#finny: gene we are dating

[finny-propaganda]

they dont call me finny propaganda for nothing

[karinyosa]

Gene and Brinker, good sir?

AHHH okay okay

what made you ship it?

reading the book lol. ok so i feel like there's a lot of context i need to explain for this beyond just the book's subtext bc there's a bit of personal lore here. before teaching us the book, my middle school english teacher introduced each of the central four characters with this powerpoint with a slide on each one, and the way she described them like archetypically and physically made it sound almost like (to MY middle school brain) a dating sim, in which gene was the main character. like the blurb already sounds very romance novelesque so jdkshfkh. ig it wasn't too big a leap. so we already have a baseline there.

i also think that in the book brinker and gene are a secondary and competing rivarly/friendship to gene and finny's rivarly/friendship, and i think that's where the tension between brinker and gene and brinker and finny comes from. in fact this is kind of just text, like brinker and finny i think are pretty explicitly competing for gene's attention. i'm pretty sure there are some like old asp posts from the earlier 2010s era of the fandom where people are like "brinker and gene/finny have such ex energy", but iirc it was more often finny? like i'm definitely not the only person to see this Thing brinker has going on with gene, but at the time i'm p sure brinkerfinny was the more widespread take. anyway. brinker pursues gene so relentlessly both as an antagonist and as a guy who just Needs to be doing things with him, Needs to be occupying his time and attention. and yet they maintain this weird friendship/understanding throughout. to me this was most pronounced with the whole enlistment thing, and that dynamic where gene had to choose between finny and brinker for the enlistment/not enlistment??? it just gave very love triangle energy. the intensity with which brinker is fixated on gene is like. it gives repressed queer guy with problems. it's beyond wanting to antagonize him, he just is constantly coming up with excuses to be around him and to orient his focus around the pursuit of this one guy. his need to be morally superior to the object of his pursuit feels very queercoded to me. it's a very funny contrast to other parts of the book where he and gene are seemingly chill and normal friends? boy has issues

2. what are your favorite things about the ship?

HOOOOOO okay i have a long answer for this because it has to do with how i accidentally made myself insane about them. so i have this really long winded headcanon-turned-sequel fic in my Brain and Mind about gene and brinker moving in together after the war for kind of money reasons and kind of personal reasons. gene has been depression camping in finny's family's attic for a long undefined amount of time, and brinker is like hey you need to get the fuck out of there come live with me idiot. cue several years later and this is where the fic starts. i usually have it start at the time that gene would've gone back to visit devon, because i like the idea of that whole thing happening during a hs reunion in devon town, in which he and brinker joint travel and stay with his family which is its own whole awkwardness but anyway. <- culmination of everything i've ever thought about them since eighth grade

most of my genebrinker thoughts center around this period of adulthood where they're not young anymore but they're not old either, and they have all this unresolved tension and shared trauma and resentment that spills over into their "present" relationship. i think this is where genebrinker would theoretically "actually" start, in adulthood. i think there could've been ambiguous things earlier, especially during their joint enlistment period if they happened to be together, but nothing very deliberate or openly acknowledged until much later. it's this delicious mix of both having an established very domestic and familiar dynamic, knowing this person's routines and habits inside out, and yet having this pent up unspoken something. and for gene and brinker, it's not just this quiet tenderness, although i think that's bound to happen sometimes when you're essentially apartment husbands. i think they'd blow up at each other and let things slip during heated moments that they don't mean to, mostly on brinker's side, bc i think brinker's been nursing some kind of crush since hs, whereas if gene returned brinker's feelings, i think they'd slowly build over time. their familiarity with each other is also very interesting because, while they have this odd like, daddy issues(?) solidarity in the book that again feels very queer, in adulthood, it's also this thing of like, they kind of shared the murder of one of their closest friends. my fav think about genebrinker is that they know the worst of each other, that they actively participated in some of the worst parts of each other's lives, but it's that coupled with like, arguing over dinner and visiting the parents and trying to hold down stable jobs. or i guess for something more connected to the actual book, that coupled with like, accompanying your friend to an awkward meeting with his dad

this is not even all the things i think about their dynamic or all the like underlying sources of tension in their adult relationship in my head, i also think they'd be in very different places in terms of sexuality, and that would come to a head at some point, but i'll stop here because this is a question about my favorite THING, not explain every thought you've ever had about them

3. is there an unpopular opinion you have about your ship?

i think the entire ship is an unpopular opinion lmfao. like 90% of this is my headcanons. ummm i have brinker being the more responsible of the two when i write them as adults, if still the more temperamental one, so that might be controversial? i think at this stage of their lives, he's more practical and better at home ec stuff, and gene cannot fucking take care of himself for the life of him. gene is running himself into the ground while brinker is like get your fucking socks off my floor

[haberdashing]

Transparent Closet

Jon and Georgie, both of whom are bi, come out to one another... in a way.

Written as part of @jonsimsbipride for the prompt “Solidarity”. Inspired by this post, though it portrays Jon as pan while this fic has him as bi.

on AO3

One of Jon and Georgie’s first dates was watching a series of mediocre supernatural-themed horror films together.

One of the things they’d first bonded over was their shared interest in the supernatural, after all (though Jon had never dared tell her of his first-hand experience with such things... and years down the line, Jon would learn that Georgie hadn’t dared share her own with him either), and what were schlocky movies for if not watching them together with someone you care about and talking trash loudly enough that the actual movie could barely be heard?

The lights were turned down (though not entirely off), Jon and Georgie sat pressed against each other on a couch that was either too small or just the right size depending on one’s perspective, and the movie marathon began.

After the night in question was over, Jon quickly forgot most of the details of the movies they chose to watch then--the titles, the storylines, even the number of movies they managed to fit in before conking out for the night--but one bit from the marathon stuck with him.

There was a lead actress in one of the movies who was pretty, but in a way that was clearly Hollywood trying to make her appear down-to-earth. The woman in question wore full makeup in every scene and was skinny and conventionally attractive and wore clothes clearly fitted precisely to her body shape, but her long brown hair looked a bit untamed and there was a speck of dirt placed just so on her cheek, so clearly she was just a regular person, right?

(In Jon’s opinion, the attempt fell well short of the mark, but he wasn’t terribly surprised; what Hollywood executives thought was normal and what regular people thought was normal were clearly two different things. Regardless, the actress didn’t strike Jon as his type.)

A few minutes into the movie, screams came from within a mansion that had been rumored to be haunted, and while most of the characters froze up or ran away, the lead actress took off her high heels and ran towards the mansion, her bare feet squelching in the mud with every step.

When that happened, Georgie tapped Jon’s arm and said in a stage whisper (as if they were in a movie theatre with others to disturb with their speech, instead of it just being the two of them snuggled up on that small couch), “Sorry, Jon, think we’re gonna have to break up now, that woman just earned my hand in marriage right there.”

Jon diverted his attention from the movie and looked over at Georgie, and he saw on her face when the realization hit her that she’d never actually confessed her attraction to women before. She didn’t look scared that Jon would reject her for it, though--that was one thing Jon always admired about Georgie, that she was never scared, never filled with the fear that consumed Jon’s own mind so frequently. But she watched Jon’s reaction to her statement almost as closely as he was watching her now.

“Surely we can work out an arrangement.” Jon replied after a brief moment. “She can have you on the weekends, perhaps?”

That careful scrutiny apparent on Georgie’s face melted away in an instant, replaced with a gentle smile. “Don’t be selfish, Jon. You can have me on the weekends. She gets the weekdays.”

