.

“All right, Remig- Remy, what is it?”

“Get your ass in bed and go the fuck to sleep.”

“Profanity does not make one more appealing.” Logan didn’t stop typing. “And you should also be sleeping.”

“I don’t need sleep, honey, I am Sleep.” Remy stuck his tongue out teasingly.

“Falsehoods are not a good look on you, sweetie,” Logan deadpanned. Remy fell backward with a gasp.

“Who are you and what have you done with my Logan?” He demanded. At the end of his accusatory point, the side in question tried not to preen at the (admittedly over-dramatic) reaction to his outburst.

“I am still present.”

“Good. Go to sleep.”

“Why?” Logan waited patiently for his desired statement.

“Because you need it.”

That wasn’t quite it, so he tried again. “And why is that?” He asked evenly, adding Roman’s desperately important party poppers to the budget and scrawling a sticky note reminder to warn Virgil of the prince’s plans. The last thing they needed in a lighthearted video was an attack from him. Or on him. Logan added another sticky note directing future Logan to further explore Virgil’s role as anxiety, if he was the cause or effect, or if he could be both. He almost missed what Remy said, which would have been a disaster.

“Because sleep is important, Dumbo!”

“Ah ha!” Logan whirled in his chair triumphantly, the tip of his pen pointing directly at the figment’s nose. “So we are in agreement, then.”

Remy blinked in bewilderment. “What?”

“We both agree that you-“

“Stoppin’ ya right there, babes.” He waved a hand and conjured green tea in a Starbucks cup (not sponsored), a peculiar ability of his that Logan had yet to discover the reasoning behind. “I didn’t say nothin’ like that.”

“Why are you using double negatives? That is a disgusting misuse of the English language.” Logan, a certified nerd, gave Remy the dreaded Stare of Disappointment™️. Everyone in the Mindscape trembled in their figurative boots. But they were also asleep, so… figurative dream boots. Unless they weren’t wearing boots. They trembled in their figurative dream boots-or-other-footwear. Logan almost missed what Remy was saying for the third consecutive time.

“English is already disgusting, she doesn’t need my help.” He waved a hand. “End scene. Go to bed.”

“Roman appears to be rubbing off on you.” The creative side was the one to originate the habit of saying ‘end scene’ when he wanted to drop a conversation, and lately had begun to use it more and more seriously.

“Bitch, what did I say?” He pointed sternly at the bed, sitting with his legs crossed in the floor like toddler.

Logan tilted his chin upward defiantly. “Only if you sleep with me.” He was promptly hit in the face with a pillow.

“Ew! Nasty! No ma’am! Not in my good Christian household!” A multitude of other objects were thrown at him, luckily light and mostly harmless.

“Remigius, please- Remy! Let me rephrase, I did not intend to imply that we would, ah-“ he cleared his throat. “-have intercourse. If I am going to sleep, I want you to as well. Nothing more.” Logan adjusted his glasses awkwardly.

“Oh. Well, in that case, you’ve got a deal.” Remy looked around at the mess he’d made. “This looks like a problem for future me. I’m gonna get changed, see ya in a bit, boo.” He stood, winking. “Unless you want to join me.”

“No. I can change quite well on my own, thank you.” In a split second, Logan was wearing a science pun t-shirt (courtesy of Patton) and constellation pajama pants, and was idly removing his glasses to place them on his nightstand. He smirked to himself as Remy disappeared into the closet, complaining under his breath about how unfair his powers were and the fact that he had to change by hand.

About ten minutes later, Remy was in a tank top and shorts and his sunglasses still, lying next to Logan in bed and scrolling through his phone idly while the other attempted to sleep.

“Remy,” Logan whispered after a moment, harsh and sudden enough to make the figment jump and drop his phone. “Go to sleep.”

“Not until you do, wise guy.” He immediately regained a cool composure and reached for his device carefully.

“Are you always this hard-headed?” Logan sat up.

“Darling, have you met me?” Remy quirked an infuriatingly perfect eyebrow.

“Remigius-“

“Don’t call me that!” Sleep looked as stunned as Logan felt at his own outburst, then stiffened up and focused on his screen again instead. “Please.”

“Apologies. I wasn’t aware your proper name was a… sensitive… subject.” Logan rubbed one eye, staring downward. The other didn’t look up.

“It isn’t. I just don’t like how similar it is to… his.” He tapped his phone once with odd finality. “End scene.”

“I’m sorry, Remy, truly. I just believe that things should be called what they are, but I shouldn’t have applied that to-“

“End scene, Logan,” he persisted. “Please.” His voice broke a little, startling Logic, which was a rarity.

“Of course.” He fell silent and turned back to the blankets, rewinding the events in his mind and wondering what he’d done. It was unusual to see Sleep silent, still, and just… not causing general mischief. Where was the giggly figment he’d seen less than an hour ago? “Will you at least try and rest?”

“No rest for the wicked.” Remy smirked, typing something to someone, but it lacked the usual fire. “I meant what I said earlier. After you.”

“Remy…”

“It’s no biggie, Issac No-Fun. Go ahead and nod off, I’ll be here.”

“Rem-“

“I can hold down the fort, you know. My incredible humility prevents me from sharing my immense capability.”

“Remy. Look at me?”

“‘Course, I’d never complain about getting to- woah!” He jumped slightly when Logan took a light hold of his jaw, not daring to pull away.

“You mean that literally, don’t you?” Logan swallowed, all of his late nights or totally sleepless ones crashing back with a wave of a guilt to accompany them. “You are incapable of sleeping until everyone in the mind palace is no longer awake.”

Remy shrugged and opened his mouth, as if preparing a snarky comeback. Instead, what came out was, “It’s my job.”

Logan pushed Remy’s sunglasses up into his hair carefully, revealing dark, watery eyes shadowed by sleepless nights too numerous to count. “I’m sorry,” he breathed, “that you feel the need to use caffeine to stay awake.”

“I’m so goddamn tired, Logan,” the poorly named figment whispered, head falling forward to rest against Logan’s chest. “I can’t even take naps, it’s so fucking miserable…”

Logic softened, lifting his arms after a moment to wrap them around Remy. One hand cradled the back of his head as his body trembled against Logan’s and he let out a single, shuddering sob. “I know. We are- I am going to set a more steady sleep schedule. For all of us, including you. Would that be alright?”

Sleep nodded slightly against him, sitting up enough to try and rub his face. Logan lifted a tissue. “May I?” At another nod, he wiped Remy’s eyes, then handed it to him. “Blow. I will return with some water.” He pulled away slowly, then left the room after pausing to glance back.

Upon his return, Logan found Remy still sitting up smirking a little at something on his phone. He tried not to focus on how nice the figment’s eyes looked now that he could actually see them. He offered him the glass of water instead, then slid onto the bed next to him. “Drink at least half,” he advised.

Remy nodded, downed the water according to his orders, then wiped his mouth on the back of his arm. “Thanks, L.”

“No need. Lie back.”

“Dominant, are we?”

“Remy, lie back before I push you.”

“Okay, okay, I’m doing it. No need to get your tie in a twist.” He shifted to lay on his side, eyes still a bit teary. Logan reached out a hand to wipe them away gently. The tears. Remy’s eyes remained stationary. He tugged Remy’s shades from his hair and placed them on the nightstand next to his own glasses.

“Good. Relax, I am going to sleep so that you can. Please take advantage of it.”

“I will.”

“Good.” Logan closed his eyes, lying down as well. He scooted a bit closer to Remy to wrap an arm over him from behind, no matter how it made his skin burn with heat. No one else was around to see.

“Night, babe,” Remy whispered, and that was the last thing Logan heard until morning.

The next day, the two would share knowing glances while going about their daily tasks. Logan would present his sleep schedule, Remy would deny everything that happened the previous night, and then eventually he would confess the nature of his powers. He would receive shock and some concern, and everyone would abide to Logan’s plan. And everything would be fine.

Everything would be fine.

#sanders sides #logan sanders #remy sanders #losleep #angst #fluff #hc #author ari #im remy trash i cant stop writing him #send help #also logan is a delight #and i like roman and am gonna do him next #send requests pls

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tabloidtoc · 4 years ago

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Star, November 9

You can buy a copy of this issue for your very own at my eBay store: https://www.ebay.com/str/bradentonbooks

Cover: Hollywood Personal Assistants Tell All

Page 1: Ellen DeGeneres’ funky new hairdo -- as her show suffers a dip in the ratings Ellen tries a sweeping new style

Page 2: Contents, Tom Cruise

Page 3: To honor Claudia Schiffer’s 50th she was gifted her own designer Barbie line, Kylie Jenner out in Beverly Hills with a mini purse, Chris Pine took his white Mercedes out for a spin

Page 4: Matthew McConaughey’s shocking revelations -- the happy-go-lucky star shares some dark experiences that shaped him in his dishy new memoir

Page 5: A week after Lily James was snapped kissing her married costar Dominic West in Rome she abruptly pulled out of a planned interview touting her project Rebecca and it was just the latest cancellation for her because she also ghosted on The Graham Norton Show and Today show appearances in the wake of the scandal -- Lily is pushing Dominic to leave his wife once the dust settles because she’s falling for him but she’s concerned about appearing like a homewrecker, on what would have been her son Benjamin Keogh’s 28th birthday Lisa Marie Presley took to Instagram to pay tribute to him, fans were shocked when Ant Anstead and Christina Anstead announced their split just a year after welcoming their son together and now Ant has revealed he enrolled in a breakup recovery program to deal with his own pain

Page 6: Two decades after he rose to heartthrob fame as Brad Taylor on Home Improvement Zachery Ty Bryan is facing some serious charges after police were called to his apartment in Eugene in Oregon after he allegedly assaulted his girlfriend; the incident comes just weeks after the dad of four posted on social media that he and his wife of 14 years were divorcing, Lizzo has bristled at being linked with the idea of body positivity and instead would rather be considered body normative giving a shout-out to the girls who are in the 18-plus club but after reaching 300-plus pounds she was persuaded to adopt a vegan diet for the good of her health but that doesn’t mean she has to like it and exercise is going no better, Star Spots the Stars -- Olivia Wilde, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Miley Cyrus, Kelly Ripa, Lana Condor, Nico Tortorella, Charlotte McKinney

Page 8: Star Shots -- Sarah Jessica Parker’s wardrobe malfunction during a photo shoot, Katie Holmes and Emilio Vitolo Jr. jumped on Citibank rental bikes for a tour of NYC, Heidi and Spencer Pratt at a local pumpkin patch with their son Gunner

Page 9: Rachel Brosnahan raised her glass ahead of AFI Fest’s special presentation of her new thriller I’m Your Woman, Giada De Laurentiis

Page 12: Following a ride on the subway Jaimie Alexander welcomed the fresh air as she strolled through NYC

Page 13: Diane Von Furstenberg flashed the victory sign on a visit to her store in NYC, Kristen Taekman’s Halloween candy bag spilled, Molly Shannon pedaling her beloved blue bike, Larry David

Page 14: Alessandra Ambrosio playing beach volleyball, despite being accused of defying Covid-19 regulations on set Dua Lipa had a laugh shooting a new music video in East London, John Waters at the 15th Rome Film Fest

Page 15: Wiz Khalifa and girlfriend Aimee Aguilar walking their dog Prada in L.A., Kelly Clarkson brought her dog Henry to the beach in Santa Barbara

Page 16: Angela Bassett at AFI Fest’s drive-in screening of One Night in Miami, Michael Strahan, Vince Gill stopped by Phil Vasaar’s home in Nashville for Songs From the Cellar

Page 17: Too Hot to Handle’s Francesca Farago and model Corin Jamie Lee Clark and a friend stepped out with a dog for a lunch date in West Hollywood, pregnant Kelly Rowland out in Brentwood

Page 18: Normal or Not? Simon Cowell rehydrated during a sunny day in Los Angeles -- normal, Irina Shayk picked up her daughter Lea from school in NYC -- normal

Page 19: Emma Slater of Dancing with the Stars used her teeth as a cup holder during a bike cruise -- not normal

Page 20: Fashion -- stars stun in cape dresses -- Cate Blanchett, Camila Mendes, Daisy Ridley

Page 21: Tracee Ellis Ross, Zoey Deutch

Page 24: During the 16th season premiere of The Bachelorette Clare Crawley boldly announced she has met her future husband just moments after meeting Dale Moss and now they’re engaged but the two have to wait for their love story to unfold on camera so they can finally step out together in public

