#send jinx back to the last drop where she could have brought her scenes with sevika full circle and then just... don't???????

[needanaccount2readarcaneposts]

They did Sevika so, so, so dirty this act. SHE DOESN'T EVEN HAVE A FUCKING SPEAKING LINE PAST EPISODE 4. But I want everyone to know that this magnificent bitch turned up to negotiate for independence (or whatever the fuck that stupid montage scene was) wearing Silco's colours, with an eye motif on her serape.

[helly-watermelonsmellinfellon]

So it’s still letting me play DbD even though the thing ran out on the 8th. I don’t know why but I’m not looking a gift horse in the mouth. I don’t have to spend money that I don’t have.

It’s a Hag. I’m Feng Min. We’re both short af and at this really high loop where I could only see her red stain to gauge how to act. And I slam the pallet on her and run around the corner of the loop, hoping she’ll stay to break it so while she’s momentarily distracted, I can Urban Evade away. She does! I do! It works like a charm! I’m like 10 feet away behind a tree now, watching her circle the same loop over and over trying to find me! It’s great!

IstG, every fucking person I’ve played with, who plays as Felix, ends up being the biggest fucking coward and IDK why!

So I’m doing the Unbreakable, Flip Flop, Boil Over, and Sprint Burst build. I get the Autohaven map with the small building on the one side that’s got 2 doors and like a million windows. And it’s a Trapper who apparently wants a Basement Game. And the Basement is in that building that has all these windows and doors to trap up. Fun! Well, any sane person knows that if you get Chased by the killer, don’t go near the Basement because it’s harder for everyone if you get put down there. So I lead him away. He gets me downed on the other side of the map, pauses to hit someone, breaks the pallet they threw down, damages their Gen, and then picks me up. He has Iron Grasp, Agitation, and Mad Grit. Boil Over is the direct foil to Iron Grasp so this is useful for me. Also, I was Recovered on the ground, thanks to Unbreakable, about 95%, so Flip Flop set my wiggle bar at around 45% already. I managed to wiggle off before we even got to the trapped building, and then Sprint Burst back to the other side of the map. This exact same scene repeated 3 more times before the last time I actually managed to Unbreakable off the ground and Sprint Burst away because he got distracted by the other 3 dudes. It was a long ass game but we all Escaped. I didn’t do that build for the rest of the day because all that wiggle hurt my hand.

Got a Ghost Face with an Ebony Mori. I pohotobomb his first Mori and then run. He Hits me but I stun him and he loses me in Chase. He downs and Hooks the other 3 no problem. So I ended up photobombing his 3rd Mori and then just standing there because I’m not putting in that much effort for the Hatch when I’m already Injured. We crouch and have a stare off. Then he PMs me with a screenie of me photobombing him! He downs me, lets me wiggle off when we can’t find Hatch, so I point to a Hook and let him Hook me. He photobombs my death! I sent him the screenshot! He was funny.

So many Trappers today wtf?

Got a Leatherface who DCs because everyone else was running him around and whenever he’d down me, I’d go to the same corner of the map. My build was all about wiggling out as fast as possible. Boil Over concealed the location of the nearest Hooks to him so he didn’t know where to go the first time and dropped me before I could wiggle off so he could go check. I Recovered to 99% and Meg gets me up and I flee while she runs him. I Heal up the other Meg who then Heals me. I go back to that corner since my gen wasn’t done. Repeat but wiggle off this time. Go back to that far corner. He abandons me to Chase someone else and while I’m almost done with my Gen, he rage-quits.

Ran a Rank 1 Hillbilly for fucking ever. Wasted every pallet on the map in the process but the last 4 Gens got done in that time so that’s okay I guess. He curved me real good at the end though so I sent him a GG even though i died. And dude was telling his chat that his curving isn’t good! Liek fuck man, you got me at an impossibel angle.