“It’s hard not to be selfish when something so precious is at stake.” Jon reached for Georgie’s hand and gave it a tight squeeze. “But you’re right, fair is fair. Switch off every other week, then?”

“Hmm...” Georgie pressed the hand that wasn’t being held by Jon against her chin, as if she were deep in thought.

“And she can have you for the holidays.”

“Alright, sold.” Georgie pressed her lips against Jon’s cheek, and though the contact only lasted a moment, the warmth from the kiss was still enough to carry Jon through the rest of the night, his mind now filled with anything but the cinematic schlock still playing in front of him.

.

Jon was sitting on Georgie’s couch, listening to her rant about her troubles with a recent biology assignment, before she suddenly switched gears and asked, “So what have you been working on lately, Jon? Can’t be as bad as all that...”

Jon didn’t need to think twice about which of his assignments to discuss, not when one of them always seemed to be in the back of his mind at any given moment. “No, it’s quite interesting, actually. I’ve been working on an analysis of the book A Separate Peace--have you ever read it?”

Georgie hesitated for a moment, wrinkling her nose in thought before shaking her head in response. “The name sounds familiar, but I’ve never read it, no.”

“Alright, so-”

Just those two words emerging from Jon’s mouth were enough to put a wry smile on Georgie’s face--she knew what was coming, knew that Jon was getting ready to ramble on about one of his latest interests, and it warmed Jon’s heart to think that she was clearly looking forward to such rambling, a far cry from how his grandmother’s eyes had always glazed over when he’d tried to explain his passions to her.

“It’s about the narrator, Gene, returning to a boarding school he used to go to and reflecting on his time there, and specifically on his relationship with another student there, Finny--er, not relationship like that, they were friends and, and rivals... though actually, maybe like that too? There do seem to be certain- certain undertones, though maybe that’s just me projecting on Gene a bit too much there...”

Georgie raised an eyebrow. “Would you want to have a relationship with Finny, then?”

Jon looked down at the couch to avoid Georgie’s gaze. “Well, uh, I doubt Finny’d be interested in me to begin with, he seems out of my league...”

“You underestimate yourself, Jon.” Jon looked back up at Georgie just in time to catch the playful twinkle in her eye. “Besides, it’s a hypothetical. If the option were available, would you date Finny?”

“And if we weren’t already dating?”

Georgie let out a snort of amusement. “And if we weren’t already dating, too. Don’t worry, Jon, I’m not going to get mad if you’d date a fictional character.”

Jon thought about it for a moment. “...probably, yes, I would. Though he’s, uh, he’s sixteen. And dead by the end of the novel. So...”

Jon could swear he saw Georgie’s face blanche for a moment, but it was fleeting enough that he wasn’t sure it wasn’t just his imagination running wild or a trick of the light; the color returned to Georgie’s face in an instant, and any uncertainty in her expression was replaced by an exaggerated wrinkling of her nose. “That does tend to put a damper on potential relationships, doesn’t it?”

“Just a little bit.” Jon said, a bit of laughter sneaking into his voice.

“So how did this Finny die, anyway?”

“Well, it’s pretty much the climax of the novel, so to get into that, I’ll have to explain the rest of it first-”

Jon launched into a detailed explanation of the plot of A Separate Peace, and Georgie watched him with interest the entire time.

.

Jon didn’t entirely realize the implications of him admitting that he’d date Finny if given a chance until later in the night, when Georgie brought it up again during a lull in the conversation.

“So, if you’d date Finny-”

“Given all those hypothetical caveats, yes.”

“Right. And you’re dating me-”

Jon raised an eyebrow, schooling his face into his best semblance of surprise. “I certainly hope we’ve established that much.”

Georgie swatted at Jon with one hand, though the motion was slow and gentle and ended up coming just short of actually making contact with him.

“So you’re into both guys and girls, then. Do you identify as bi then, or pan, or-”

“Bi, yeah.”

Georgie’s face lit up at the words, her mouth stretching into a wide grin. “Same here! High-five? Wait, no--bi-five!”

Jon and Georgie both giggled a bit at that pun, and when Georgie extended her hand in Jon’s direction, Jon high-fived it without hesitation.

“Say, come next Pride, you can use the face paint I’ve got if you want, if it’s got cooties I dare say you’d have them already...”

Jon shook his head. “Thanks for the offer, but I’m not exactly a fan of face paint.”

“Really?” Georgie wrinkled her nose. “Ah well, more for me, then. I do have some old pins you could have if you want, too!”

“Only if you’re sure you don’t want them.”

“Oh, I’ve got plenty to spare. Fun fact, covering a hat entirely with pins is not nearly as fun or practical as it sounds. Learned that one from experience.”

“Wait, you’ve got a hat covered with pins and you’ve been hiding it from me this whole time?”

“I used to have a hat covered with pins. Ended up taking them all off, and I had to throw out the cap underneath because it was so riddled with holes, and now I’ve just got all these pins hanging around...”

As Georgie kept talking about how she’d covered a hat with pins before and why she ended up taking them all off, a smile sneaked its way onto Jon’s face.

[got2ghost-archive]

ten ships and why!! I was tagged by @alienfuckeronmain AHH THANK U I LOVE TALKING ABT THIS SHIT

Half of my list is childhood best friends to lovers let's GOOOO

1. drarry

*deep shuddering inhale* I have thought abt draco and harry being foils before I even reached double digits. they could have saved each other and had so much potential to even just be FRIENDS!! if j*r wasn't like that, then she could have actually made a meaningful impact on draco early on. abt how you don't have to be your parents! and how to heal!! anyway I love them any way shape or form. I love reading dark gritty fucked up stories about them just as much as I love reading domestic silly fluffy stuff for them. draco would NOT put up with harry's bullshit and harry would NOT go easy on draco either but they're ultimately just two lonely boys who grew up in fucked up households who have much more in common than they realize!!! LIKE!!

2. wangxian

yes they're a new one but God their love extends so deeply. yes they r basically Chinese fantasy Kirk/spock!!

lan zhan is so in love w wei ying and is so devoted and everything he does is action or acts of service which js very much my love language!! but he also feels a deep sense of obligation to the rules and codes he's learned?? and wei ying loves lan zhan but it takes him a long time to accept it bc he DOESNT BELIEVE HE IS DESERVIG OF LOVE despite being so GOOD. AND THEY NEVER TALK TO EACH OTHER OR COMMUNICATE THEY WAY THEY SHOULD!!!! AND HE DIES and LAN ZHAN IS JUST. REPENTENT FOR 16 YEARS AND RAISES HIS SON AND IS SO INCREDIBLY SAD AND MISERABLE BUT THEN WWX comes BACK TO LIFE and they get to try again AND THEY GET TO BE HAPPY???? ANYWAY ACTS OF DEVOTION I!!!!

3. soriku

I've genuinely thought abt them since I was TEN when the first kingdom hearts game came out but it didn't solidify until KH2 came out when sora has to search for riku the entire game and when he finally does RIKU DOESNT EVEN LOOK LIKE HIMSELF BUT SORA STILL RECOGNIZES HIM ANYWAY AND HOLDS HIS HAND AND CRIES. THAT SHIT MADE ME GAY! I had never witnessed such tenderness and they are so inherently queer and subtle that it's one of the first stories I ever saw myself in. on top of that I also read that doujinshi that I consider Canon and it's so!! childhood best friends! with big complicated feelings of jealousy and betrayal and possessiveness when you start to grow apart from the person you care about the most!! and in game they're slowly... circling to become end game? the entire story revolves around them saving each other and RIKU LITERALLY CALLING SORA HIS MOST PRECIOUS PERSON? AHHHHHH

4. sterek

I will never forgive what the show did but the Fandom and the writing from that fandom is incredibly important to me. they're like my comfort pairing and I just love that Derek is sad and grumpy but it's because he's fucked up and needs to go to therapy and stiles is also kind of fucked up but happier and he's smart and beautiful and!!! they were obviously attracted to each other!! almost all of their stories involve CONSENT or Derek hale getting better slowly. they mean a lot to me bc my mom was dying while I clung to this fandom and wrote my grief fic and I always associate them with that time in my life. I could and did read like 30 stories abt Derek doing laundry and buying wooden spoons and trying to move on and be a healthier happier person.