Page 25: Zooey Deschanel and Jonathan Scott are engaged -- Jonathan held off proposing until Zooey’s divorce from Jacob Pechenik was finalized and now the pair are not only planning their trip down the aisle but they’re also designing their dream home and they’re talking about settling down in Las Vegas, for the first time since their initial date in January Reba McEntire and Rex Linn are back together again and their smiles say it all in a picture of the two catching up in Montana -- the reunion gave them the perfect opportunity to make up for lost time and plan their future which includes moving in together in a place in Malibu by the beach, Courteney Cox raised eyebrows when she admitted she and Johnny McDaid haven’t seen each other since March and though Court put on a brave face the pair have struggled to maintain their seven-year romance amid the global lockdown and she sometimes feels ghosted -- they talk every day and do Zoom dates but it’s excruciating that they’re stuck on separate continents

Page 26: Cover Story -- Personal Assistants Tell All -- employees reveal what their A-list bosses are really like behind closed doors -- Kelly Clarkson wine dials, Lady Gaga refuses to doze alone

Page 27: Madonna put staff on diets, George Clooney hands out cash, Jennifer Aniston’s diva demands

Page 28: Renee Zellweger sneaks junk food, Selena Gomez is a secret slob, Justin Bieber is the neighbor from hell

Page 29: Mila Kunis keeps nannies away from Ashton Kutcher, blind items -- assistants spill on some unmentionable subjects

Page 30: Kim Kardashian’s 40th freak-out -- she should be on top of the world but with her show cancelled and her marriage hanging by a thread Kim is a little shook as she enters her fifth decade

Page 32: Secrets of The Crown -- the royal blockbuster welcomes a doomed princess for its fourth season

Page 34: Little Ones Living Large -- kids reap the rewards when mommy and daddy are raking in the big bucks -- Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott’s daughter Stormi’s pricey pack, Beyonce and Jay-Z’s daughter Blue’s splashy tub

Page 35: Cardi B and Offset’s daughter Kulture’s smooth ride, Sandra Bullock’s son Louis’ fine art, Khloe Kardashian’s daughter True’s flashy fleet

Page 36: Kim Kardashian’s daughter North’s novelty gift, Jennifer Lopez’s daughter Emme’s career boost

Page 37: The Jolie-Pitt’s wheelie cool yard, DJ Khalad’s kids Asahd and Aalam are tiny jet-setters, Mariah Carey’s twins Moroccan and Monroe are party kids

Page 42: Entertainment

Page 48: Parting Shot -- Drew Barrymore celebrating the launch of her Flower Beauty makeup line at CVS

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paulieshore · 5 years ago

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The Dynamic Duo

Thank you @anxiousdork for the ask/idea, thoughts keep flowing with this so I think I’m going to turn this into a five-part mini story of mystery-drama/fierce friendship/growing romance/bromance.

Warnings: none

Word count: 1593

Characters: Mc, Minor, Victor, Gavin, mention of Kiki

Brief summary: Mc is presented with an opportunity by Victor to collaborate with a well-known production company from America (Barner Wors), thinking this to be a perfect opening to show just how well she can do; she immediately takes on the job with a small hand selected group from her team. However, it seems someone is sabotaging this joint production costing a bit of money in setbacks. Without knowing who, and why, fingers and accusations start flying back and forth. Victor is then involved when production comes to a halt, considering the reputation in America, Victor seems persuaded that the fault falls to you and your team. With no evidence to claim your innocence, you find yourself in an embarrassing confrontation with your biggest investor and boss. Minor steps in to support you, and then Gavin? Not knowing how Gavin knew the situation exactly, but touched none the less when he too joined in with Minor to defend your honour as a producer against the ruthless/annoyed Victor and solve this conundrum. You bear witness to a growing bromance between hero and sidekick, Gavin and Minor. They set forth to unravel if there is more too these unfortunate events as of late, you cooperate with Gavin and allow him to really use his power of authority in and around the studio. Seeing Gavin in yet another new way you find your heart beating more and more by the mere sight of him. Minor becoming possibly more of an opponent then a friend for Gavin’s affection, only later to find out Minor’s sort of digging you!

Part One: Incompetent

You just couldn’t quite wrap your head around the situation, none of it made sense, and even worse the most rational of people you thought for sure could help, didn’t! Victor only seemed to have looked down on you even further, “Are you so incompetent? Can you not hold down your team and manage them as a boss should do?” You honestly didn’t know how to respond, Victor seemed so sure this was all your fault.

A fort night ago he came to you and gave you an opportunity to work with Barner Wors, they were shooting some episodes in Loveland for their newly hyped tv show. Being able to collaborate with such a famous company was beyond a dream come true. Victor may be a stern boss but occasionally gave you way to really show your potential.

The first couple of days of shooting were fine, you made introductions with all crew and actors and got things started off right. After the dust had settled, things started to go downhill after a camera ‘malfunctioned’ on set during an outside shooting. The following days, numerous of insignificant things started happening, such as props you’d provided being faulty and nearly hurting the actors. The chosen areas around Loveland for shooting becoming too wet or vandalized when coming into work, you made the decision to film what scenes you could in studio thinking weather/bratty kids had a part to play. Minor and Kiki were being suspicious during one lunch break, they couldn’t help but feel as though someone was sabotaging this collaboration. Things that only staff/crew knew were leaked to the public causing a complication. On top of that gossip about Barner Wors, some of the actors and your own team seemed to be going around. You dismissed their outward thoughts and did your best to keep everyone on track and away from criticism, sometimes bad things just happen.

One late afternoon, tension seemed to have reached its peak. Minor appeared to have had enough with the supporting actress in the scene, she was messing up her lines and making subtle hints about how ‘your team’ was to blame for all the unwanted stress and misfortune. The supporting actress was the renowned Nicole Kissman, famous for her dominating Oscar winning roles in huge box offices. She was also known for her diva like attitude off screen, with a quick revise of lines before the dramatic scene, Minor encourage her to ‘break a leg’. Well, as Nicole laid on the floor weeping in the shot, one of the spotlights above came crashing down close to her leg. This was the final straw on both sides, everyone seemed eager to pass blame, leaving you no choice but to call Victor when the lead of the production halted everything due to liability. The phone call with Victor was brief and he arrived not to long after you told him one of the actresses was involved in a near miss.

Here you were now, standing in front of everyone as Victor pressured you for an answer, “WELL?!” It was rare for Victor to raise his voice, but today everyone felt the impact it truly had.

This was beyond frustrating and further more embarrassing, you wanted to scream at him, but you didn’t want to prove any truth to the gossip lingering that you couldn’t ‘handle things.’ You wanted to cry; Minor could see the tears threatening to fall whilst your face contorted with angry.

“Handle her team? Incompetent? Mc has been ‘handling’ us and their team, during this soap opera drama of its own!” Minor pointed as he stepped forward towards Victor, placing himself between you two. “I understand you’re the big boss here, but isn’t it a little premature to lay blame on her when no one seems to have any idea what’s going on?!” Minors voice was raised in the slightest, you wanted to clamp his mouth shut. As lovely as it was for him to stick up for you, Victor was of all people someone you didn’t want to be up against.

“Excuse me, and who exactly are you, executive producer? I suggest you get back to work and let the ‘bosses’ continue talking.” Victor gave Minor a quick analyse head to toe; scowling, before looking back at you.

Minor stepped sideways, obstructing his view before pressing on, “No, you were judging, passing verdict without even hearing anyone’s side!”

Fear took hold of you, worried perhaps Minor was over stepping and possibly going to get himself fired or have Victors investment revoked, you were about to pipe in. Just then, a light calming breeze swept through the studio, moving your attention to the direction it carried. Walking through the studio doors was Gavin, announcing himself as he approached face as stoic as ever.

“Afternoon, I do apologies for the intrusion. I’m Police officer Gavin, I was called in to take statements for an incident that’s occurred to rule out…”

** scanning the studio to every one present before continuing **

“possible criminal intent.”

Everyone went stiff, Gavin was in full uniform, wait…

did he say he was called??? Your gaze drifted then to Minor who was gleaming with pride at his hero friend from high school walked in.

Victor then approached Gavin, “I apologise for wasting the time and efforts of our police services, may I ask exactly why you suspect such malice?” Victor as usual, cut straight to the point.

“Miss Mc, one of your notable employees, filed a concern the other day with worries and suspicion of something not quite right within her company’s environment. Now for the safety and liability of everyone here, I will have to open up an investigation.” Though he spoke calmly and affirmative, he made eye contact with you - his eyes were saying it’s alright, I’m here now.

Victor turned to you next, “You didn’t say you called the police?” eyebrow raised.

“You didn’t exactly give her a chance before chastising her.” Minors boost of confidence to talk back to Victor, made it clear to you who called and informed Gavin of the events.

You faced Victor and simply stated, “We had to do what’s right for everyone and take account their safety.” Adding *we* in there made you feel better then taking the credit for Minors quick thinking. That didn’t stop the stress you felt for everything to come, and the guilt you had for Gavin, he was always busy with his own work and now he had ‘your work’.

Gavin walked straight passed Victor not even giving him a second glance, proceeding forward, “Id like statements from every one of today’s events leading up to my involvement, please. No one is to leave until I have received statements and should I have any further questions I advise you stay until further noticed.”

“Mc, with me now! You and I will continue our discussion as the officer here starts his investigation.” Victors says dryly as he starts walking towards the exit.

“Excuse me, Sir. You cannot leave.”

Victor stopped dead in his tracks, wiping around quickly.

“Neither of you are leaving, until I have confirmed no foul play and if there is, that you, are not involved in anyway.” Gavin was quick to speak before you could follow Victor out, he spoke boldly to the scary CEO. Throwing his authority towards Victor just like Victor had previously to you, this gave you a funny sense of pulsing in your lower pelvis, and slight heat to rise to your cheeks. Seeing Gavin assert his authority to the ‘not so easily bullied’ Victor really turned you on! You shook your head from your drifting thoughts, now of all times was not the time to swoon over Gavin’s out right bravery.

Victor and Gavin stood 8 metres apart staring at each other with such coldness in their eyes… Oh boy what a soap opera this was becoming indeed…

To Be Continued.

Like, reblog and follow for future posts, if youd like to be tagged in the next part please let me know. Thank you for reading and Thank you again anxiousdork for the inspiration to write this!

Master-List for Parts

#mlqc #mlqc victor #mlqc gavin #mlqc minor #mr love queen's choice #mr love gavin #mr love victor #mr love minor #minor needs more credit #bring on the bromance #battle for gavin #love and producer #minor #hero and sidekick #mystery

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ambitionsource · 5 years ago

Photo

AMBITION Season 2 ♫ “Callbacks” [ 2.01 ]

CREATED BY Esther (rapunzles) & Maggie (daphnegolshiri) || S2 Tag || Official Page

THE SHOW MUST GO ON – A new year at AAA promises new troubles on top of the chaos left behind from the last. Angela’s replacement meets the junior class. While some students aim to embrace the change, others may never make it back through the doors.

55 Minutes (12.5K+ words) || No warning apply.

[ ← The World Will Never Be The Same ] [ S2 Synopsis ] [ Second Choice → ]

( Follow along with the music on Spotify here! )

INT. BABINEAUX HOME - ZAY’S ROOM - DAY

We’re close on a phone, laying on the surface of a vanity dresser. The screen lights up, displaying a notification from Instagram. The moment does give us a bit of AAAC-induced PTSD, but it’s innocuous -- “wholemayahartedly liked your photo.”

Underneath the notification, a reminder sits waiting. “Welcome back to AAA.”

As the clock hits 7:00AM, an alarm begins to go off, but the owner is already awake. A hand reaches out to quickly swipe away the alarm, and ZAY BABINEAUX returns to our screens once again. He’s already geared up for the day, looking fresh and cool as ever.

He glances at himself in the mirror, adjusting his hair and rolling his shoulders before letting out a sigh. Welcome back, indeed. As jaunty, cool beats float in…

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “New Shoes” as performed by Paolo Nutini || Performed by Zay Babineaux

As Zay gears up to head out for the day, he sings and freestyles to this easy-going tune. After so long without his impressive dance moves, it sure is good to see them again.

INT. BABINEAUX HOME - DAY

Zay continues his journey out the door, sliding down the banister and landing with a flourish. He breezes through the house, grabs some fruit from the counter. He greets his parents, OMAR BABINEAUX with a nod and DONNA BABINEAUX with a kiss on the cheek.

He makes his way out the front door…

EXT. NEW YORK STREETS - DAY

And emerges from the subway, continuing his stylings down the streets of Manhattan. He performs with confidence, comfort, the visuals a far cry from his more somber explorations of the city in 1.06.

Finally, he approaches the familiar institution of AAA.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Zay travels through the halls as he descends into the second verse, slowing down a bit as he takes stock of the setting in the new year. Despite all that’s happened here, it looks about the same as it did last year. He nods to friends as he passes, carrying a new sense of power as the reigning recipient of the Kossal Summer Program.

More familiar faces begin to join in on the choreography through the hallway -- NIGEL CHEY, YINDRA AMINO, HALEY FISHER and CLARISSA CRUZ. Zay dances with each of them, moving us through to the bridge…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Zay is showing off his freestylings on the AAA stage, suddenly alone again. The spotlight is on him and the number is clearly a performance, but it’s unclear for whom and why. Either way, he shines as he completes the routine, running through the final chorus with energy and obvious talent.