Got a Clown using all Clown Perks and Sloppy Butcher. And I was wondering why Healing was taking so fucking long cuz I didn’t know what Coulrophobia did! And even with that BS, I still managed to Escape at the end because he left me dying on the ground in front of a 3/4 open door. So while he went to Hook the last dude, I got myself up and opened the Gate and gtfo!

So I forgot that I was Readied Up because I had an emergency involving the time of the month. I rush to the bathroom and take care of business, realize what I did, and rush back. I’ve gotten into a match and have 3 crows. Pyramid Head just found me. Somehow we got that match to last 20 minutes, and I still managed to Escape despite being Hooked first and being downed in the doorway. Dude was camping one Gen super hard because two distracted him there. I did the last on the other side of the map.

Got a lot of fucking Swamps today(Monday). Sick of them and spawning in the same fucking place each time. The felled tress are pissing me off since the one side of the one map is just loaded with them.

Played some great matches with Twitch streamers today(and I followed them). 

Got 4 matches in a row where I used the same fucking Key in each one. When there’s a streamer in the lobby, I check if they’re streaming and listen in to their side of events. Helps me perform much better so that they don’t have make weird gestures that I won’t understand. 

I once got a chick was giggling at me teabagging her in greeting and she told her chat she wished Claudette would get in her face and have a stare down so she can screenshot how weird it looks. So I got off the Gen and did so. “Wait, can she hear me?” I nodded very slowly. “Claudeet, turn clockwise and then teabag once.” I did so. “OMG! Are you watching the stream while we play?” I nodded again. “Awesome!” I just took orders from her for the whole round and we both managed to Escape. No one else did but does that matter?

Dude #3 was streaming with his 2 friends, and dude #1 was like, ‘saw the Hatch by the one door’. And I run over there and teabag over it with my Key. ‘Holy shit she’s got a key! Get over here! Claudette, Heal me!’ So I did. Dude #2 got downed. ‘Let’s go save him.’ So we did. We each took Hits do he couldn’t get Hooked and then lead all the way back to the Hatch and got the 4-man Escape. 

So I fucked with a Huntress super hard! She went to Hook Bill, and I was following with Breakout. I box her in against the left side of the Hook just cuz I wanted to see if it would work. It did! She wasn’t far enough away to get the prompt so she just turned side to side madly while he wiggled. He got free and I’m crouched in the grass so she didn’t even notice me as she goes to Chase him again. He gets downed and brought back to the same Hook and I morph out of the grass to box her in again! He wiggles out. I was going to do it the third time but she went to a new Hook and I wanted to see if I can trick her into thinking this one Hook is glitched or some shit. So I save him with Borrowed Time and she immediately comes back to tunnel him. He runs her for a Gen and gets downed by that first Hook. Again. I appear like a phantom of the bog and box her in for a third time! In the middle of her mad spinning, the game ends. She rage-quit! I should feel bad but I don’t. It was funny. Also, tunneling Bill the whole fucking match is just shitty. Like, she hard ignored people whose asses he practically groped in passing while in Chase.

I load in to a lobby with a swf group. 2 of them send me party invites so I take the plunge. My mic on my headphones wasn’t working and I had enough time to tell them that before the game started. I had no time to switch headphones. We did good. One was like, ‘we send them a friend request, they’re good. Rank 4 means they play a lot’. So they each send me a request and I accept. I swap headphones and we can finally talk. And no one was threatened by the fact that I’m a girl who is ranked higher than them! ^-^

Dude jinxed us my saying ‘what if it’s a Spirit on The Game?’ and that’s what happened!

My first match with them.

^I just wanted to see if Sprint Burst out the top window could get me onto this thing and it worked!

[jjba-hell]

Fate and Fortune

Part 15!

Here’s part 14- but you can catch the rest of the story in the fate and fortune tag!

Moots: welcome to the weekend @fyre23 and @risottoneroo

“It’s quite a sight, isn’t it?” She mused at Jotaro as they gazed out at the underwater scene passing them by.

Those aquamarine eyes stared with a hidden fascination that she had to admire herself- the harsh outer corners of his eyes softening just enough to not look angry for once.