5. taagnus

rarely have rare pairs but this is one of them and!!! look. I didn't ship them until the last two arcs of the show revealed that instead of only knowing each other for a few years and being idiots they in fact knew each other for 100 years+ and DIED A LOT together and saved each other. BUT COULDN'T REMEMBER IT YET THEY STILL KIND OF... FALL IN LOVE AGAIN? they balance each other so much. magnus is magnus - brave and GOOD. taako is so closed off, careful abt trusting people so when he acted on gut instinct to LITERALLY THROW HIS SOUL OUT OF HIS BODY TO SAVE MAGNUS I was hooked. I know that taako ends up w kravitz but bc we didn't get to see Krav much I couldn't grow attached to him? I love the thought of first love and exploring that - how it never goes away, really but you can still love other people!! plus! I love writing them as lesbians! they're butch/femme to me!

6. ruth/debbie

UGH. UGH!!!!! they're so obsessed with each other and it's so filled with repression and anger and betrayal thst has nothing to do with Ruth fucking her husband and everything to do with the trust of their friendship. it's such a complicated weird fucked up intense 'friendship' that I love to see and like!! sometimes my friendships w women FELT like that. the times I have felt the most hurt is when I lose a friend bc a part of me is in love w them in some way!! Ruth and Debbie are just. in love. though. and Ruth is never gonna admit it and she's gonna... be in a comp het relationship even tho she thinks Debbie is smart and sexy and she idolizes her GOD.

7. gene/finny

YES MOST OF MY PAIRINGS ARE SAD WHAT OF IT? I read this book as a sophomore in hs and I simply could not stop thinking abt how gay and in love they were. FIRST OF ALL THE metaphors!!!!!! gene as winter and finny as summer!! and how codependent and weird they were even tho finny KNEW gene broke his leg. he didn't want to believe it bc he WAS IN LOVE WITH HIM. THEY WENT ON A DATE TO THE BEACH? THE PINK SHIRT? finny being the embodiment of childhood innocence and Gene literally breaking that? and killing it? once again I just love reading abt how complex jealousy is and where it comes from and also REPRESSION!!!

8. forrden

yes I'm including my own OC with @dosalesbian

I wrote abt them for FOUR YEARS. they're childhood best friends who fall in love and marry and are in love no matter what universe and are so soft and tender and healing. forrest goes thru a lot of gender exploration and aiden is just the partner I want to be!! he's goofy and LOVES HER SO MUCH AND SUPPORTS HER SO MUCH GOD!!!!

9. kuroken

they r a new one and yes once again childhood best friends but in a FUN NEW WAY that I want to explore. kenma is like disinterested in most things except gaming and whatever kuroo wants to do and has a hard time socializing bc he's SHY and is too observant! and kuroo is big and dumb and passionate but was also a stupid anxious child. I think they're those friends who are dating but don't even know they're dating or their relationship is so indescribable to themselves and others that it's hard to take any step forward or backward bc theyre SO codependent and yes. I want to explore that and read abt them more.

10. don't look at me yes im putting ryden on here

THEY WERE IN LOVE BUT COULDNT ADMIT IT AND THEN BRENDON WROTE 3 BREAKUP ALBUMS ABT RYAN? AND RYAN RELEASED A SONG THE SAME WEEK BRENDON GOT MARRIED? they're never gonna be friends again bc they can't just be friends

okay!! I tag @scottspack @dosalesbian @pattern-pals hehe

[softpine]

💖

@sim-bubble oh my god i’m so honored, you’ve always been and always will be one of my favorite blogs!! thank you so much :’) 💖💖 also i’m SO excited to be able to use all your adorable poses when asa is a full-size toddler, your family poses are my very favorites 😭

sjdskj VAGUELY?? that was the most homoerotic thing i’ve ever read in my life. i even raised my hand in class after we read the first couple chapters and was like “soo.. does gene have a massive crush on finny??” and it only got worse from there lmao. things probably would’ve turned out better for everyone (but especially for poor finny) if gene had a normal response to having a crush on him... and aww that’s so cute!! all i remember about him was that i was really sad for him :(

oh lmao i get that! my options are so slim where i live that i would probably date any girl who i’m mildly attracted to sdskjs but it’s good that it didn’t end with hurt feelings!!

@an-tarax thank you!! i’m still trying to work out the right amount of vintage/autumn/dark reshade vs. light/soft editing lmao but i’m a lot happier with the way things look now, so i’m happy you like it too! 💖

[a-study-in-ginny-archive]

Love On The Web, Part Two

Finny looked at his last message and smiled. Gene seemed like a decent guy, and he was a good poet. Finny had stayed true to his word and read some of Gene’s poems yesterday. They were kind of dark at times, but they were well written, so Finny didn’t mind. Another message came in, and Finny opened it up.

GrACEfulPhoenix: Dude, come to the café on 6th street. Now.

PellPaints: What’s going on?

GrACEfulPhoenix: JUST GET DOWN HERE!

PellPaints: Okay, okay! Give me 10 minutes.

Finny set his phone down and pulled on a pair of black and pink tennis shoes and a blue jacket, then grabbed his phone and rushed out the door. He kept a pretty fast walk as he made his way toward the café. When he was about a block away, he got another message.

GrACEfulPhoenix: Booth in the back right corner. Be discrete.

Finny shook his head as he walked in. He made his way past the tables until he got to a booth where an impatient blue-grey eyed young lady waited for him.

“Good, you’re here,” she said quietly but excitedly.

“Aria Phoenix, what did you do?” Finny asked accusingly.

“Look.” Aria turned Finny’s head toward a table and pointed. There were their two friends, Brinker and Leper. Finny turned back to Aria.

“When did this happen?” Finny asked, curious now.

“When I got bored in English and decided to set them up on a blind date with each other,” Aria answered casually. Finny raised an eyebrow.

“How’d you manage that?”

“I told Leper that I knew another nature enthusiast who would be at the café at 2:55, and I told Brinker that another Hamilton fan would be there at the same time. I told them that exact table they’re at now. I’m glad I managed to get here before them and hide out, because their expressions were priceless. They both had this look of pure surprise, and then they told each other why they were here and what booth I’d told them, and I had to duck down to make sure I wasn’t seen. After, they just sat down, kept talking, and got some food. And I’ve been observing.”

“That’s one way to get those two to finally go out with each other.” Finny’s stomach growled. “Hey, can you watch my phone while I get something to eat?”

“Yeah.” Finny nodded in thanks, handed Aria the device, and left to go wait. When Finny turned away, Aria put in Finny’s passcode and started browsing his Instagram. She noticed his conversations with Gene and grinned. Because not only did Finny make a friend, but Aria could prank him. Her grin turned mischievous as she typed out her message.

PellPaints: Dear Gene Forrester, we’ve been way too out of touch.

AStudyInPoets: We just spoke earlier. What’s up?

PellPaints: Things have been crazy, and it sucks that we don’t talk that much.