When he finishes, breathless and squinting into the lights, there are no applause. No standing ovation. Just quiet, save for the quiet scribbling of pens on paper. It’s clear there’s a panel of some kind seated in the back of the auditorium, but no other information.

Then, a familiar voice through the darkness:

Eric: Thank you, Zay. We’ll let you know.

Zay exhales, offering a tight smile and nodding a thank you. As he turns to exit the stage, his confident exterior falters somewhat.

What will they let him know? Who will let him know it? What the knick knack patty whack is going on, chief?

Another year, another jampacked adventure. Welcome back to Adams, indeed.

Cue opening titles.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Through the scope of an A/V club camera, DAVE WILLIAMS eagerly welcomes back the junior class as he and NICK YOGI, behind the camera, kick off the back-to-school cheer. Standing outside the doors to the black box theater, Dave waits for a cue from Yogi.

Dave: Is it -- are we ready? Are you rolling?

Yogi: It’s rolling.

Dave: There’s no like -- shouldn’t there be a light? Blinking or something?

Yogi: Just trust me, it’s rolling.

Dave: You know I trust you with my life.

Yogi: And me, you. It’s David and Goliath, baby.

Dave: It’s David and Goliath! Welcome back, AAA thotties, to the thunderdome.

Yogi explains that he and Dave are endeavoring to reinstate the A/V club to its former glory, and part of this task involves getting the scoop before anyone else. So they’ll be going around and catching up with their classmates after the disastrous way that last year wrapped up, offering what they refer to as “Dogi Exclusives.”

The whole sequence is a bit jarring considering Yogi is filming and Dave is a whole foot taller than him, but they make it work. And boy, do they certainly have some exclusives.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Shining Star” as performed by Jump5 || Instrumental

As the quick-paced montage kicks off, Dave and Yogi pursue Zay first. They follow him as he parades through the halls with his new level of confidence. He claims that his summer break was excellent, completely fulfilling in every possible way.

Although Dogi want to dig deeper on that, their questioning is interrupted by the trio of them running into MAYA HART. She looks even more polished than last year, radiating diva and her envy-worthy blonde locks as shiny and voluminous as ever. She and Zay exchange a quick, snappy handshake, indicating they’ve become better friends in the time we’ve spent away.

The two of them state that this year is going to be unlike any other, and all the bullshit from last year is completely irrelevant.

Dave: And all the stuff from the AAAC --

Maya: Old news.

Zay: The drama? The fakeness?

Maya: Farkle Minkus?

Zay: Gone. Caput.

Dave: What about the fact that you’re on scholarship --

Maya: Here’s what you need to focus on, Davis. Nothing that parasitic pinnacle of a page had to say means anything. And we’d all be wise to forget about it, because there are far more interesting things for us to be focused on this year.

When Dave and Yogi ask for elaboration, all that Maya will say is that there may very well be a new diva rising through the ranks in the junior class. Not above her or Zayby, of course, but someone with a lot of starpower is going to make Minkus more irrelevant than he already is.

An interesting promise…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

In the auditorium, Dave attempts to interview RILEY MATTHEWS. She’s more soft-spoken and reserved than last year, obviously hesitant as she talks with them. All that growing from the previous year, and for what…

She glances over her shoulder towards the technician’s booth as Dave asks her another question, growing pensive and distracted.

Dave: Riley. Riley. Superklutz. Riley.

Riley: [ blinking out of it ] Sorry, um, what was the question?

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Dave convenes with his techie pals ASHER GARCIA and DYLAN ORLANDO, both looking fresh and friendly upon their return from summer. As he attempts to talk with them about how they spent their break, Asher keeps having to interrupt Dylan to keep him from saying things it seems he’s not supposed to mention.

Dave: So how did you spend your summer?

Asher: Oh, nothing much. Went to the museums a couple times.

Dylan: Asher’s underselling. Summer was a hoot. We did so much wild stuff, man. [ Laughing. ] One day we met Lucas at grand central market and he made up this game where we --

Asher: Really. Nothing much at all.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Across the hall, Dave attempts to interview CHARLIE GARDNER in front of his locker. Although he seems to be doing a fair amount of damage control, for what it’s worth his outward appearance seems more relaxed than sophomore year.

He’s softened his attire to less straight-laced and more casual for his standards -- nice sweaters and plain tees. His hair has grown out over the summer, trimmed for back-to-school yet still more wild and free than before.

Exterior mellow aside, as he talks to Dave and Yogi he appears a bit shifty. He comes off like a politician rather than a peer, rehearsed and vague. Expert at avoiding confrontation.

Charlie: I’ve done a lot of self-reflection this summer, and I realize that sending those posts was the wrong decision. Those were the actions of someone who I do not wish to be, so I’m trying to do better and make up for those mistakes.

Dave: But why did you do it?

Charlie: I think what’s more important is how we move forward.

Charlie offers a thin smile. Dave gives the camera a look.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Back with Asher and Dylan. Yogi poses a new question.

Yogi: Speaking of Lucas, no one has seen him this morning for an illustrious comeback. Any idea where he is?

Dylan: [ with a snort ] Do we have any idea where he is? Our best friend --

Asher: [ hurriedly ] Nope, haven’t seen him.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Dave has to jog to keep up with the power walk of ISADORA DE LA CRUZ. She looks as fierce as ever, wearing her usual attire of ripped jeans (ripped not for fashion’s sake, but because they’ve been completely worn through) and a dark tee shirt sporting a reference to a film of some sort. The look is completed of course with Converse, although we note that she’s wearing a new pair of yellow high tops rather than her usual old black pair. Presumably a gift from someone (mayhaps a starlet mother?), since Isa isn’t inclined to spend her money on clothes.

Yogi asks if she’s worked on any short films over the summer, and she retorts that she actually spent more time focusing on her performance chops for this year. This is a bombshell revelation -- Isadora De La Cruz is going to take the stage! -- and Dave and Yogi are shook.

Dave: Breaking news!

Yogi: You heard it from Dogi FIRST!

Isadora doesn’t seem interested in humoring them further. Dave shouts one more question after her as she marches away, lucky that she turns around to gift them a snarky answer.

Dave: So where’s Lucas?

Isadora: Do I look like his keeper? Hell if I know.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Jumping back to Riley, Yogi asks Riley what she’s most excited about for the new year. She takes a long pause, evidently at a total loss for how to answer. She finally manages to stammer out a vague sentiment.

Riley: I’m mostly looking forward to everyone… coming back together. And um, renewed camaraderie.

Yogi: [ with a laugh ] Yeah, right.

Riley doesn’t seem thrilled with his dismissive comment.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Back to Dylan and Asher. They’ve gotten distracted, Asher focusing on nitpicking Dylan’s jacket collar while Dylan attempts to divide his attention between his boyfriend and the question at hand.

Yogi: So with Alvin out of commission, how are the two remaining chipmunks functioning then?

Dave: Yeah, how are things going for you two?

Dylan, enthusiastically: [ snapping to attention ] Oh, are you kidding? Things are great. We’ve had the best summer.

Asher, agreeably: Not wrong.

Dave: [ to the camera ] Dogi can confirm: “Dasher” are alive and well.

Dylan: We’re thriving, good sir. I can tell you, as a kissing expert --

Asher: Oh boy.

Dylan: Never been better. In fact, this summer we made some major strides --

Asher: [ covering Dylan’s mouth, dragging him away ] OKAY so we really have to go now, nice chatting with you Dave --

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Back outside the black box theater, Dave summarizes their video and prepares to wrap it up.

Dave: So as you can see, lots of tides shifting here in the bonkers halls of Triple A. Whether or not good ol’ Principal Cracker Jack and our faculty fave Mister E will be able to pull this clusterfuck back together remains to be seen.

Yogi: And whether Mister Shawn will be able to handle a new first-in-command.

Dave: Oh, yes, we are all eagerly awaiting to see which poor soul is going to attempt to fill the late and great Miss Moore’s large and insanely hot shoes.

Yogi: Press F to pay respects.

Dave, solemnly: F.

Which poor soul indeed? It will take a brave, ambitious warrior to tackle the monster that is the junior A class…

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

And that warrior takes a human form in HARPER BURGESS (26). She’s petite and baby-faced, an eager smile on her face as she finishes signing last minute paperwork for her employment. But don’t let her size be deceiving -- underneath the leather jacket and driven sparkle in her eyes is the fiery personality of a former AAA alumna returning to the homestead after being forged to steel in the real world.

She passes the finished papers across the desk to JACK HUNTER, who takes them happily. Given how run ragged he appeared at the end of last season, it is a relief to see him seemingly well and back on top of things. Polished as usual, in any case.

Jack congratulates Harper and welcomes her to the AAA team, both of them rising as he shakes her hand. He reiterates a fair warning that the junior class is no easy group, but Harper expresses optimism that she can handle it. After all, she was once a student just like them.

Harper: I survived my four years at this school fighting for my scrap of the spotlight, Jack. I think if I can do that, then I can survive just about anything.

Jack: Well, believe me when I say this crop of students isn’t quite like any other.

Still, he admires her optimism, and sends her off with the assurance that he also believes she will do an excellent job. As she heads out she bumps into ERIC MATTHEWS, who gives her a playful salute.

Eric: Welcome to the force, soldier.

Harper awkwardly returns the salute, trying her best to adjust to this new team of oddballs as efficiently as possible. Eric waits until she departs to shift his focus, questioning if Jack still wants to go over their game plan for the first week. He figures it would be good to double check that they’re both on the same page.

Jack enthusiastically agrees, gesturing Eric in and grabbing his coffee thermos. As Eric settles in the chair opposite his desk, we get the sense that the two administrators have done a lot of collaborating over the summer. They demonstrate a comfortable new rapport, definitely closer to being on the same wavelength than last year.

It’s also clear, for what it’s worth, that Eric is enjoying their dual efforts. He listens intently as Jack speaks, a light smile on his face as he flips through his notes. Jack paces the floor, walking through their thought process with zeal.

Jack: All of the students enrolled here are talented, there’s no doubt about that. Even the junior class specifically, I’ll say, has some of the brightest students I think we’ve had at Adams. They are not short of starpower.

Eric: Certainly not.

Jack: But the behavior we’ve witnessed over the last couple of years is unacceptable, and it reached a fever pitch in May. There’s no excuse for that sort of culture, and they all had their hand to play in it. We’re not letting it slide from here on out.

Eric: No, sir, we are not.

Jack: The fact of the matter is, as you and I have had to come to Jesus over --

Eric: Please, remind me for the hundredth time --

Jack: -- talent isn’t everything. Success requires hard work. Compassion. Integrity. These are the values we are going to uphold at Adams, and anyone who deems themselves above it all will find themselves facing a swift kick of reality. Mister Livingston was the first, and he doesn’t have to be the last.

Jack and Eric go on to discuss the logistics of their back-to-school shake-up, which contextualizes Zay’s solo from earlier (a flashforward, we now realize) -- they will be requiring every junior to “reaudition” over the course of the week. This is in terms of their performance, but also their attitudes and behavior.

Jack: They earned their places at this school, I firmly believe that. But they have to put the work in to prove they still deserve it. Because there are dozens of equally talented young dreamers out there with just as much ambition as them who would kill to have their place in this class. They need to remember that.

Eric, although disappointed with how things have ended up, nods in agreement. The mere shake-up of the reaudition should be a subtle but important wake up call.

Jack takes a sip of his coffee, glancing down at the new hire paperwork on his desk. So many changes already in effect.

Jack: If they want to see the success of their futures realized, then they better show up.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Isadora makes her way through the empty auditorium, early before class. She jogs up the stairs to the technician’s booth.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

Isadora cautiously pokes her head in, listening for any signs of life. She wanders further in, heading to the center of the cramped space and getting a good look around.

It’s empty. Untouched. The panel by the electrical cabinet is secure and in place, not acting as a living space by any means. It feels abandoned.

It feels wrong.

With an unsurprised sigh, Isadora heads back out before first bell.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

The performing students have congregated in the black box classroom, chattering amongst themselves. Isadora hesitantly peers through the doors, cautious to step into her first official day as a performing arts student.

As she stands in the doorway, a ripple of reaction seems to go through the assembled class. Suddenly, a techie in their midst? Isadora clearly doesn’t know where to go. There’s a moment where she locks eyes with Riley sitting by Zay, but the way Isadora quickly averts her gaze from Riley’s awkward smile indicates that things aren’t all well and good in that camp.

Instead, another unlikely ally throws her a life preserver. Maya perks up when she spots her, eagerly waving her over to join her, Darby, and Yindra.

Maya: Izzy. Izzy, over here!