“What were your study plans post- graduation?”

She couldn’t help but scoff- she jumped through hoops for her benefactor currently on the phone with his wife who turned out to be somewhat of a crouching moron, hidden badass. Her grades allowed her to probably do what she wanted but she was honestly clueless- perhaps she’d join the science scene JUST to piss off the men that told her she couldn’t. And maybe devise more of a theory on stand fever but she’d never dare bring that last one up in conversation. “If I’m being spiteful- science. If I walk out of this-“

“When.”

Her gaze moved up to meet his gaze- his eyes very sternly looking down at her. “WHEN we walk out of this and I’ve had my revenge and I mellow out I’ll probably go do something like physical therapy or something.”

The corners Jotaro’s mouth twitched up slightly. “Why?”

“Because I want to be able to stretch out my previously torn Achilles’ tendons on my own- what can I say?” She laughed at her own answer but was quickly shushed by Avdol holding a finger to his lips behind them.

Vera nodded in acknowledgement and moved over to pester Kakyoin by leaning over his shoulder as he knelt down at the fridge. “Hello Vera.” She handed her a Cola which was enough incentive for her to move along to sit beside Polnareff.

She listened intently to the conversation- trying to scrap together how Holly was doing in Japan. Turning to Avdol she whispered the question- “Was I also sick for 50 days?”

He only shook his head as Mr Joestar hung up the phone and sat down at the table. “Don’t you think it would have been better for Holy to have had someone who survived the fever at her side?”

Polnareff posed the question but she had to turn up the sarcasm. “Geez Polnareff, if you didn’t want me on the journey with you guys you could have just said so- learn to PROPERLY use a medical kit and all.”

He turned blood red to his collarbones in embarrassment- “I didn’t mean it like that at all- I just-“

“She’s pulling your leg, Polnareff.” Avdol interjected as he folded his arms in front of him. “Besides- stand fevers can vary but Vera’s was probably the shortest but most intense I had seen in many years.”

“Oh? Care to share?” She propped her head on her folded hands and her elbows on the table. “I have very little memory of the whole ordeal.”

He raised an eyebrow at her. “None?”

“I mean I recall feeling I was burning alive but that’s old news.”

Avdol’s eyes often turned very dark when he was reminiscing in dark memories- she speculated he was not thinking of the emotions tied to the memories. A PTSD trick perhaps?

“Vera, you were in and out of consciousness for 3 weeks without reprieve. When your heartbeat and breathing became week I caved and dipped you ice baths in an attempt to cool down the fever long enough for your body to heal- head and all. I would however sometimes find you out of bed gasping for- well usually- water, other times you made it just to the bathroom to stick your head under the water. You remember none of it?”

“Avdol, I recall you explaining what was going on with me once and then when I got out of the fever.”

“So you don’t recall sitting up and drinking the juiced food only for you to vomit it up an hour later?”

Her jaw dropped in shock. “I most certainly don’t.”

He shook his head and that dark look in his eyes eased off. “It wasn’t pretty.”

She sat back and crossed her legs- sighing to herself. “No fever for you Jotaro? I know the rest of you were born stand users.”

He only shrugged. “How about you, Mr Joestar? Or was the... Hamon... did I say that right? Enough to keep the symptoms mild?”

“I’m afraid not.” He chuckled- still seeming to be worrying about his daughter.

“I do think your case was strange in the sense that you were hit at a time I suppose that made your resolve weak- the trauma of what Dio had done... I suppose you were convinced that your life was essentially over.”

“Well I pulled through, didn’t I? Or is this just an illusion while I’m still in the stand fever?”

It had at least gotten a laugh from the others before, of course, that jinx on the beach had caught up to her and Mr Joestar’s coffee cup erupted into a stand.

Fortune jumped out to grab the dismantled prosthetic fingers from digging into Mr Joestar’s neck. Sadly, she was too slow to catch the stand itself, though.

“Man, one trip- we couldn’t bring one trip to completion?”

“It’s Midler- the High Priestess.”