AStudyInPoets: I didn’t know that. Also, we just met yesterday, so we haven’t had much time to talk...

PellPaints: But I should tell you that I think of you each night.

AStudyInPoets: Um...okay...

PellPaints: *~I rUb My NiPpLeS aNd StArT mOaNiNg WiTh DeLiGhT.~*

AStudyInPoets: ...Wtf...

Aria struggled to contain her laughter. Finny, having gotten a blueberry muffin, cane back then. He looked at Aria laughing and immediately was suspicious.

“What did you do?” he asked as he sat back down. He noticed Aria holding his phone and stuck out his hand. “Give it back.” She handed the device over, and Finny immediately started looking for something unusual. He read his messages and his eyes widened and he turned red. “WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!” Aria lost it and busted out laughing. Finny hurriedly typed out another message.

PellPaints: I’M SO SORRY!!! I LET MY FRIEND ARIA WATCH MY PHONE!!! I’M NEVER DOING THAT AGAIN!!! PLEASE FORGIVE ME!!!

AStudyInPoets: It’s nice to know that that wasn’t actually you. Where did that even come from?

PellPaints: A song called “Sincerely Me” from a musical called “Dear Evan Hansen”.

AStudyInPoets: I’ve heard of that musical, I think. A bunch of people at my school are obsessed with it. They say the music’s really good.

PellPaints: They’re right, I’ll say that.

AStudyInPoets: Then I might check it out.

PellPaints: Good. Speaking of music, what’s your favorite type of music? I haven’t gotten to ask you yet.

AStudyInPoets: Mainly rock and punk, with the occasional musical. What about you?

PellPaints: Pop and classical.

“Because Phineas is a huge nerd,” Aria remarked, having been reading everything he typed. Finny glared at her and she chuckled. Finny bit into his muffin and waited for Gene. “Dude, you should ask him out.”

“I just met him yesterday,” Finny deadpanned.

“And I ship this,” she said, gesturing to Finny and his phone.

“You know I’m going to have to get back at you for that prank, right? And change my passcode?”

“Yes and yes. But I’ll figure out the passcode. Or have one of the guys tell me.” Finny rolled his eyes.

“And what’s going on over here?” Brinker asked, having walked over with Leper in tow.

“Lover boy here’s trying to talk to his online crush,” Aria stated, pointing to Finny, who blushed.

“He’s not my crush. I just met him yesterday,” Finny defended.

“It’s fine, it’s fine. Just make sure to invite the three of us to the wedding.” Aria joked. Finny only reddened further and Leper chuckled. “Dibs on being the human of honor.”

“Why do you do these things?”

“It’s fun.” She turned to Leper and Brinker. “Enjoying the date?”

“Yeah, you should try one sometime,” Brinker teased. Aria rolled her eyes.

“Like someone would ever date me. And besides, I’m not interested in dating.”

“Yeah. Dating anyone but a certain crush of yours,” Finny pointed out with a smirk, poking Aria in the arm. Now it was her turn to blush.

“Shut up and talk to Gene,” she retorted. Coincidentally, Gene had responded then. Finny checked his phone.

AStudyInPoets: I need to get you into punk.

PellPaints: What artists do you recommend?

AStudyInPoets: My Chemical Romance and Panic! At The Disco to start.

“Yes, another Panic! fan!” Aria noted. “I like this one.” Finny chuckled.

PellPaints: I’ll check out MCR. I actually have a friend trying to get me into Panic! At The Disco.

AStudyInPoets: I like this person.

PellPaints: I’m going to put you into a group chat with my friends. Is that okay?

AStudyInPoets: Sounds fun.

“Yay, we’ll get to meet the crush,” Leper teased before checking his watch. “Brinker and I are gonna go, we’ve got homework. See you guys later.” Brinker gave them a wave before leaving with Leper. Aria and Finny waved back.

“It’s probably time for me to go home too,” Aria decided. She and Finny both got up and left the café. “Peace out, Finny. We’ll talk later.”

“Talk to you later,” Finny responded. Aria left and Finny made his way back home. He wondered what Gene thought of him, and what he would think of Leper, Brinker, and Aria, and what Gene thought of him. Finny thought of what he’d learned about Gene, and decided that Gene would be one of his best friends.

[norikateatro]

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Aladdin (OBC) 

Anastasia: Broadway June 28, 2017 Cast: Christy Altomare, Derek Klena, John Bolton, Ramin Karimloo, Caroline O'Connor, Mary Beth Peil. 

Beauty and The Beast:  Broadway- April 28th, 2002 Cast: Sarah Litzsinger as Belle, Steve Blanchard as Beast, Bryan Batt as Lumiere, and Beth Fowler as Mrs. Potts, and Nicholas Jonas as Chip

Chicago US tour: November 23th,  2005  Chicago, IL Cast: Paige Davis, Brenda Braxton, Tom Wopat, Carol Woods

Cats- UK tour, Wolverhampton 30 March 2013 full show Cast: Joanna Ampil (Grizabella) Katie Warsop (Rumpleteazer) Clare Rickard (Jellylorum) Melissa James (Bombalurina) Lily Fraser (Demeter) Alice Redmond (Jennyanydots) Alicia Beck (Victoria/White Cat) Dawn Williams (Jemima) Nicholas Pound (Old Deutoronomy) Ben Palmer (Munkustrap) Oliver Savile (Rum Tum Tugger) Joseph Poulton (Quazo/Mistoffelees) Paul F Monaghan (Asparagus/Bustopher Jones/Growl Tiger:) Barnaby Thompson (Mungojerrie) Ross Finnie (Skimbleshanks) Jessica Buckby (Cassandra) Lizzi Franklin (Tantomile) Joal Morris (Carbucketty) Richard Astbury (Coricopat) Cameron Ball (Admetus/Macavity) James Darch (Alonzo) and Will Lucas (Bill Bailey).

Cats Broadway: July 2016 VOB (no small) Cast: Leona Lewis (Grizabella), Tyler Hanes (Rum Tum Tugger), Ricky Ubeda (Mistoffelees), Quentin Earl Darrington (Old Deuteronomy), Eloise Kropp (Jennyanydots), Giuseppe Bausilio (Carbucketty), Jeremy Davis (Skimbleshanks), Kim Faure (Demeter), Sara Jean Ford (Jellylorum), Lili Froehlich (Electra), Daniel Gaymon (Macavity), Shonica Gooden (Rumpleteazer), Christopher Gurr (Gus/Bustopher Jones), Andy Huntington Jones (Munkustrap), Kolton Krouse (Tumblebrutus), Jess Le Protto (Mungojerrie), Georgina Pazcougin (Victoria), Emily Pynenburg (Cassandra), Arianna Rosario (SIllabub), Ahmad Smmons (Alonzo), Christine Cornish Smith (Bombalurina), Corey Snide (Coricopat), Emily Tate (Tantomile), Sharrod Wiliams (Pouncival)

Come Far Away (OBC) Dear Evan Hansen (Broadway) Cast: Ben Platt, Laura Dreyfuss, Will Roland, Kristolyn Lloyd, Mike Faist, Rachel Bay Jones, Michael Park, Jennifer Laura Thompson (OBC)

Falsettos Broadway: October 28th, 2016 Cast: Christian Borle (Marvin), Andrew Rannells (Whizzer), Stephanie J. Block (Trina), Brandon Uranowitz (Mendel), Anthony Rosenthal (Jason), Tracie Thoms (Charlotte), Betsy Wolfe (Cordelia) Link:

Finding Neverland (OBC)