Isadora is grateful for the save, rushing over and sliding into the seat behind her. Maya whips around to give her a playful swat and eyebrow wiggle, just as Harper arrives and sends the room into uncertain silence.

There’s a long beat of trepidation, Harper gazing at her new classroom and the throng of her new students staring back at her. Taking a deep breath, she marches into the room with authority and greets them all, introducing herself as their new performance coach. She explains that she was once a student just like them, although she admittedly dabbled a bit more in the technical arts than she thinks most of them have these days.

Sarah: And you came back to teach us? Couldn’t catch a break, huh?

A few snickers through the room throw Harper off her game. She cheekily acknowledges Sarah’s comment, stating that she had her run in the backstages of Broadway, but she thought coming back here when the position miraculously opened up felt like a can’t-miss opportunity.

Still, the introduction has been sabotaged and the rest of her opening is on shaky ground. Many of her little asides don’t garner any favor, and the junior class is already proving to be a tough room. When Charlie, seated with Clarissa and Haley although somewhat removed, throws her a few words of encouragement it is met with a subtly coughed “teacher’s pet.”

Harper changes tact, choosing to redirect focus to attendance. She makes her way through the list until she hits a snag on Farkle, silence heavy in the room after she states his name. She repeats it, uncertainly given its odd status, but it’s clear he’s a no-show. Absent.

Ditching on the very first day. Maya and Zay exchange a look, obviously unimpressed.

INT. MINKUS HOME - DAY

At the luxurious Minkus suite, things admittedly feel somewhat muted. Most of the Minki children and Stuart are gone for school and work, only JENNIFER MINKUS present. She’s on the phone, pacing as she recounts to Stuart that Farkle has opted to stay home from school.

It’s evident she’s concerned, claiming that he’s been under the weather for “at least a month now.” She’s wondering if perhaps they should call the family doctor.

Jennifer: He could be iron deficient. Or anemic, you know how that runs in my family. And the amount of medications I take alone per day just to keep this body up and running in working order, maybe we should have him checked out for similar things...

INT. MINKUS HOME - FARKLE’S ROOM - DAY

Despite the morning hour, the room is dark when Jennifer pokes her head in to check on her son. The curtains are drawn, and the space itself feels stagnant. Somewhere in the mess of blankets on the bed is Farkle, barely visible in the dark.

Jennifer informs him gently that she called him in, but it would be a shame if he were to fully miss out on his first day back for junior year. Maybe later, depending on how he’s feeling, he can go in for the second half of the school day. Farkle doesn’t seem enthused, plaintively stating that he would like to keep resting.

It’s clear that this answer concerns Jennifer, but she gives him space as requested. It’s out of sorts for him to be so unmoved about missing time at AAA, but then, she has absolutely no idea what unfolded at the end of last year.

She closes the door, allowing him to rest and sheltering him back in the dark.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

In the first performance class of the semester, the entirely of the junior A class reunites and watches as SHAWN HUNTER and Harper take the stage together. It’s pointed from the get-go that they have no idea how to act around one another or work effectively in their new partnership, Harper looking for clues from Shawn while he’s attempting to just pretend everything is the same. In this case, that means proceeding as if she’s hardly there.

He takes the reins in dropping the new year bombshell on them, which is that they will be required over the course of the first week back to reaudition for their spot at AAA. Given how much of a mess the end of last year was, it was determined that a procedure was necessary to ensure that each of them are still eligible in their attendance.

Naturally, the students are not pleased about this announcement. The performers immediately start complaining about how unfair it is, while the techies seem particularly spooked by the notion considering they’re not performers. They’re not “audition” material.

Harper speaks up, hoping to alleviate some of the stress.

Harper: Well, actually, that’s one thing we’re hoping to work on this year. We’d love to see more engagement with the technical aspects from our performing students, as well as more performance participation from the technicians. That way, all of us will have a well-rounded understanding and appreciation for all angles of education at Adams.

A wonderful sentiment, but not what they want to hear right now. The uproar grows worse, Harper obviously stunned by the theatrics of this collective group. Turns out Jack was not kidding around about the junior class.

Shawn brings them back to Earth, assuring the techies that their auditions do not necessarily need to be performance-based. All they need to do in some fashion is demonstrate their skillset and why they deserve their spot at AAA. Just like when they applied the first time.

Part of this, as mentioned before, is reflected just in the act of showing up ready to learn. Farkle’s absence is pointed, as is Lucas’s. Shawn doesn’t look pleased as he scans the center section and finds no sign of his head technician.

Harper manages to interject over Shawn again, also explaining that they will be doing performance drills throughout the week to see what shape all of them are in after summer break. It’s important that they’re able to keep up to keep their spot. Isadora seems particularly intimidated by this information.

As they split for their first breakout groups of the year, Riley catches up to Isadora. She attempts to have a conversation with her and reassure her that she’ll be fine at drills, but Isadora ignores her. Somewhat isolated, Riley takes the hit and heads in the other direction.

Shawn pulls Dylan and Asher aside, asking them where the hell Lucas is. They unconvincingly claim that they have no idea. Shawn posits that this is a real shame, considering a) if Lucas doesn’t show up this week and participate in the stupid reaudition scheme he might very well be kicked out, and b) with Isadora having jumped ship they need a strong technician present to steer the ship with the rest of them.

Asher: Well, Mister Shawn, all due respect, but I think we deserve a little more credit --

Shawn: Oh, yeah? You wanna take charge, Garcia?

Asher: Absolutely not. Hopefully Lucas will get the message.

Shawn, flatly: Yeah. Hopefully.

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

Per tradition, Riley meets up with Eric for lunch given that it’s the first day. After settling in, she asks him what he thinks about the whole reaudition process. He claims it was the only solution he and Jack could come up with.

Eric: It’s only meant to be a reminder that your acceptance here is conditional. The opportunities all of you are benefitting from and the exposure to fellow talents is contingent upon your willingness to help foster a creative, collaborative community.

[ Riley nods along. That sounds too good to be true, at this point. ]

Eric: You all have all the talent in the world, you know I believe it. But there have to be lines, there have to be consequences for our actions. If you push it too far, then we’re going to push back.

Speaking of the negative climate, Eric asks Riley how she’s handling the less-than-stellar current atmosphere between the students. Is she feeling okay? She claims it’s fine -- after all, it’s nothing she couldn’t handle last year.

Eric points out that this is quite a bit different than the situation she entered before, but Riley doesn’t seem ready to confront that reality. She’s opting for denial, choosing to believe that this is merely another gap between her peers that she can bridge.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Isadora is meeting with Jack, finalizing the details to change her core focus from film studies to a dual focus in film and vocal performance.

Jack asks her to confirm that she’s certain about this change. Although there is a moment of hesitation, she does assure him that she’s serious about it. He doesn’t seem displeased, reminding her that all of this is of course contingent upon her reaudition but also stating that he’s proud of her for deciding to try something out of her comfort zone. Especially given her natural talent.

As she starts to head out, Jack ventures another query.

Jack: Have you -- do you have any idea what the deal is with Mister Friar? Is he planning on coming back to school?

[ The question is a bit sarcastic, but the genuine concern behind it is loud and clear. ]

Isadora: [ with an uncertain shrug ] Believe me, Principal Hunter. If Lucas were here, I think we’d both know pretty quickly.

Jack nods acquiescence, dismissing her. After she’s gone, he sighs, reaching forward to pick up his phone and make a call.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - NIGHT

Riley is eating dinner with CORY MATTHEWS, the only two present. As we learn through the sparse conversation, Auggie is out with Topanga, demonstrating how the separation is impacting the familial dynamic.

Cory can tell that the first day back did not go swimmingly. He attempts to get Riley to talk about it, but she shrugs off the concern. He goes on to explain that when he was in high school he had tiffs with his friends too -- Shawn, even! -- but he never gave up on them. So if she feels like people are slipping away from her, then she should do everything in her power to close the distance. She’s always been impressive at that, after all.

Although Riley is down, she chews on the sentiment. Adding fuel to her problem-solving fire.

INT. MINKUS HOME - KITCHEN - NIGHT

Jennifer hits the play button on the voicemail machine as she’s preparing for dinner, listening as Jack’s message comes through on the speaker.

Jack: I hope all things are well. I’m calling in regards to Farkle’s absence today. While we all wish him better health and a quick recovery, due to the circumstances surrounding the junior class and our newly implemented special policies, it is imperative that he return to school within the week to maintain his enrollment.

In the midst of the recording, a door in the hall creaks open. Timidly, FARKLE MINKUS emerges from the dark and pads into the room, catching the end of the message as Jack wishes them well again.

To be frank, he’s looked better. He’s slighter than when we last saw him, dressed rather slovenly in his large sweater and sweats. The perpetual bedhead doesn’t help, especially when paired with the glazed, unmoved expression on his face. Whether or not he’s actually ill, he sure looks the part.

He approaches the countertop as Jennifer pauses the message machine, examining him. She makes playful commentary about how he’s finally risen from the dead, explaining that dinner will be ready soon. They’re planning on calling Lila at university as a family afterwards to see how she’s settling in, so she’s happy he’s up and moving.

Farkle: Will dad be here?

Jennifer: … well, you know how busy your father is. He may dial in, but --

Farkle: So it’s not really as a family, is it?

Jennifer gives him a disappointed look, then dodges the question as she changes the subject. She states that she hopes he’ll be better for school tomorrow. It would be horrible for this illness to affect his time at AAA. He, personally, doesn’t seem all that concerned.

INT. FOSTER HOME - ISADORA’S ROOM - NIGHT

Isadora is on the phone, blocking out her foster siblings as she attempts to talk to Maya. The latter is giving her reassurance, reminding her that they went over her audition a hundred times and she’s going to kill it. No sweat. When Isadora asks what she’s planning to do for her audition, Maya plays coy and says it’s a surprise. Only time will tell, won’t it?

After they hang up, CATHERINA GONZALEZ enters and makes a comment about it’s nice to be let back into her own room. Isadora sneers at her sass, Catherina asking who the hell she was even talking to.

Catherina: It didn’t sound like Lucas.

Isadora: I have other friends, you know.

Catherina: [ with a scoff ] Since when?

Isadora opts to go back to tuning Catherina out, focusing on a different conversation. It’s a text conversation with her mother, Valerie De La Cruz. The last message that Isadora sent is an audio message, and from the message Valerie sent in reply it must be a recording of her audition.

Valerie expresses high praise, lauding how great she sounds and how her training is already shining through. She assures her that she’s going to ace this “audition” -- just don’t forget to breathe! Use diaphragm breaths! Isadora absorbs the sentiment again, taking it to heart.

INT. MAYA’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Maya is crashed in her loft bed, having just hung up with Isadora. She hangs on her phone, scrolling through her other conversations. She hesitates when she sees Farkle, the last time they texted being as far back as summer. It wasn’t a very long or good conversation, and they’ve been silent since.

But now, she breaks the stalemate. She types a new message with a scowl on her face, obviously not pleased with his disappearance.

INT. MINKUS HOME - FARKLE’S ROOM - NIGHT

Farkle gets the message just as he’s climbing back into bed, about to go back to sleep. The message is simple, straight-forward, and gets the message across: “You really blew everything up, and now you won’t even come back to face it? Coward.”

As he reads, some of that natural manic spark we’re so familiar with seems to return to Farkle’s eyes. He may be a mess, and he may not be up for a scrap, but he most certainly is not going to get talked down to by Maya Penelope Hart.

He throws the blankets off of him, getting to his feet with renewed purpose.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Farkle isn’t the only one on the warpath. Riley is in hot pursuit of the techies, trying to get them to talk to her so she can start piecing together a way to reconnect with them. But all of them are freezing her out, albeit some more effectively than others.

JADE BEAMON is horrible at avoiding her, and she can’t even make eye contact as she jogs away from her. JEFF MONROE makes up an excuse, stating if he doesn’t set up the lighting booth, well, who will? NATE MARTINEZ lies and claims he’s running late for class, even though Riley points out that they have fifteen minutes until first bell.

Nate: Late to be early. I like to be punctual. Punctually punctual. Okay, see you later.

When she finally reaches Dave, he is by far the worst at subtlety.

Riley: Could you at least explain why you’re all running from me?

Dave: We’re not running.

Riley: Dave, we’re literally speedwalking like soccer moms right now. What is going on?

Dave: I can’t say.

Riley: Sure you can. We can talk about whatever it is --

Dave: No, Lucas and Isadora said we’re not supposed to talk to you. That’s the whole point. And now I’m fucking it up -- come on, Dave!

He marches onward, leaving Riley even more confused and more than a little stung. Ouch. But she’s not going to give up that easily.

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

Shawn is pacing, lamenting how doesn’t know how he’s going to handle this new teaching arrangement. He and Harper are not on the same page, and he has no idea how to communicate with her. She doesn’t know how things work around here. It’s all a mess. It’s not going to work.