She looked back at Avdol as the all backed away from the dials. “Figured out by elimination? Or because you’ve heard of her?”

“Both?” He shrugged. But she didn’t have time to banter now. “Polnareff, may I use you for a bet?”

“Uhhh right now?”

“Yeah- I bet you can guess which dial the stand is. First guess will be the right guess.”

He seemed to click as Fortune’s dials turned and immediately brought Chariot out to let his guess do the work.

They had only gotten one hit in- which was what caused the fucking flooding to start. Their next attempt proved that Midler had learned her lesson- using that speed to steel her stand for impact. “Shit. Anyone else wanna take a swing at it?”

In the confusion they hadn’t noticed the busted surfacing machinery and with an abrupt crash the submarine had met the reef.

“Well- now’s good a time as ever to jump ship, yeah?” Vera had phased into the next room- almost on what felt like instinct which was strange, she only noted as she could hear the others having problems with the door. Did Fortune...? Was that...?

She shook her head and went ahead- to separate the gear Mr Joestar was thankfully insistent on.

They had eventually reached the room she was waiting in but when she saw Jotaro’s hands smearing blood she had to stop herself from panicking- simply sending Fortune to heal him without another word.

Vera got into the equipment- letting Mr Joestar start explaining to the others how they’ll be surfacing while she clicked in and adjusted the straps he couldn’t with one hand.

“I had the perfect hand signal.” Polnareff complained just as she moved back to Avdol- trying to make out if the High Priestess was still advancing on them but the handshake Polnareff and Kakyoin did at one another in unison had Vera question if it really was the redhead she’d been with the whole trip that was budding forearms with Polnareff as they waited for the water to fill the chamber.

“Where did you learn to scuba dive anyway?” Mr Joestar was the one to ask this time. “Oh, an expedition to Greece I had as a field trip about a year ago? You don’t recall paying? I mean I practiced at a facility in Brittain but it was an archeological dive they let me accompany.”

“You can dive at that age?” Kakyoin was the one asking this time. The water had reached just below her chest by now.

“Of course not unsupervised but enough.”

They dipped their heads under the water and as soon as Mr Joestar opened the door out, Polnareff’s regulator proved a problem. It was hard to do but for just a moment Fortune made him cough- the force being just enough to keep the stupid little stand out of his throat so Hierophant and Hermit purple could catch her and yank him out of his mouth.

Vera let Polnareff handle the battle against the harpoon before shutting the door behind him and offering him a breath from her regulator. They gave the okay sign once more before swimming ahead.

30 meters felt like nothing but of course just a measly seven meters the seabed opened its mouth and swallowed them completely. As the usual villains do, she went on a spiel about her greatness and then turned her attention to Jotaro. While she did and while Polnareff was helping him entertain the idea- she simply phased herself out to beside the face where she’d hopefully not be spotted. The face flowed red and seemingly... giggled as she got closer to the surface- the giddiness of being home being a thought that fueled her higher to the surface until the water was illuminated by the sun.

She let go of her tank, goggles and regulator- clipping it off and letting it sink so she was in her own sopping wet clothes. She dipped her head up out of the water- feeling the fresh air hit her face as she watched Midler pace around on the beach. Freaking out about their false flattery like an angry woman on the phone.

“Wait a minute... where’s the girl?”

She was about to call for all her attention with a bold entrance but she soon started to see Midler’s own teeth shatter in her mouth. Vera tiredly lugged herself closer to watch the carnage- sitting down on the rock nearby, only making eye contact with the frantic Midler once before she got knocked down and out.

“What was all that strength you were talking about again?”

Midler narrowed her eyes at her before covering her mouth in pain. The others soon showed up and with a relived sigh Vera took a good look at what she could only describe as a feeling of home. The sun had just started to rise in the east and the sight was one she’d hope to remember until her dying days.

“Welcome home, Vera.”

“Home indeed. Now- we can finally put the fucking sea behind us!”