Wicked Broadway:  Preview October 12th, 2003 Original Broadway Cast Cast: Idina Menzel (Elphaba), Kristin Chenoweth (Glinda), Norbert Leo Butz (Fiyero), Carole Shelley (Madame Morrible), Joel Grey (The Wizard) Michelle Federer (Nessarose), Christopher Fitzgerald (Boq), William Youmans (Dr. Dillamond)

Wicked Chicago:  July 1, 2005- Cast: Ana Gasteyer (Elphaba), Kate Reinders (Glinda), Kristoffer Cusick (Fiyero), Gene Weygandt (The Wizard), Steven Skybell (Doctor Dillamond), Rondi Reed (Madame Morrible), Heidi Kettenring Nessarose), Telly Leung (Boq)

Wicked (Broadway): January 8, 2006 Cast: Shoshana Bean (Elphaba), Megan Hilty (Glinda), David Ayers (Fiyero), Rue McClanahan (Madame Morrible), Ben Vereen (The Wizard), Michelle Federer (Nessarose), Rob Sapp (Boq), Sean McCourt (Dr. Dillamond).   notes: Shoshanna's, David's, Rue's and Michelle's last performances. Camera wanders at points due to the master's blind filming.

Wicked (Broadway):  May 28, 2006) (Megan’s Last)   cast: Eden Espinosa (Elphaba), Megan Hilty (Glinda), David Garrison (The Wizard), Derrick Williams (Fiyero), Carol Kane (Madame Morrible), Jenna Leigh Green (Nessarose), Rob Sapp (Boq), David McCourt (Dr. Dillamond)

Wicked First National Tour PROSHOT May 2006 - Victoria Matlock (s/b Elphaba), Kendra Kassebaum, Nicolas Dromard (u/s Fiyero), Jennifer Waldman (Nessarose), Alma Cuervo (Morrible), PJ Benjamin (The Wizard) *Proshot from one camera at the back of the house. Sound is patched in from the soundboard and is incredibly clear. Some washout, but amazing to see the set and choreo like this.

Wicked Broadway: July 17th, 2008 Cast: Kerry Ellis (Elphaba), Kendra Kassebaum (Glinda), David Burnham (Fiyero), Cristy Candler (Nessarose), Ben Liebert (Boq), Lenny Wolpe (The Wizard), Jayne Houdyshell (Madame Morrible), Steven Skybell (Dr. Dillamond) Notes: Kerry’s first on Broadway 

Wicked 1st National Tour: March 4, 2007 Baltimore, Maryland 

Cast: Victoria Matlock (Elphaba), Christina DeCicco (Glinda), Cliffton Hall (Fiyero), Deedee Magno Hall (Nessarose), Barbara Tirrell (Morrible), P.J. Benjamin (Wizard), Josh Lamon (Boq), Tom Flynn (Dillamond),Paul Slade Smith as Witch’s Father/Frex ; Lori Homles as Witch’s Mother/Melena Leslie Becker as Midwife/ Nanny

Wicked Broadway: October 9, 2007 (mp4) Stephanie J. Block (Elphaba), Annaleigh Ashford (Glinda), Sebastian Arcelus (Fiyero), Kathy Santen (Morrible), Lenny Wolpe (Wizard), Logan Lipton (Boq), Cristy Candler (Nessarose), Steven Skybell (Dillamond) h

Wicked Broadway: July 17th, 2008 Cast: Kerry Ellis (Elphaba), Kendra Kassebaum (Glinda), David Burnham (Fiyero), Cristy Candler (Nessarose), Ben Liebert (Boq), Lenny Wolpe (The Wizard), Jayne Houdyshell (Madame Morrible), Steven Skybell (Dr. Dillamond) Notes: Kerry’s first on Broadway

Wicked Broadway: February 1, 2015 Cast: Lilli Cooper (s/b Elphaba), Kara Lindsay (Glinda), Jerad Bortz (u/s Fiyero), Brian Munn (u/s The Wizard), Kathy Fitzgerald (Madame Morrible), Catherine Charlebois (Nessarose), Robin De Jesus (Boq).

Wicked: Singapore April 22nd, 2012 Cast-  Zoe Jarrett (understudy Elphaba), Suzie Mathers (Glinda), David Harris (Fiyero), Anne Wood (Madame Morrible), Elisa Colla (Nessarose), James D Smith (Boq). At just over 2 hours long, this is missing a few sequences, but all the big numbers and memorable dialogue scenes are intact. It's shot from the very front row of the stalls at the side so, although this causes a lot of problems for the brave person who filmed it, we DO get many nice close-ups and a chance to see the show from quite an unusual angle at times! Very clear sound throughout. 

Wicked Korea (Date: November 2013 ) Cast: Oak Joo Hyun (Elphaba), Jeong Sun Ah (Glinda), Lee Ji Hoon (Fiyero), Nam Kyoung Joo (The Wizard), Cho Jung Keun (Doctor Dillamond), Kim Young Joo (Madame Morrible), Lee Yea Eun (Nessarose), Kim Dong Hyun (Boq) 

Wicked  2nd National Tour (Madison, WI): May 28, 2013    Cast: Jennifer DiNoia (Elphaba), Hayley Podschun (Glinda), David Nathan Perlow (Fiyero), Walker Jones (The Wizard), Gina Ferrall (Madame Morrible), Zarah Mahler (Nessarose), Michael Wartella (Boq), Jay Russell (Doctor Dillamond).   quality: An absolutely beautiful HD capture with no obstructions. Jennifer is wonderful as Elphaba. 

Wicked  West End: October 27th, 2014 Cast: Jennifer DiNoia (Elphaba), Savannah Stevenson (G(a)linda) Jeremy Taylor (Fiyero), Liza Sadovy (Madame Morrible), Martyn Ellis (The Wizard), Katie Rowley-Jones (Nessarose), Sam Lupton (Boq), Philip Childs (Dr. Dillamond) Wicked Mexico: November 18th 2014

Cast: Ana Cecilia Anzaldúa, Crisanta Gómez (s/b), Jorge Lau, Anahí Allué, Paco Morales, Adam Sadwing, Beto Torres. Notes: Highlights include "No One Mourns the Wicked", "Dear Old Shiz", the Room Assignment scene from Let Her GO! to "What Is This Feeling?", "Popular", "Defying Gravity", "Thank Goodness", "No Good Deed" and "For Good".

Wicked  2nd National Tour: 10/29/15 Cast: Mary Kate Morrissey (s/b Elphaba), Carrie St. Louis (Glinda), Jake Boyd (Fiyero), Liana Hunt (Nessarose), Wendy Worthington (Madame Morrible), Stuart Zagnit (The Wizard). Lee Slobotikin (Boq), Chad Jennings (Dr. Dillamond)

Wicked 2nd National Tour: November 6th, 2017 Cast: Jessica Vosk (Elphaba), Allison Bailey (u/s Glinda), Jeremy Woodard (Fiyero), Kristen Martin (Nessarose), Sam Sefarian (Boq), Chad Jennings (Doctor Dillamond), Stuart Zagnit (The Wizard), Wendy Worthington (Madame Morrible). 

Wicked Broadway:  June 21, 2016   Cast: Rachel Tucker (Elphaba), Ginna Claire Mason (s/b Glinda), Jonah Platt (Fiyero), Peter Scolari (The Wizard), Judy Kaye (Madame Morrible), Dawn Cantwell (Nessarose), Zachary Noah Piser (Boq), Michael Genet (Doctor Dillamond).