Eric: It’s been one day, Shawn.

Still, Shawn claims he cannot get through these drills and auditions without someone he knows he can rely on there to keep things running. He needed someone who knows what they’re doing, so he called in for back up.

Before Eric can verbally ask for clarification, as if on cue ANGELA MOORE flurries into the office. She’s frazzled, wondering if everyone is okay. Shawn said there was an emergency. Eric rolls his eyes.

Eric: No, your grown man of a boyfriend is just a big baby.

Shawn clearly resents the implication, but Angela is totally lost. Eric gives her the quick rundown of the situation, also pointing out that this certainly won’t make Harper feel like her authority is being undermined.

Angela gives Shawn a disdainful look, but ultimately agrees to stick around for drills. It was nice to come back into the halls of AAA, surprisingly. So she’ll help where she can.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Charlie is at his locker, chatting with Haley and Clarissa. They tell him that they need to go get changed for drills, but they’ll see him in rehearsal. He nods them on their way, grabbing his things and getting ready to go himself.

But someone bumps into his locker and makes him drop his books, everything tumbling to the floor at their feet. Both of them immediately drop down to start picking things up, Charlie only lifting his head when the person apologizes.

It’s Zay. He offers another apology and helps collect the books, Charlie speechless for a second before assuring him it’s fine. They both rise back to their feet, Zay offering an awkward smile as he hands the books back to him.

His touch lingers. Charlie meets his eyes, and a tacit exchange passes between them. It’s hard to tell where they stand -- are they back to being acquaintances? Is this some kind of weird game? Or did they truly leave the summer on an uneven foot?

Either way, the tension of whatever kind is palpable. Zay says he’ll see him in class, passing him by and heading down the hall. Charlie takes a deep breath, closing his eyes and taking a moment before closing his locker.

EXT. AAA - DAY

Farkle makes his triumphant march back into school, returned to his former blazer glory… sort of. He’s nowhere near as put together as he was at the beginning of sophomore year, his hair barely combed and still all over the place. He looks more exhausted than impassioned, but he’s nothing if not dedicated to the dream.

Glaring up at the institution, he stomps up the steps and through the doors as the jaunty drill piano riff leads us in…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “I Hope I Get It” as performed by A Chorus Line Original Broadway Cast || Performed by AAA Juniors (feat. Angela Moore)

Matching the frenzy of the Broadway classic, Angela leads the performing students through an intense and fast-paced routine for drills. The opening sequence alone feels like a true return to form, and from the get-go the sense is clear that everything is going to be heightened this season, especially the singing and dancing.

Farkle takes the first solo about “needing this job.” As the ballet combination sequence ensues, the section is split between the junior girls performing the dance and the techie crew each giving their “auditions.”

Jade displays some of the costume pieces she created for the shows in the past, as well as projects she worked on over the summer. Dylan enthusiastically plays his guitar, as well as giving an excited speech of some kind that involves a lot of jumping around. Asher sits on the edge of the stage and shows off set designs he did for the last four productions.

Nate coolly shrugs and clearly makes a point of wondering why they have to be doing this at all, yet still obliging. Jeff waves at them from the lighting booth, doing all the work. Dave haphazardly wields a power tool and gabs on about all the set building he does, Eric, Jack, and Harper ready to hide behind their notepads in self-defense just in case.

When Angela beckons the boys to come forward, Farkle takes center stage with Zay on his left and Charlie his right. Zay tosses a glare to Farkle, who gives him a snide look in return. Charlie glances to Zay. Then Angela counts them in, sending them on a tight, impressive run through of the complicated routine.

As the girls are beckoned back to join, Maya steps back up next to Farkle. They exchange derisive stares, before putting more energy into the routine than ever before. Riley is managing to keep up after a year at AAA, but Isadora is clearly struggling.

On the last verse, the junior class makes their way to the front of the stage. Each blare of the horn sends one of the main players dropping into a crouch and spinning away from the front (the students behind them following suit), until it’s just Charlie standing in the center.

He takes the delicate final solo (“Who am I anyway? Am I my resume?”), seemingly frozen in time against his fellow classmates. As he steps cautiously forward...

INT. GARDNER HOME - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Charlie is in front of his family fireplace, staring at the perfect photos on the mantle (“That is a picture of a person I don’t know.”)

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The rest of the number is split between scrutinizing his own image and the stage, Charlie carefully stepping around the crouched shadows of his peers as to not make a disturbance.

He sings the last line wistfully, staring out at the stage lights and emphatically declaring how much he wants to remain at AAA (“I need this job, oh God, I need this show…”). Seems like there will be much to explore with the resident prince charming this season…

INT. AAA - GIRLS DRESSING ROOM - DAY

All the girls are lamenting the drills, complaining about how dumb the whole reaudition process is. Isadora is so exhausted, she doesn’t even have the energy to join in. While everyone else is merely vexed, she has so much catching up to do. The pressure is definitely catching up to her.

Maya asks if she’s okay, but she states she’s just overwhelmed and needs some space and quiet for a bit. She respects this, backing off and heading out with the others.

Isadora paces the confines of the dressing room, but it’s not calming to her. It’s not her place. She changes tracks, going in search of a safer place.

INT. AAA - CATWALK - DAY

From the top of the catwalk, Isadora can be above it all for a moment again. Isolated, protected, back where she belongs. She settles onto the metal walkway and looks out towards the house, gazing towards the empty booth with its dark windows. Emptier than it should be.

Pulling out her phone, she goes to her message thread with Lucas. The last couple of texts have been her, asking where he is and if he’s coming to school. Unanswered.

Dissatisfied, Isadora opts to make a call instead. It goes to voicemail, which she clearly isn’t surprised by. She debates hanging up, then decides to wait for the beep to signal her message.

Isadora: Hey, it’s Dora. Again. Just wondering where the fuck you are and why you’re ghosting me? Or just ghosting in general, I guess. You need to come back, they’re doing this weird reaudition thing and if you don’t participate… I don’t know. I don’t know what’ll happen. But things are changing around here, and I don’t think you want to get left behind. I know how you hate that. Also… I need you here. I need you to come back, or at least tell me you’re okay. [ A beat, then in frustration. ] Mostly, I need you to answer your damn phone.

She hangs up, releasing an exhausted sigh. She tilts her head back against the rail, closing her eyes and settling into the quiet.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Angela makes her way into the black box theater, exhaling a happy sigh as she steps back into her former domain. Shawn is on her heels, disrupting Harper as she continues to set up her classroom during lunch break.

Angela makes a point of introducing herself, obviously intending for no bad blood between the two women. Harper seems willing to meet her at that level, holding clear respect for her and commending her ability to handle this job so long and so well. But she shoots a pointed jab in Shawn’s direction, pointing out that a heads up about her arrival would’ve been nice.

It’s evident that Shawn and Harper are not going to make easy collaborators.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Farkle is heading to his locker, nearly running into Riley on the way. They make tentative eye contact, but when Farkle starts to say something she moves past him without allowing him the chance. The dismissal stings, especially from Riley, but he can’t very well blame her.

Facing his locker, he’s startled to find Maya there waiting for him, although her greeting is far from friendly. She glowers at him, questioning why he even bothered to come back.

Farkle: Oh, oh, sorry, was that Degrassi-style text you sent yesterday a butt dial? Was I not supposed to interpret “coward” as a challenge, or what other convoluted mixed message were you attempting to convey?

It’s clear that Maya doesn’t know what she wants from him either. She searches for something to say but comes up short, instead warning him to stay the hell out of her way before ramming into him as she storms past him. Farkle takes the hit, smiling sardonically and glancing over his shoulder to watch her go.

Once she’s gone, he opens his locker. It’s startling to see it as almost a time capsule from the year before, as he never bothered to clean it out after the fallout. Remnants of how things used to be are all over -- photos of him and Maya, mementos from the lighter parts of the school year, a playbill from Les Mis.

All of that, completely useless now. He remains passive, grabbing his books as the opening chords of his audition song fade in…

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Dancing With Myself” as performed by Glee Cast || Performed by Farkle Minkus

Starting in the hallway by himself, Farkle kicks off his reaudition by sauntering through the halls on his own. He snaps his fingers as he wanders backwards through the hallway, lightly grooving to the beat as he carries us through the first third of the song.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Things take on a bit of a surrealist slant as Farkle transitions to the auditorium, now on the stage. Only he’s not alone -- the rest of the core students (Riley, Maya, Zay, Charlie, Isadora) are frozen on stage, almost like wax figures rather than themselves. He dances around them as he continues, emphasizing how he’s essentially being frozen out of their lives.

During the bridge, the others disappear as the lights go down on each of them. Eventually it’s just Farkle in the middle of the stage with a light shining down from directly above, casting him in shadow as he sings the last “Cause it’ll give me… time to think.”

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

As he rounds out the final chorus, Farkle is back in the hallway again on his way to class. He’s constantly overlooked or ignored as people pass him by, literally getting bumped into a couple of times without apology. He doesn’t even seem bothered, taking the stride with a blank, somewhat neutral smile on his face.

He disappears around a corner, focus shifting as Isadora catches up to Dylan and Asher outside the doors to the auditorium. She corners them both, claiming that she knows they know where Lucas is. They can’t bullshit her, although they weakly refute it.

Irritation aside, Isadora tells them that they better make sure he gets the message about the audition bullshit. Also, he should really fucking answer his phone.

Then, attempting to break the awkwardness, she asks how the techie side of things are going now that she’s spending her time with the performers. They assure her that all is well, nothing new, and she has to accept that. While it seems like nothing is going to change between Isadora and her former crew, there’s a lot of room for her absence to make waves…

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Farkle pokes his head in after school, swinging by to pick up the start of term paperwork he missed from Harper. They exchange more formal introductions, although it is clear neither of them are all that impressed by the other.

Harper comments on Farkle’s absence from the first day, insinuating that it doesn’t indicate great work ethic. She hopes he proves her wrong. He makes a flippant retort about how he didn’t realize illness was suddenly a punishable offense, and she is not pleased with it. If there’s a surefire way to start off on a bad foot, the two of them have found it.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

As Farkle is making his way out, he runs into Angela. For the no good day he’s having, it’s honestly nice to see her again. Angela treats him just as warmly as she always did even in his worst moments, asking him how things are going and if he’s feeling better -- she heard he missed the first day.

He brushes off the concern, instead changing the subject to her Off-Broadway rehearsal process. She invites him to walk with her, the two of them heading down the hall as she starts to recount what the experience has been like.

It’s the most at peace Farkle has seemed since our return.

INT. CHUBBIE’S DINER - DAY

KATY HART is working hard behind the counter, but food is not her focus. She’s hunched over the countertop with a calculator, crunching the numbers on bills. Her expression conveys the distress she’s feeling over the ordeal. When Maya shows up, she frantically hides it all away, putting on her usual smile as her daughter hops up onto a stool at the counter to talk to her.

Maya spares a second to talk about the idiocy of the reaudition thing, offhandedly complains about Lucas’s obnoxious absence as well as Farkle’s infamous return, and then eagerly swaps topics. She explains this outing that she, Zay, Charlie, Izzy, and Yindra want to do next weekend. It costs some money -- not a lot, but worth noting -- so she’s wondering if she’ll be able to go. Can they afford it?

Despite what we saw earlier, Katy offers another loving smile and says they’ll figure it out. Seems Riley isn’t the only one dealing in denial.

EXT. LUCAS’S APARTMENT - DAY

On the opposite end of Manhattan, Isadora is marching down Lucas’s street. She buzzes herself into the shabby building.

INT. LUCAS’S APARTMENT - HALL - DAY

Once she reaches his apartment, it’s not him who answers the door, but rather GRACE FRIAR. She is tense, distracted as Isadora attempts to have a conversation with her about whether or not Lucas is home. She keeps checking over her shoulder, and she’s absentmindedly adjusting the collar of her blouse to make sure it’s covering her collarbone. Isadora has to keep bringing her focus back, pushing more and more as she appears to be more of a dead end.

After a certain point, she gives Isadora a warning look.

Grace: Lucas isn’t here. I think you should really get going.

The tone of her words is pretty hard to misunderstand, so Isadora takes heed and heads out. But she’s clearly frustrated, retreating with no more answers than before.

EXT. LUCAS’S APARTMENT - DAY

As Isadora descends the steps to the building, she finally makes a break through. She glances down the street just as LUCAS FRIAR is skulking back home, backpack on his shoulder although he clearly wasn’t at school.

They lock eyes, surprise and recognition coloring both of their features. Then Isadora sighs, expression shifting to a frustrated glare.

EXT. TOMPKINS SQUARE PARK - DAY

Lucas and Isadora have relocated to the park a couple of blocks from his apartment. She sits cross-legged on a picnic table bench while he sits on the ground with his knees pulled up, not looking at her as he rips blades of grass.

For what it’s worth, he doesn’t seem to have changed much since we last saw him. But considering the state that was, broken down in the booth, that’s not necessarily a good thing. He’s in his usual dark ensemble and sporting a snapback, black with a deep blue band. He has a brace on his left wrist, and although the reason why remains unstated, it goes without saying it’s probably not great.

Isadora is filling the silence, methodically explaining the reaudition process with far more detail than Lucas wants or needs. She starts to discuss how he’s going to need to throw something together, but he interrupts by tersely stating that he told her not to come to his apartment.

She fires back, acknowledging that agreement but claiming its null and void when he decides to drop off the fucking face of the Earth. He wasn’t answering her messages or calls. She didn’t know what else to do, or what to think. The reasons he doesn’t want her over are the exact reasons she had to come check that he was simply being a jackass rather than something worse.

Isadora: Look, I get… I get wanting to avoid everything. I get wanting space, you know I do. But to go completely off the grid is a whole other thing, and then [ with a scoff ] to keep Asher and Dylan in the loop and not me? The tweedledum and tweedledummer of our crew?

Lucas: [ warningly ] Hey, don’t --

Isadora: I’m sorry. I’m sorry, but that’s insane. That’s bullshit.

Lucas: Well you wouldn’t have wanted to know what we were up to anyway, so.

Isadora claims that’s not the point, the conversation dead-ending again. Silence settles over them. Finally, Isadora sighs.

Isadora: You cannot just ghost like that. You know what people suddenly disappearing does to me, Lucas.

Lucas: … I know. I’m sorry.

[ Another pointed silence. He still won’t look at her. She shakes her head. ]

Isadora: Listen, I’m sorry that things didn’t work out the way you wanted them to. I’m sorry shit sucks. It does. And I know you’re pissed about McCullough, but are you really going to blow the only other option you have? [ a beat ] More than that, are you really going to let Farkle Minkus have the last word?

Nothing is more powerful a motivator than spite, as Farkle himself can attest. Now that seems to spark something in Lucas. Not necessarily a good spark, but it’s better than nothing.

INT. AAA - JACK’S OFFICE - DAY

Eric swings by Jack’s office the next morning to confer, only to discover he’s not alone. He accidentally walks in on Jack exchanging a goodbye kiss with his new girlfriend, ANNE MARIE WINTHROP (38). She’s fair-haired, rather pretty, and carries herself with an air of composure and authority that Jack himself puts out.

Eric profusely apologizes but Jack waves him off, quickly introducing the two. Anne Marie accepts Eric’s hand shake, the latter nervously stumbling into a goofy greeting.

Eric: Anne Marie. Oh. Two names for the price of one, huh? Good deal!

Jack makes a face, obviously wondering why his usually tactful counselor is being so weird. Anne Marie takes it in stride, claiming he’s no bother at all and that she was just heading out. She confirms with Jack that he’ll meet her at the office for dinner, then gives them both a wave farewell. Seems like a lovely gal!

Jack asks Eric what he’s got, and he explains that the auditions are going relatively well given that the students absolutely hate them. He’s more unsettled by what he’s observed of the Shawn and Harper dynamic, as he has no idea how that partnership is going to fare without Angela there to smooth things over.

Jack defends his hiring of Harper, and both of them agree that transitions like these mostly just take time to set. The other news Eric has is much more pertinent and promises some real potential friction.

Because guess who’s back and ready to thrash...

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The class has assembled, there to witness Lucas’s grand return to AAA. He’s standing center stage, a covered object placed on a couple of acting blocks beside him.

He first gives a small speech about how this whole audition process is bullshit and made specifically to punish a subsection of the class, so it’s not fair that he and the techies have to go through the motions.

Lucas: But then, when has anyone ever cared about the techies? This seems just about typical. I’d refuse to do it in protest, especially considering I’m the only multi-faceted technician aside from Dora and it would truly be a self-inflicted bullet wound if they expelled me...

Maya: God, if only.

Lucas: But I’ve already orchestrated one school-wide revolt, so whatever, I’ll play along.

Thusly, Lucas removes the tarp from his project, revealing a scaled-down diorama of the auditorium featuring little replicas the typical AAA junior class. A production design / tactile display, in a sense.

Nigel: Oh my God, you made little voodoo dolls.

Maybe so, Nigel. Maybe so. He also has commentary to go with the presentation, and suffice to say, it’s far from tame.

Lucas: So here’s Hart standing center stage and soaking up all the spotlight. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the time to add vocal tracks -- actually, I just didn’t care -- so just imagine a cat screeching bloody murder and you’ll get the full effect.

Maya looks like she’s about to commit murder. Isadora grimaces.

Lucas: This is Dave over here -- he’s holding pizza even though we’re not supposed to eat in the auditorium.

Dave: [ touched ] He knows me so well. :’)

The techies are far more amused by the whole thing than the performers. Charlie leans forward, squinting to get a better look.

Charlie: Do I not have a face?

Lucas: Oh, do you not? [ glancing to check ] Well. That can’t be a subconscious message, can it?

Once he’s run the full gamut, one creative choice becomes pointedly clear.

Darby: Where’s Riley?

Lucas: Oh.

[ Lucas glances at the diorama where she is clearly left out. Then he looks right at her, completely deadpan. ]

Lucas: Guess I forgot her.

Yikes. Riley tries not to let it get to her. She chews her lip, maintaining a neutral expression.

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

Farkle faces the lunch room shuffle, pausing by the entrance and scanning for where to plant himself. He eyes his former table where Maya, Zay, and Riley are currently situated… and opts to go in the other direction given the way Maya is glaring at him.

He takes an isolated seat at the other end of the table where Clarissa, Haley, and Darby are chatting. They’re discussing how much it’s going to suck now that Isadora is joining the ranks of the performers, as she’ll likely eat up any of the slim chances they had at getting good solos. Farkle is shocked by this news.

Farkle: I’m sorry, what?

Haley: Um, eavesdrop much?

Farkle: Smackle is joining our class? You can’t be serious.

Darby: That’s what happens when you miss the first day. Miss all the new developments.

Clarissa: Why do you even care, Farkle? It’s not like she’s really a threat for a tenor.

Haley: Oh, he doesn’t care about that. He’s just worried she’ll beat him out for other opportunities since he’s determined himself the most deserving.

Farkle rolls his eyes, suddenly not at all interested in eating. He seems more perturbed by this development than he maybe should be, but it’s not clear why.

Haley: Just don’t make another tantrum video, okay?

Clarissa: Yeah, we’ve had enough drama for a lifetime thanks to you.

He shoots them a glare, getting to his feet. He tosses his lunch without eating it, marching out of the cafeteria.

EXT. AAA - LUNCH COURTYARD - DAY

The techie table seems to be mostly back in order with Lucas back in their ranks. All seems to be well and good again… until Jade makes the mistake of innocently asking Isadora what her reaudition song is going to be. Lucas is disturbed by the notion.

Lucas: Why are you performing? You know you don’t have to do that, right? You can do something else. They can’t make you perform.

Isadora: … yes, I know. The thing is --

Before Isadora can break the news, Yindra interrupts. She pulls that Hermione-Granger-I’m-not-an-owl nonsense, and poorly delivers a message of Maya that it would be smart for all of them to attend her reaudition after lunch.

Yindra: I was chosen as the best representative to come bearing the… holy gospel… that Maya intends to knock all of our socks… no, she said something about water too --

Asher: Aren’t you an actor? You’re supposed to be good at memorizing stuff.

Yindra: Not when it’s nonsense.

Lucas: Get on with it, Yindra.

Yindra: Basically, Maya wants you all there for her reaudition. Specifically.

Nate: [ with a snort ] Why? As if we care about Broadway Barbie’s five hundredth solo?

Yindra: I’m just telling you what she told me. She has some… things she wants to say.

Ominous, but effective. Dylan and Asher look to Lucas, waiting to see what he does next.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

And so the techies show up, along with just about everyone else in their class. Maya eagerly takes the stage, delivering her first diva look of the season and confidently proclaiming that she’s about to set the tone for the rest of the year -- the year of Maya Hart.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Sue Me” as performed by Sabrina Carpenter || Performed by Maya Hart

Aside from an absolute bop and an impressive display of vocal chops, the things that Maya intends to say with her reaudition become pretty clear. She’s back with renewed fire as promised, and the number serves as a big “fuck you” to everyone who has wronged her or is pissing her off.

Namely, Lucas and Farkle. Maya basically sings the line “I know it’s hard to see me on when you’ve been off as hell / But I’m not gonna dull myself because you dull yourself” directly to Lucas, shrugging him off and flipping her hair over her shoulder with a flourish.

While it’s an undeniable good show and such a banger, and a majority of the class seems to be enjoying it, Farkle looks miserable. He slouches in his seat, gritting his teeth.

INT. AAA - DRESSING ROOM HALL - DAY

Farkle is hanging around in the hall, managing to catch Isadora just before her audition. She seems surprised he’s talking to her, until his intentions become clear -- he’s trying to convince her not to go through with it.

His motivations seem pretty transparent, and Isadora doesn’t hesitate to tell him to take a hike. She’s got enough doubt surrounding this decision, she doesn’t need him to echo it too just so he doesn’t have to have a little more competition. Still, certain things he says to try and convince her hint that maybe his intentions are more complex than they seem.

Farkle: Think about it. You hate the performers. You hate the way we act, how selfish we are, how nothing matters but the spotlight. Do you really want to dive right into the middle of that shallow pool?

Isadora: That’s funny, coming from you.

Farkle: Exactly. [ a beat ] Do you really want to end up like me?

There’s a chilling thought. Isadora hesitates, matching his glare… but no. She’s not taking any shit. Isadora is done letting people dictate which direction she’s allowed to go, and she’s not letting anyone stop her -- least of all Farkle Minkus.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Don’t Rain On My Parade” as performed by Glee Cast || Performed by Isadora De La Cruz

Isadora bursts through the doors to the wings, marching into the limelight as she launches into an impassioned rendition of the belter classic. She’s singing deep from the soul, pouring everything she’s got onto the stage for the chance to be taken seriously. And boy, is it a compelling plea.

All of the techies are there to support her, as well as Maya and Zay. Riley is also present, although she’s somewhat isolated from the others. Still, she has a proud smile on her face as Isadora commands the stage.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

Lucas isn’t with the rest of the crew, hidden away in the booth and watching from above. Although his best friend is inarguably dynamite, he doesn’t look thrilled as she wraps up her performance.

INT. BABINEAUX HOME - ZAY’S ROOM - DAY

Zay is back at home, destressing from the week and touching up his hair in the mirror. He’s dressed in the same outfit we saw from the opening, so it’s evident his audition was also today.

He’s going on and on about how ridiculous the whole process is, making fun of the “we’ll let you know” tomfoolery of it all. It seems as though he’s just thinking out loud… until someone else joins in the exchange, jokingly stating that it would be “bananas” for them to kick him out, and he knows it. Zay cracks a smile, glancing at his reflection before looking over his shoulder…

At Charlie, seated cross-legged on his bed and watching him nitpick himself. He looks relaxed, far more comfortable and natural than we’ve seen him thus far. He props his chin on his hands, looking Zay over before raising his eyebrows to accent the point.

Given the way they banter back and forth about the auditions, it’s clear that Zay and Charlie now have a familiar rapport. Zay saunters over and settles down onto the bed next to him, nudging him playfully and leaning in rather close. Charlie doesn’t seem at all shaken by the proximity, nausea a long-forgotten side effect.

Zay alludes to how they spent a majority of the summer together after his return from Kossal, clarifying some of the gaps in their development.

Charlie: If I think you’re still worth keeping around after three months, I don’t see how they would get rid of you after three years.

Zay: Well, to be fair, the... talents that I’m sharing with you are a little more convincing than my dancing.

[ Charlie makes a face, scrunching his nose. Zay gasps in faux offense. ]

Zay: Are you shading my romantic prowess? [ at Charlie’s shrug ] Or do you just really love dance.

Charlie: [ grinning ] I think I just really love dance. But uh… [ glancing at his lips ] show me again what I’m judging?

Zay smirks, leaning forward to give him a kiss. The moment lingers, Charlie smiling in spite of himself.

Charlie: Oh, yeah. Right. That’s pretty good.

Zay: Uh-huh, yeah, sure.

The two of them kiss again, descending into laughter as they fall back against the mattress. The long and short of it is crystal clear -- Zay and Charlie are officially together.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Riley jogs after Dylan and Asher, desperate to break through the embargo in any way possible. She basically begs the two of them to hear her out, pulling them aside by the dressing room doors and out of the way of other students. She requests just two minutes of their time, which they grant. It’s clear neither of them are all that keen about the situation.

Finally being heard, Riley laments how stupid this whole situation is. She explains that she never meant to hurt anybody, especially considering the thing wasn’t even her words, and especially not Lucas.