Wicked San Francisco: September 5, 2010 (Last Show) Marcie Dodd (Elphaba) Alli Mauzey (Glinda) Clifton C. Hall (Fiyero) Jody Gelb (Madame Morrible) Tom McGowan (The Wizard) DeeDee Magno Hall (Nessarose) Etai Benshlomo (Boq)

Wicked 1st National Tour: December 12, 2007; St. Louis, MO. Carmen Cusack  (Elphaba), Katie Rose Clarke (Glinda), Cliffton Hall (Fiyero), Alma Cuervo (Madame Morrible), Lee Wilkof (The Wizard), Deedee Magno Hall (Nessarose), Brad Weinstock (Boq), Tom Flynn (Dr. Dillamond)

Wicked UK/International Tour April 15th, 2017 Jodie Steele (alt. Elphaba), Carly Anderson (Glinda), Bradley Jaden (Fiyero), Kim Ismay (Mme. Morrible), Steven Pinder (Dr. Dillamond/Wizard), Emily Shaw (Nessarose), Iddon Jones (Boq) Link: 

Waitress (Broadway) − June 14, 2016: Jessie Mueller (Jenna), Keala Settle (Becky), Kimiko Glenn (Dawn), Drew Gehling (Dr Pomatter), Nick Cordero (Earl), Dakin Matthews (Joe), Eric Anderson (Cal), Christopher Fitzgerald (Ogie) (OBC)

Waitress ( Broadway) April, 2017 Cast: Sara Bareilles, Charity Angel Dawson, Molly Jobe as (u/s) Dawn, Chris Diamantopoulos, Will Swenson, Dakin Matthews, Eric Anderson, Christopher Fitzgerald Link:

El Hombre de La Mancha: Santiago, Chile Teatro Munipal:: 1974 Cast: Frankie Bravo, Jose del Campo, Omar Galarcé, Fernando Gallardo, Mary Hernandez, José Maria Langlais, Valentina Martinez, Alicia Quiroga, Carlos Trujillo

El Hombre de La Mancha: Madrid, Teatro Lope de Vega de Madrid Cast: David V Muro (Cervantes / Quixote) The rest of the cast is unknown

Legally Blonde: Broadway (MTV Filmed) September 9th, 2007 Cast-Laura Bell Bundy, Christian Borle, Orfeh, Michael Rupert, Kate Shindle, Nikki Snelson, Richard H. Blake

Mary Poppins- US tour February 15 2013 Full Show Cast: Con O'Shea-Creal (Bert), Madeline Trumble (Mary Poppins), Madison Ann Mullahey (Jane Banks), Eli Tokash (Michael Banks), Chris K. Hoch (George Banks), Kerry Conte (Winifred Banks)

Man of La Mancha - Cast: Joan Diener as Aldonza (Dulcinea); Richard Kiley as Don Quixote (Cervantes); Dianne Barton as Antonia; Lee Bergere as Dr. Carrasco; Renato Cibelli as Captain of the Inquisition; Jack Dabdoub as The Innkeeper; Edmond Verrato as Sancho Panza (U/S); Eleanore Knapp as The Housekeeper; Robert Rounseville as The Padre; Ted Forlow as The Barber/The Horse (U/S); John Aristides as Juan; Robert Cromwell as Guard/Man of The Inquisition; Fernando Grahal as Tenorio/Dancing Horse; Laura Kenyon as Fermina; Jeff Killion as Man of The Inquisition/Guard; Hector Mercado as Dancing Horse/Jose; Rita Metzger as Maria; Shev Rodgers as The Horse/Pedro; Bill Stanton as Paco; David Wasson as Man of The Inquisition/Guard. 

After concluding a successful road tour, Richard Kiley brought the company of Man of La Mancha into New York City, opening at the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center on 22 JUN 1972, and running until 21 OCT 1972. This video was shot of that engagement, using a single tripod mounted camera and sound board sound. While the exact date of the filming is not known, it is believd it to be from 22 JUN 1972. It is known that Irving Jacobson was out sick for the first two performances, and that his understudy, Edmond Verrato, went on for him on 22 and 23 JUN.

Natasha, Pierre and The Great Comet of 1812 (Broadway) − October 29, 2016: Josh Groban, Denee Benton, Brittain Ashford, Nicholas Belton, Lucas Steele, Gelsey Bell, Nick Choksi, Amber Gray

Hamilton Broadway August 13th, 2016 - Javier Munoz (Alexander Hamilton), Lexi Lawson (Eliza Hamilton), Sydney James Harcourt (u/s Aaron Burr), Renee Elise Goldsberry ( Angelica Schuyler), Christopher Jackson (George Washington), Andrew Chappelle (u/s Marquis de Lafayette/Thomas Jefferson), Ephraim Sykes (u/s Hercules Mulligan/James Madison), Anthony Ramos (John Laurens/Philip Hamilton), Jasmine Cephas Jones (Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds), Rory O’Malley (King George), Roddy Kennedy (u/s Philip Schuyler/James Reynolds/Doctor), Thayne Jasperson (Samuel Seabury), Neil Haskell (Charles Lee), David Guzman (u/s George Eacker), Ensemble: Carleigh Bettiol, Hope Easterbrook, Karla Puno Garcia, Gregory Haney, Sasha Hollinger, Seth Stewart, Kamille Upshaw​

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child: April 1st, 2017

Heathers- Concert reading at Joe's Pub - September 14 2010 Annaleigh Ashford (Veronica), Jeremy Jordan (Jason Dean), Jenna Leigh Green (Heather Chandler), Corri English (Heather McNamara), Christine Lakin (Heather Duke), James Snyder (Kurt), PJ Griffith (Ram), Julie Garnye (Martha) Heather Off Broadway- Cast:  Dan Domenech as JD, Barrett Wilbert Weed as Veronica, and Charissa Hogeland as Heather Chandler

Spongebob the Musical: Chicago  (Try-Out)

[a-study-in-ginny-archive]

Blooming Hearts

((Finny’s POV))

I hear the bell at the front of the flower shop ring, and I look up from the bouquet of chrysanthemums that I’m arranging. A guy around my age with brown eyes and hair and a build similar to mine comes through the door, and I have to admit, he’s kinda hot. I watch him look at different colored roses, carnations, and hyacinths before glancing up and catching me staring. His eyes meet mine and, for a second, the world feels right. But then I realize how awkward this must be and focus back on my chrysanthemums. I find a nice looking orange one and place it among some pink and red ones so that it can catch someone’s eye and be noticed. I arrange a few more flowers, occasionally casting glances at the cute guy who’d looked back at me. I finish my arrangement, cross my arms, and admire my handiwork.

“I must say, that’s a beautiful arrangement,” a voice to my right compliments. I jump at the sound and turn to my right, only to see the boy I’d been admiring from afar. My face goes slightly pink.

“Um, thank you,” I manage. I notice that he’s holding a pink rose in his right hand. “Would you like to buy that?” He nods and hands me the rose, along with a couple of dollars. I start to get his change, but he stops me.

“Keep the change, and the flower.” He smiles. I turn the same shade of pink as the rose in my hand.

“Why?”

“A beautiful rose for a beautiful boy.” I turn even redder as I realize that he’s shamelessly flirting with me. “Gene Forrester.” He holds out his hand and I take it, grinning.

“Phineas Pell, but everyone calls me Finny.” He nods.

“Nice to meet you, Finny.”

“Nice to meet you too, Gene.” He shakes my hand and then lets go.

“I hope you have a great rest of your day.” He nods at me and exits the store. My face is still red and I have a huge grin.

“You too,” I mutter.