Riley: You both know I was never… it wasn’t fake. Not for me. You guys have to know that.

[ Asher and Dylan exchange a look. ]

Riley: And I know that you’re talking to him, so could you just…

She trails off, able to tell from their expressions that they’re not going to be much help. They believe her, but it’s not their opinion that makes a difference. Even if they did tell him what she just told them -- if they haven’t already -- there’s little chance it would make a difference.

Still, they seem genuinely sympathetic. Asher reaches out and touches her arm, frowning.

Asher: I’m sorry, Riley. Really.

She meets his eyes, giving him a resigned nod. She watches them walk away, left alone in the hallway as everyone continues on their business around her.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Reason Why” as performed by Rachael Yamagata || Performed by Riley Matthews

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Riley delivers a sobering take on their current straits for her reaudition, alone under a single spotlight on the stage. No fanfare, no glitz -- just her and her emotions, as she operates best. The lyrics truly cut, her vocals tearing through them given how difficult the last few months have been. It’s a pertinent song for the world they exist in now, and her rendition of it is chilling.

Only a few other people are present, mainly Zay and Charlie as well as a couple of other stray classmates. The techies are nowhere to be found, Lucas most notably, though unsurprisingly.

When the song wraps, even the judging panel is feeling the low mood. Eric thanks Riley, barely getting the sentiment out before she dashes her way off stage.

Zay and Charlie exchange a look.

INT. AAA - TECHNICIAN’S BOOTH - DAY

Isadora finds Lucas in the booth later, the latter clearly having an off start to the school year. He’s oddly cold to her as she attempts to start a conversation, so she pokes at him to try and figure out what the hell is up with him. He coolly points out that she certainly didn’t tell him about her plans to jump to the other side of the tracks.

Isadora: Is that what this is about? Seriously? [ off his shrug ] I’m … I’m going to do both. You can do both.

Lucas: [ with a snort ] Okay.

When she pushes him on it, he brings up all of the contrary arguments to the decision that she’s been trying to ignore. The piss poor track record of the collective performer attitude. The cut-throat nature. The fact that she has no proper training and is leagues behind, which is only going to make her more overwhelmed.

When he brings up Valerie, it’s a bridge too far.

Lucas: Or what about how your mom literally dumped you because she cared more about the spotlight than raising her child? And you really want to follow in those footsteps --

Isadora, snapping: So you don’t speak to me for days, and now you’re offering your input? Now you think it’s cool to just waltz back in and say whatever the fuck you want?

A harsh dig, but a valid one. Lucas backs off, obviously unprepared for her sharp reaction. Both of them end up back under silence, not sure what to say next. Their exchange is softer when they speak again.

Lucas: I didn’t… I’m just looking out for you.

Isadora: I know.

Lucas: I didn’t mean to upset you, or whatever.

Isadora: Well, okay.

Lucas: Okay.

But it doesn’t really feel okay. Things are changing just like Isadora said they were, but perhaps even more than either of them recognized. And more than either of them know how to handle.

INT. AAA - PROP LOFT - DAY

Zay climbs his way up to the prop loft, startling Riley. She’s curled up by the shelf of set decor pieces, crying and growing embarrassed once she realizes she’s been caught. She starts to wipe her eyes and make up an excuse but Zay doesn’t harp on it, simply walking over and settling down next to her.

Riley: [ wiping her eyes, huffing ] Sorry.

Zay: What are you apologizing to me for? I’m the one who disrupted your space.

Riley laughs a little, even though nothing is funny. Zay doesn’t pressure her, but he’s there. Available to talk, if she wants to talk.

After a bout of quiet, Riley explains that this situation is harder for her than it probably should be. She states that this whole experience is reminiscent of things she’s already been through, going on to confide in Zay that reason she transferred to Adams in sophomore year was because of the intense bullying she endured at her former school.

Riley: Don’t get me wrong, I’d still much rather be here. And the situations aren’t really all that similar. But the feeling… going back to being isolated because of something that really doesn’t have anything to do with me, just because, it’s --

Zay: Just because it’s marginally better doesn’t make this experience hurt any less.

Riley could certainly use the validation. She nods, wiping her eyes with her sleeve.

Zay notes that he’s no stranger to bullying, growing up Black and queer. But he reassures Riley that he’s going to be there for her -- she’s not isolated. She’s not going through it alone. Everything else can fall apart, but he’s not going anywhere.

Riley smiles, nodding gratefully. Zay puts his arm around her and she leans into his shoulder, the two of them taking in the peace and allowing it to hurt. Letting the hurt happen, before they have to rebuild again.

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

The faculty five are assembled in Eric’s office, discussing the auditions and how they want to maneuver where things go from here on out. None of them are getting cut, of course, but they need to decide how to effectively get the message across with the announcement that that doesn’t mean there’s a free pass for more bullshit.

Case in point, Jack reiterates the point that they are lucky to be here. All of them are, and that’s what he wants this whole experiment to drive home. They had to fight for their spot again, and they should remember to cherish how privileged they are to have these opportunities even when things get tense.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

So that’s the message Harper delivers when she informs the assembled junior class that no one will be getting asked to leave. They all stand together on the stage as she gives a heartwarming speech about how lucky they all are to be in this position, and she hopes they remember that as they move through the challenges of this year. It’s a moving argument.

This sentiment goes over less smoothly in execution, however, as the juniors are pissed that the whole thing was just some elaborate mind game that they exerted time and energy towards. The jabs thrown around escalate, until somehow it all comes back to blaming Farkle for how the entire thing is his fault because of his stupid meltdown video.

Finally having had enough, Farkle snaps. He essentially gives a live show of the aforementioned meltdown, railing about how it’s bullshit that he’s getting the blame for everything when they’re all just as bitter and petty as he is. Sure, he sent in the video and yes, he shouldn’t have said the things he did, but all of them also submitted rude posts about one another. They all sent in bullshit for their own selfish reasons -- whether to tear down someone else or prop themselves up. Charlie casts a nervous glance to Riley, who avoids eye contact with him.

Harper is unimpressed with Farkle’s tirade, but she’s even more overwhelmed with how to bring this trainwreck back on track. Angela takes the reins instead, stepping forward and attempting to rally home Jack’s point that they should all feel lucky to be here.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Show People” as performed by Curtains Original Broadway Cast || Performed by Jack Hunter & Angela Moore (feat. AAA Juniors) (starting at 00:30)

[ Lyrics specific to characters -- follow along here! ]

Specifics of the situation modified, Angela covers the opening bit of the song in essentially trying to guilt and bully the junior class into realizing they’re being ridiculous.

When she claims the show must go on and they call horseshit, Jack steps up to take the soapbox. He elaborates how not only are they lucky to be here, they’re lucky to be performers at all. People all around the world wish they were in their shoes, people would kill to be where they are right now with all this talent and opportunity at their fingertips. Surrounded by other talented, passionate people. Doing what they love.

Of course, it’s appealing to that intrinsic love of the art that starts to win people over. First Angela and Jack carry the song, but then students begin to join in. Nigel, then Yindra. Yogi has the bad joke about tree surgeons.

For once, it’s clear that the junior class is having fun again. It’s also the first taste we’re getting of the full ensemble at work, the techies participating in the performance just as much as the rest. This season Harper said there would be more crossover, and that promise will indeed hold true!

About five minutes in, the performers come together in a kick line and declare that they are, in fact, show people. There’s a sense of unity for the first time all season, this rooted passion unlike any other that ties all of them together in spite of everything else.

As Angela takes the last few “and on” notes, she dances with a few key groups. Charlie and Zay are standing together in a half-circle with Yindra and Nigel, exchanging a playful look with Angela as she sings with them. Then she flutters over to the techie crew, pulling them back into the number with a flourish.

On the final, climactic repetition of the chorus, the entire ensemble is up on stage participating. Yes, all of them. As they march towards the front of the stage, Angela leading the charge, she makes one final definitive stomp that sends us smashing to black.

This is it! Round 2!

END OF EPISODE.

#s2 #episodes #this is it! round 2!#201

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fanforthefics · 6 years ago

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For your send me an au and I’ll give you 5 hc for sidgeno. Assistant Geno and boss’s husband/boyfriend Sidney

this went a little sideways, but:

1) These are the things Geno knows about Sidney Crosby, before he starts working for Flower:

he’s one of the best actors in the world (Geno would argue he is the best, but apparently some people disagree). He’s been acting since he was about ten, won his first Oscar at 21, and is still the best ever.

He’s reputedly awkward in person, though no one says a bad word about him. Very Canadian, the articles tend to say--polite and polished like all child stars are. No whisper of any of the excesses of child stars, though; the sort of squeaky clean that makes people imagine he must be into something really weird.

He’s really good looking. This is maybe very related to 1, though Geno would argue it isn’t.

He’s probably dating Marc-Andre Fleury, and has been for years.

2) Geno gets the job as Flower’s assistant mainly out of luck and the good fortune of being old family friends with Sergei Gonchar. He knows just how lucky he is; he’s only a few years in the US, right out of grad school in communications, and that’s not exactly a profile that screams employable. but somehow Sergei knew someone who knew Flower’s agent, and now Geno is Flower’s personal assistant.

It’s a good job, and a fun job, honestly. Geno had expected that being an actor’s personal assistant would mean a lot of being bossed around by some bratty, entitled diva, but Flower’s great--he respects Geno’s time and space, he generally asks Geno for things instead of demanding them, and really, it seems more like he just wants someone to hang around with than anything else.

Except for the pranks. The pranks Geno was warned about beforehand.

So Geno likes his job, and it’s really interesting to see this side of the industry. There’s just one issue. That issue is 5′10, built just as thick in real life as he seems on a screen, is just as polite as on screen but also playful and personable with his friends in a way that Geno was not expecting from someone who always seems so serious on screen, and also there. A lot.

“Yeah, Sid’s coming over,” Flower had said, the first time it happened. “We’re gonna run lines or whatever.” He’d paused, as Geno had gaped more than a little. “Is that okay?”

“Sid? Sidney Crosby?” Geno had mumbled, and Flower had laughed.

“Yeah, he’ll be over a lot,” he’d said, and that was that. Sidney Crosby came over. Geno stammered out something even though he really did know English. Sid was unfailingly kind and polite. Sid and Flower had disappeared into a lounge. Geno had screamed into a pillow. Everything was fine.

3) If it had just stayed as that, everything would probably have been fine. Except Sid was over a lot. Sid was over a lot, or he and Flower went out and did things a lot with Geno hanging around, or they went to events together, and so Sid was just there a lot, until he stopped being Sidney Crosby and started being Sid, who was polite and kind but also ridiculously intense and competitive and a little awkward and so much more than jsut Sidney Crosby.

And also, Geno had to remind himself, Flower’s boyfriend. Well, Flower was pretty quiet about that stuff, about all his stuff from before he made it, and Sid’s need for privacy was legendary, but--Sid was always there, and they went to events together and laughed on the red carpet, and sometimes their friend Tanger came over and teased them about the magazines, so--Flower’s boyfriend. Geno’s bosses boyfriend. A movie star. Not, Geno told himself, every time Sid smiled at him, interested in Geno.

4) Flower finds Sid’s crush hilarious.

“Of course he’s your type!” he crows, the first time Sid comes over, sees a tall guy with a great smile and a face that’s interesting, which in Sid’s experience is far more rare than one that’s handsome, and immediately drops into media mode as self-preservation. “I couldn’t have planned this better myself!”

“You could have warned me,” Sid hisses, glancing at the door. Geno’s just outside.

Flower laughs. “Why would I do that when i could see you squirm?” he asks, and Sid punches him for that, with the ease of a decades long friendship.

So maybe Sid comes over more often than he usually would. Maybe he spends more time hanging out with Geno than mingling at events or chatting with his other friends. He doesn’t neglect anything, of course, and Geno’s--he’s smart, and more than that he’s genuine, he doesn’t hide anything. What he feels, he feels; it’s written all over his face. It’s refreshing, for Sid who’s lived around Hollywood since he was a child.

“Why don’t you just ask him out?” Flower asks, after Sid spends the first ten minutes of going to a bar with Tanger’s with Flower chatting with Geno, instead of sitting in a booth with them.

Sid scoffs. “I can’t do that.”

Tanger raises his eyebrow. He’s an outside observer here, but he is also very amused and gives Sid a lot of shit. Sometimes Sid thinks he needs better best friends. “He looks at you a lot. He’ll say yes.”

“That’s not--he’s smart. He went to college. He doesn’t want...this,” Sid says, waving a hand at himself.

“Oh he wants that,” Flower retorts, waving a hand specifically at Sid’s ass.

“Okay, so he thinks I’m hot. So do a lot of people who get annoyed by me.”

Flower rolls his eyes. “Sid--”

“And,” Sid fixes him with a serious look. “I can’t bring him into this, even if he is really into me. That’s not what anyone wants.” Flower opens his mouth, but Sid keeps going. “As you of all people should know.”