(Time Skip)

The next day, I’m helping another customer when Gene walks in. I only know it’s him because I took a quick glance at the door when I heard the little bell ring. I finish helping the lady at the counter when Gene approaches with a pink carnation.

“Welcome back,” I say, genuinely happy to see him. He grins at me.

“I wanted to see you again,” he replies, handing me the flower and some money. I take care of the purchase and am about to hand him the flower when he does the same thing he did yesterday and insists that I keep it. I turn pink again and tell him that I will, then ask him how he knew that I liked pink. He says that it was because of the pink shirt I had been wearing. I ask him what his favorite color is, and he answers with blue. We laughed and talked about what each other’s lives were like until we noticed a line forming. He quickly scrawls down his number on a stray piece of paper and bids me farewell. I pick up the paper and slip it into my pocket, then help the other customers.

(Time Skip)

A week and seven pink flowers later, Gene calls me and asks if I want to go out on a date. I excitedly say yes and he says that he’ll pick me up after my shift. I wear what I’m going on the date, which is a pair of jeans and a pink shirt, to the flower shop. Close to closing time, I still haven’t seen Gene, and I’m getting worried. I breathe a sigh of relief as he rushes in the door. He goes straight for the pink flowers and almost trips, making me laugh a bit. He grabs a pink aster and makes it over to the counter without almost falling.

“That was graceful,” I tease as he hands me the flower.

“Extremely,” he replies sarcastically. I laugh and he pays for the flower. I don’t try to give it back, mainly because he won’t let me. “Are you excited for tonight?” I nod.

“I am.” The clock struck seven, signaling closing time. “Let’s go.” I close up the shop and leave with Gene. As we stroll, he takes my hand in his, and I feel my face turn pink. He leads me to a cute little café not far away from the flower shop and gets us a seat. After that, we just start talking about everything: our families, friendships, home lives, and random stories from our pasts. At one point, he gets up and buys us both muffins and hot cocoa. I insist on paying him back, and he finally relents and lets me after I keep pestering him. I smirk and he rolls his eyes, grinning softly. We keep talking until we realize that we’ve been there for over two hours. We laugh about it, then take our leave. He offers to walk me home, and since it’s night and I don’t want him to leave yet, I take him up on his offer. We walk along the streets of Boston, taking in the sights of the city. We point out different locations to each other, and even cut through a park on our way there. While in the park, we stop and stand on a small bridge, looking at the lights reflecting off of a small stream.

“Hey Finny,” he says after a minute. I turn to him.

“Yeah?” I reply. He cups my face in his hand and kisses me. I kiss him back. We kiss until we can’t breathe. He broke it off, his face red. I’m sure mine was too.

“I love you, Finny,” he mutters. I smile at him.

“I love you too,” I reply. He smiles back and we kiss me one more time. I break it off and he takes my hand, ready to guide me the rest of the way home. We go the rest of the way to my apartment building, and he hugs me. I hug him back. “Thanks for tonight, Gene.”

“You’re welcome. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Of course.” He releases me from the hug. “Good night, Gene.”

“Good night, Fin.” He turns and starts going toward his own apartment building. I watch him until he’s out of sight, then go inside and go to bed, my thoughts lingering on my first kiss.

(Time Skip)

It’s been three months since that first date. Since then, we’ve gone on at least five more. He still comes in every day and buys me a flower, and I sometimes wonder how he can afford all of them. Nevertheless, it’s sweet and brightens my day. Which brings me to my current problem: I haven’t seen Gene today, and the store’s about to close. I haven’t gotten a message from him yet, which worries me. I pace around behind the counter, grateful that someone isn’t in here to witness my emotional distress. I glance up at the clock every now and then, hoping that he’ll walk in before seven. All of a sudden, my phone rings. I grab it out of my pocket and answer. My eyes widen as the man on the other end says that he’s a paramedic and that I was the first name on Gene’s emergency contact list. He tells me that Gene was in a car accident and that I should get to the hospital. I hurriedly reply that I’m on my way, hang up the phone, and close the shop a few minutes early. I sprint down the streets of Boston to the hospital, disregarding things like red lights and other people. The only thing on my mind is Gene. I rush through the doors of the hospital fifteen minutes later. A Doctor is standing in the waiting room. He asks me for my name. I tell him. He gives me a sorrowful look, and that’s all I need. He can barely get out the words, “I’m sorry son, but he’s gone,” before I’ve sunk to my knees. Tears start streaming out of my eyes. The doctor offers to help me up, but I shake my head and stay where I am. I’d only been a minute too late. A minute too late to say goodbye.

(Time Skip)

The funeral was a couple days later. I wore a black suit and stood in the back. I couldn’t make it through without crying. I still couldn’t believe he was gone. That my Gene was dead. After the funeral, once everyone that had been there had left, I kneel down by his grave with a bouquet of blue chrysanthemums. The same type of flower that I’d been arranging on the day we met. And in his favorite color. I lay them down in front of his grave and rest my head on the cold stone. I start talking about everything we’d done together and how much I miss him. I guess I have a few tears left, because they end up coming out as I tell him one last thing.

“I love you, Gene.”

[a-study-in-ginny-archive]

Flowers of Love

(Gene’s POV)

Hanahaki Disease: An illness brought about by one-sided love where you cough and throw up flowers when suffering from unrequited love. So basically, whenever you think of the person you love who doesn’t love you back, up comes a flower. I should know. I’ve has Hanahaki for the past year. Ever since my best friend, Phineas Pell, started dating another friend of mine, Leper Leppelier. I was happy for them when I found out. That happiness came to an end when I suddenly couldn’t stop coughing, and when I had ran into the bathroom and finished my coughing fit, discovered that I had coughed up an orchid petal with a few spots of blood on it. When Finny asked what was wrong, I just said that I had a nasty coughing fit, but I left out the bloody flower. That night, I Googled ‘coughing up flower petals’ and discovered what Hanahaki Disease was. After reading the description, I thought back to all of my interactions with Finny, and realized that I did indeed love him. I had thought that he’d returned my feelings. Apparently he didn’t. Fast forward a year later, and Finny and Leper are still dating while I’m still coughing up flower petals. What’s worse is that the coughing attacks have gotten more violent, and I’m coughing up whole flowers now. At this point, I know there’s no getting rid of the flowers in my system. I just hope that I don’t have an attack tonight, when Brinker and Leper come over. It was just going to be a normal night, with movies and snacks and, because Leper, naturalism. No big deal. There’s a knock at the door, and Finny gets up to get it. I look up from my book at the wrong time, because I watch Finny and Leper hug. I’m still not used to that. I swallow, trying to suppress any coughs. Brinker goes around the couple and says hi to me, and I say hi back. We all four settle on chairs and the floor and turn on The Avengers. Fine with me. Leper and Finny cuddle during the movie, making me feel like I might have another coughing fit adorned with blood and flowers. After, Finny takes Leper’s had and leads him toward a less cluttered part of the room.

“What’s going on, Finny?” Leper asks. Finny takes a deep breath.

“Leper, we’ve been dating for a while now, and I know this seems sudden, but I think I’m ready,” Finny says. I watch as he pulls out a ring and gets on one knee. Leper gasps. I feel a coughing fit about to start, and I try to swallow down the flower. Finny looks at Leper with hopeful, loving eyes. “Will you marry me?” I notice Leper tear up.

“Yes.” he answers simply. Finny stands up and throws his arms around Leper before pulling him into a kiss. I can’t hold back the torrent of coughs any longer.