Flower shuts his mouth. He is the person who has been using Sid as a shield for years so people don’t ask about where he goes when he disappears off to Montreal to live with Vero and be a normal person for a while.

“So no, I’m not asking him out,” Sid says, firmly, and hopes it’s firm enough for Flower and Tanger to let it go, even if not to stop teasing him about it.

5) “He is very impressive, is he not?” someone asks, and Geno spins from where he was watching the shot. Kris Le Tang had appeared there, like models generally melt out of the woodwork on a movie set Which maybe they do, but this one is Sid’s movie set, and Flower’s just there because shooting went long and they were supposed to go out for lunch. Which maybe is why Tanger is there too, now Geno thinks about it.

“Yes, is very good,” Geno agrees, glancing back at Sid. It’s an understatement, of course. “Think everyone knows that.”

“Sure they do,” Tanger agrees. Geno doesn’t know him as well as Sid, though he knows that Tanger’s the third in the trio. He’s a little harder to read, a little more dangerous seeming--like how he looks at Geno now, a little sharply, a little like a cat considering a mouse. “You definitely do, I think.”

“I’m--fan, yes,” Geno agrees. He’s not ashamed of that. “You fan too, I think, or else not friend?”

“Sid needs friends who aren’t fans,” Tanger replies. He’s looking very intently at Geno, like he’s trying to say something more than his words. Given that it’s in both of their second language, Geno wishes him well. “Fans don’t really know him, not like friends do.”

“Yes, I’m see,” Geno says. He’s still watching Sid, as he laughs with the sound guy fixing his mic, easy and casual. “Has lots more to him than fan sees, yes?”

There’s a pause, then Tanger claps him on the shoulder. “He does,” Tanger says. “I think you’ll do.”

He walks away, and goes to find Flower, who’s standing by the food because apparently he couldn’t wait for lunch. Sid looks up from the microphones, sees Geno watching, and smiles at him. Geno smiles back.

It’s not until later, after Geno spends a long time but less time than he would like watching Sid work, that he realizes what Tanger was doing. Sid needs friends, not fans--he’s warning Geno away from Sid, reminding him that Sid and Flower are a thing, because he must have noticed how Geno looks at Sid.

Geno can take a hint. From what he’s heard of Tanger and how he defends his friends, he should maybe he glad the warning was this subtle.

6) They both pine for a long time--Geno thinks Sid is out of his league and also dating his boss, Sid isn’t sure how to read honest interest in him, if it’s just attraction or more, and would be cautious anyway. Flower and Tanger watch with interest. Until--

7) One of the main problems with Geno’s job is that it generally requires punctuality. Geno is against punctuality as a rule, and Flower doesn’t seem to mind (Sid sometimes gets a little antsy, but Sid isn’t paying Geno, so Geno tells him that he’s ignoring Sid, which usually gets Sid to giggle), so usually it’s okay. But one day, for whatever reason, he manages to be early, which is basically unheard of.

Which is probably why he overhears Flower on the phone, talking in French, but in an unmistakable sort of tone. It’s...sappy, in a way that Geno hasn’t ever heard Sid and Flower interact before; they’ve always been very proper in public. But this is definitely sweet. It makes Geno feel a little better and a little worse--better, because he does what Sid and Flower to be happy; worse, because he’d maybe been having ridiculous fantasies about how Flower and Sid would figure out they actually don’t love each other and then Geno could, like, sweep Sid off his feet or something and show him how someone really ought to treat him. But if this is how they act when Geno’s not there...

Except the phone must be on speaker, because then Geno catches very feminine laughter from the other side of the call, and some more French in that same tone.

Geno goes very still. He doesn’t--the conclusion is inescapable, and it’s even more so, when he hears the sign off with what sounds like a kiss. Flower is cheating on Sid. It’s--he doesn’t know what to do.

He’s sure he seems stunned, when Flower comes out and sees him there, greets him. Geno definitely growls at him, or something, before he catches himself, but Flower apparently just puts it up to a bad mood.

Geno goes through the rest of the day on autopilot. He does his job, but--how is he supposed to look at Flower, knowing this? But also maybe his loyalty should be to Flower, who is after all his boss? But--cheating on Sid? Friendly, deceptively open Sid, who only allows a few people close enough to see his soft belly (Metaphorically, Geno has yet to see Sid shirtless outside of a screen and thinks that’s probably best for his continued sanity. Also, he’s pretty sure it’s not soft). Sid, who clearly adores Flower. Who--

Geno makes it the rest of the day, before he ends up snapping something at Flower as he leaves, then he ends up at Sid’s door. Well, the gates to Sid’s house; there’s an insane amount of security on it. Geno’s been inside a few times, dropping Flower off or picking him up, but he’s never gone there on his own.

Still, he gets inside easily enough when he says his name; the door opens and he’s ushered inside by a Sid in sweatpants, bare feet, and a t-shirt that’s seen better days. Geno is momentarily speechless.

“What’s up?” Sid asks, shutting the door behind him. For all his millions, the house is--big, but not ostentatious. Maybe even homey. “Did Flower need something? He shouldn’t have sent you over, I could have messengered whatever it--”

“He’s cheat,” Geno bursts out, because he can’t hold it in any longer with Sid talking at him all sweet and--Sid like.

Sid’s eyebrows go way up. “What?”

“Flower, I hear, he--talk to woman, he’s cheat on you. I’m not want to tell you, because he’s my boss, but--you should know. Is not right, what he do. To you.”

“Um, Geno,” Sid starts, and he sounds the sort of gentle that means he doesn’t believe Geno, so Geno keeps going.

“I know you not want to believe, I’m not want to either, but I hear, and I’m sure.”

“Yeah, I know you--”

That’s even worse! “You know!” Geno demands, his voice getting louder. “You know, and you not say anything? Is not--you should not put up with this, should--you deserve more,” he settles on, because that’s what he knows is true. “More than boyfriend who’s cheat. You deserve--everything. Should not stay if--”

“Geno,” Sid snaps, and Geno’s mouth snaps closed. He’s not sure he’s ever heard that tone from Sid, the sudden command in it, but of course Sid can do that too. “Geno,” Sid says again, a little softer. “This woman Flower was speaking to--it was in French?” Geno nods. Sid’s face relaxes, a little. “Oh, yeah, that’s Vero, don’t worry about it.”

“Vero?” Geno repeats. “Who’s--you have,” he hesitates, finds the English, “Open relationship? Poly?” If he did

Sid goes a little red, then shakes his head. “Has Flower seriously not said anything to you? After all this time?”

“Sid,” Geno whines. He’s starting to feel like he missed something.

“If Flower hasn’t said--”

“Sid, tell me. What do I not know?” Geno demands. Sid’s lips twitch.

“Vero’s Flower’s long time girlfriend.”

Geno pauses. Blinks. “No, you’re his long time boyfriend.”

Sid shakes his head. “No, we just--hang out, and we’re good friends so the media sometimes thinks that, you know? And we let them, because it lets Flower and Vero stay low key and keep her away from the spotlight, and it keeps people away from me.” Geno blinks. This is--he can’t quite compute it. “You really didn’t know?” Sid asks, and now he sounds confused. “You’ve seen us together a lot. You thought we were actually together?”

“I’m not know, I think you’re private! Not want me to see!” Geno bursts out. “I’m not think too hard about it.”

"But that makes no sense,” Sid argues, because of course he does. “Flower’s all sappy with Vero, in relationships, and even I’m more affectionate than that. I don’t treat boyfriends like I treat Flower.”

“How am I suppose to know that?” Geno retorts. Then, “Boyfriends?” he asks. “That--that’s true?”

Sid goes a little flushed, but it’s pretty clear Geno doesn’t have an issue with that at this point, so, “Yeah,” he says, clearly and firmly.

Geno nods. Swallows. “You have one now?” he asks, and Sid shakes his head. “Oh.”

“I’m busy,” Sid goes on, like he needs to explain it. “Shooting’s been insane this year, and I’ve got my work with the Foundation, and--”

“Yes, I know,” Geno does. He’s been there for a lot of it, or heard Flower talk about it. “So. You single?”

“Um, yeah. But don’t spread it, the thing Flower and I do works, and--”

“Yes, of course,” Geno snaps. He’s not going to just betray them like that. (And, a part of him he doesn’t want to listen to says, as long as people think Sid’s dating Flower no one else is going to ask him out and Geno might--). “Um. I should go, if no--”

“You could stay, watch the game,” Sid suggests, offhand.

“Yes!” Geno maybe says it too quick, too eager, but Sid only grins.

“Um, warning, I’m apparently annoying to watch games with, I get--”

“Yes, I see,” Geno agrees. He’s seen Sid and Flower watch games before, seen how much Sid talks and how into it he gets. Geno’s sometimes annoyed by it, but also ridiculously fond of him for it. As long as Geno’s in the right mood, it’s fun to argue with him about it. “I want to watch still.”

“Oh.” Sid’s cheeks are a little red.

“I tell you how you’re wrong,” Geno goes on, and SId tilts his head back and laughs, and Geno can’t look away.

8) Flower definitely laughs himself sick, when Sid tells him what Geno said. “You never tell, how I”m supposed to know?” Geno protests, but Flower keeps laughing and texting Vero. Sid is...suspicious, maybe. Flower would definitely do something like this as a plot.

“Well, yeah,” Flower agrees, when Sid gets him alone outside of Geno’s earshot. “Not at first, but then--yeah.”

“Flower, that wasn’t--”

“Making him wait for it was good for him,” Flower says, waving his hand dismissively. “If he’d asked you out right away, he wouldn’t have known you, and then you’d have gotten your heart broken. Again,” he adds, pointedly, which--fine, Sid knows it’s happened before. “Now he knows you, so when he asks you out, it won’t be blind.”

Sid hates his friends, sometimes. “He didn’t ask me out,” Sid points out. That seems like a glaring problem with Flower’s plan.

“Yeah, I don’t know what’s taking him so long,” Flower hums. He’s got a light in his eyes like he’s plotting something.

“No.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Flower says, and Sid groans.

9) This is what Flower plots:

“So you should ask out Sid,” he says, and next to him Tanger crosses his arms and nods menacingly. “Not in a, I’m your boss and I’m ordering you to do it way, but in a, he’d definitely say yes if you wanted to way.” Tanger nods again. It is, for some reason, still menacing.

Geno gapes. This is not what he expected when Flower asked Geno to come into his office. “You tell me not to!” he protests, throwing it at Tanger. “You say I’m not--”

“I said Sid shouldn’t go out with a fan,” Tanger says, smirking again like he knew exactly what he said. Geno is beginning to think all of Sid’s friends are just evil. “You aren’t just a fan anymore though, are you?”

“That’s not--” Geno gives up on that threat, “And he’s movie star! He’s who should ask me!”

“He’s not going to.” Flower’s serious, suddenly. “He doesn’t want to leverage any sort of admiration you might have had for him, no? And it is not easy, to go out with actor. This is why I kept Vero a secret. So he will not ask that of you.”

“But--" Geno gets that, he does. He’s seen Flower’s life, Sid’s. But--it would be worth it, he thinks. And Sid’s so private anyway. “I could.”

“See?” Flower turns to Tanger. “Told you.”

Tanger shrugs, very gallicly. “I never said he would not.” He looks at Geno. He’s not smiling. “I said he should be very careful, if he did.”

Geno glares back. He’s not going to just--back down, or shit. Tanger can glare at him all he wants. Tanger starts to smile back.

10) In the end, Geno asking Sid out is a non-event. Sid showed up early to Flower’s set before they were going out for dinner, and while they’re waiting, Geno leans over to Sid. “You want to come over for dinner, sometime?” he asks. He’s maybe been thinking about this a while, what to do for the man who has everything, or the money to buy everything.

Sid’s eyes are sharp, but he smiles. “You can cook?” he teases, trying to feel out what’s happening. What sort of invitation this is.

Geno shrugs. “I warm up food mama left,” he admits, shameless. Anyway, that matters more, in some ways, than cooking himself, and Sid’s been around long enough to get that; his eyes widen, and he flushes.

But, “Yeah,” Sid agrees, watching Geno evenly. “I’d like that.”

Geno grins. He’s going to treat Sid exactly like he deserves, and it’s going to be great.

11) Here are the things Geno knows about Sidney Crosby:

he’s the best actor in the world (Geno’s making a stand on this one).

He’s not nearly as awkward as people think he is, and he’s more extroverted than anyone thinks. He’s also deeply weird, talkative, competitive, and kind, but that’s only for people who know him well.

He’s probably the most handsome man in the world too.

He is definitely not dating Marc Andre Fleury. Geno is damn sure of that.

#pens tumblr fic #well this got long huh #and went a little sideways #hope you enjoy anyway!#my fic #Anonymous #izzy answers

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