“Excuse me…” I mutter in a slightly pained voice. I quickly make my way to the bathroom and lock the door. I take a couple of fast breaths before coughing my lungs out. I need to use the sink to hold me up as I cough up a mixture of blood and flowers. When the first one appears, I expect that to be the end of it. I’m wrong. I keep coughing up blood and feeling flowers rise in my throat. My eyes widen as a realization comes to me: I’m going to die.

(Brinker’s POV)

Finny and Leper shoot me a worried expression. Gene’s been coughing in the bathroom for about ten minutes straight, and none of us know why. Finny holds Leper’s hand, so as to feel reassured.

“I’ll go check on Gene,” I decide, leaving the two fiancés. I see Finny and Leper nod okay. I go to the bathroom door, and I can hear Gene, and he sounds as if he’s suffocating. I knock on the door.

“Gene, are you okay?” I ask him, even though I think I already know the answer.

“I’m fine,” he responds quickly before launching into another coughing fit. I take a second to think, then nod to myself and go to Finny and Leper.

“Guys, I can handle him. You two go do something together, you know, celebrate the engagement,” I tell them. Finny shakes his head.

“I think we should stay, just in case,” Finny counters.

“Seriously, there’s no need to worry. Go.” I half shove the two of them out the door and close the door behind them, then go back to Gene. I jiggle the door handle only to find it locked.

“Gene, open the door please. Maybe I can help,” I ask him.

“You can’t help,” he manages to say before coughing again. I take a second to think: why can’t I help him? I mean, people get colds but they don’t usually-

Oh my gosh.

One word comes to mind as the pieces finally click: Hanahaki

That’s why I can’t help Gene. A moment after I make my realization, I stop hearing coughing. What I hear next is worse. I hear Gene fall to the ground. I quickly call an ambulance, and I kick the door open. I pick Gene up bridal style, and as I leave, I take one glance at the bloody flowers in the sink, then tear my eyes away from them and race out the door. The ambulance pulls up, and a paramedic takes Gene. I ride in the ambulance with him, and once we get to the hospital, I’m sent into the waiting room to fill out any paperwork and to, well, wait to find out about Gene. A few minutes later, a doctor comes into the waiting room and asks for who’s here for Gene Forrester. I stand up and walk toward him. By the somber, sympathetic expression on his face, I think I already know what he’s going to say.

“I’m sorry son, but your friend is dead. He had flowers in his lungs and roots in his respiratory system, causing him to choke on flowers and his own blood. To put it simply, he died because of Hanahaki,” he tells me. I can’t help but feel shocked at his death. It’s at that moment that Finny and Leper run in. They’re too late.

“Brinker! The hospital called and said that Gene was here. What happened?” he asked. Both are breathing heavily. The doctor gives me a look asking whether or not I want to be the one to tell them, and I nod slightly. Finny and Leper notice, and Finny starts to tear up. So I say simply:

“Gene is dead.”

(Time Skip)

(Finny’s POV)

The funeral reception was held in our old room. Leper pulls me into a comforting hug, and I gladly accept it. I squeeze his hand and tell him that I’m going to wander the apartment. He says okay. I’m strolling down the hallway when I look into the bathroom, and notice something in the sink. I turn the light on and see that there are bloodstained flowers in it. Pieces begin to click in my head as I stare at the bloody plants. All of those times Gene would sneak off or excuse himself suddenly made sense. And staring at those flowers, I realized three things.

One: Gene had Hanahaki.

Two: Gene loved me.

Three: Because he loved me, Gene was dead.

-Mod A

[a-study-in-ginny-archive]

A Date Under The Stars [Chet/Leper]

I️ stare across the room, trying to catch the eye of one Elwin Lepellier. He’s engaged in a conversation with Gene and Finny right now, but every so often, I️ see him glance my way. It’s at those moments that I️ pretend I️’m talking to Bobby. And every time I️ do that, Bobby looks at me like, “really man?” But then Elwin looks away again, and I’m back to looking at him. Elwin starts turning his head slightly to glance at me, and I️ quickly whip my head around and pretend to be in a conversation with Bobby. Except this time, Bobby actually talks to me.

“Dude, just ask the man out already. If you keep staring like that, it’ll look creepy. Or at least creepier than it already is,” he tells me.

“But I️ can’t talk to him, you know that,” I️ counter.

“Well, you need to at some point. You look at him the same way Gene and Finny look at one another.” My face reddens at the comparison, because I️ know Gene and Finny look at each other like they’re in love, which they are. They announced that they were dating earlier this year. “I️ will make you talk to him, if I️ have to.”

“No, everything’s fine the way it is.” I️ notice Elwin look away and I️ start staring at him. I️ hear Bobby facepalm behind me, then slide his chair across the floor. I️ watch him walk over to Elwin, and I️ start to panic, because I️ know what he’s doing. He taps Elwin on the shoulder, says a few words to him, then grabs his wrist and starts bringing him my way. I️ slide my chair out from under me and stand up, but I️ can’t get very far, because Bobby lets go of Elwin, who is now standing in front of me, and gets behind me to prevent me from leaving.

“H-hey Elwin, what’s up?” I️ ask him, trying to be casual. Elwin shrugs.

“Uh, not much. Bobby said you wanted to talk about something,” he responds. I️ feel adrenaline start to flow into my system.

“IreallylikeyouandIwantedtoknowifyou’d wannagooutonadatewithme,” I️ say quickly. Elwin blinks, taking a moment to comprehend what I️ said. He then smiles and takes my hand, which I️ didn’t realize was shaking.

“Yes, that would be fun. Meet at 7?” I️ blush and break out into a nervous, happy grin.

“Yeah. Can’t wait.” He squeezes my hand once, then lets it go.

“Great! See you then.” He goes back over to Gene and Finny, who I️ notice are fangirling. I️ take a couple of deep breaths, and fantasize about what All could happen tonight at 7.

(Time Skip)

I️ hear a small knock at the door to my dorm room, and I️ look at the clock to see that it’s 7. I️ adjust my left shirt sleeve, go over to the door, and open it up to see Elwin in a green button-up and blue jeans. He has a shy smile on his face.

“Hi Chet, you look nice,” he says to me. I️ blush.

“You look nice too, Elwin,” I️ respond. Pink graces his cheeks.

“So, where to?”

“I️t’s a surprise.” I️ set a rolled up blanket on top of the picnic basket I️ had just finished about 15 minutes ago, take Elwin’s hand, and leave my dorm room.

(Time Skip)

Elwin and I️ reach the riverbank, and I️ set down the basket, grab the blanket, and unroll it onto the ground. I️ notice Elwin smile, and I️ shyly grin back at him. We sit down and I️ pull out the sandwiches I️ had prepared. I️ give one to Elwin, who takes it from me and bites into it. While we eat, we talk about our interests, such as Elwin’s interest in nature and mine in astronomy, and joke around. At one point, he puts his hand on mine, making us both blush. After we’re done eating, we put whatever trash and leftovers back in the basket, lay on top of the blanket, and look up at the stars. I️ point out a few constellations to him, and I️ tell him about what they represent and the stories behind each one. He looks over at me and back up at the sky, clearly fascinated. He sits up for a second, and I️ follow suit.

“Is something wrong?” I️ ask him. He looks over at me, looks as if he’s debating something, then leans in and kisses me softly. I️ kiss him back, relishing in this feeling of complete and utter happiness. We kiss until we decide we need to breathe, and break apart softly. We’re both red in the face. He smiles.

“Maybe we can do this again?” he asks. I️ smile.

“Yeah, that would be nice,” I️ respond. He smiles back at me and kisses me once more, quicker this time. I️ wrap my arms around him, and we cuddle under the stars.

-Mod A

@fifibrow made us ship this. Thank, friend.