[thinkingaboutyoungroyals]

The Perfect Moment (Chapter 2)

Summary: When Cyrus is assigned to create a modern re-telling of “Romeo and Juliet” for English class, he decides to produce a movie. His stars, however, may pose some trouble. Will he finish his movie on time?

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Thank you!

Chapter 1

The last bell rung, signaling the end of the day. Students filed out of their classrooms and to their lockers, grabbing their things, and heading out for the day. Soon, only a few remained for their after-school activities and clubs.

The building was practically empty when Cyrus made his way to the school gym, arms full with two camera bags.

“Thank you again for helping me out,” he said to the boy walking beside him.

T.J. flashed him a smile, not even breaking a sweat as he carried the two heavy tripod bags on each of his shoulders.

“No problem, Underdog. I’m happy to help.”

“So, Buffy said she’s already gathered her team at the gym,” Cyrus continued.

“My boys are there, too. They’re helping set up the way your instructions said.”

Cyrus beamed. “You’re a lifesaver!”

T.J. shrugged. “I try.”

They walked in comfortable silence for a moment.

Cyrus had brought his own cameras from home and the Film Club had kindly allowed him to borrow some spare tripods. But they were too heavy so he had initially enlisted help from Buffy. To his surprise, it was T.J. who showed up outside the Film Club’s room. Apparently, Buffy was busy directing everyone to set up in the gym, where they were filming the first scene, so he figured he would go and help Cyrus with the equipment.

“So… how did you come up with this thing?” T.J. suddenly asked. “Two basketball rivals turned lovers? Doesn’t sound like something you would write.”

Cyrus chuckled and shrugged. “Believe me, it wasn’t easy. I had a lot of ideas but most were sadly not realistic in terms of getting it done on time. So, I just thought about other modern interpretations. Like ‘West Side Story’ and the 1996 movie with Leonardo DiCaprio. Gosh, he’s so handsome,” he couldn’t help but add.  

Beside him, T.J. chuckled. “I guess if you’re into the blonde pretty boy types. Hey, that sounds like me!”

He wiggled his eyebrows at him, making Cyrus nudge him playfully with an elbow.

“You’re so weird!” he exclaimed, trying to control his ensuing blush.

“Just stating facts, Underdog.”

They had known each other for almost a year now and Cyrus had gotten used to T.J.’s teasing that was sometimes borderline flirting. Cyrus only had one other male friend and that was Jonah. Sure, he and Jonah often affectionately teased each other, but T.J. took his to a whole different level. Cyrus wasn't sure if that was how actual male friends acted around each other, but he didn't mind. He liked T.J. (In more ways than just platonic, but he chose to not dwell too much on his feelings this time, lest he got hurt again. That was just the reality for him.)

Cyrus shook his head. “Anyway, moving on. I came up with the idea when I saw the boys’ basketball team banner next to the girls’. You and Buffy seriously need to tone down on the competition. It shows, you know.”

T.J. grinned. “My poster was that cool, huh? I had to up my game because Driscoll made hers so huge last time that you couldn’t even see ours!”

“And this is why you and Buffy are perfect for the roles!”

At that, T.J. cutely wrinkled his nose. “Except for the love part.” He shuddered, exaggeratedly.

Cyrus shook his head again, amused.

They continued on their way to the gym, filling the silence with small talk about their day. When they arrived, they were greeted with the hustle and bustle of preparations for the shoot.

Andi was on the bleachers, helping a few of Buffy’s teammates with their makeup. Buffy was with Jonah, practicing her lines. Some of T.J.’s teammates were idling around, either reading the script or practicing their acting. All of them were already dressed in their team uniforms, like Cyrus requested.

He was impressed with the professionalism. Either they really loved the idea of being in a movie or getting ten bucks was quite enticing. No matter the reason, he had a lot of work to do!

First, with T.J.’s help, he set up the cameras. One was for a wide shot and the second for close-ups. Ideally, they would use multiple cameras from various angles but he had to work with what he could with the limited time and equipment. Jonah had worked the camera for him before, so he wasn’t too worried, but just in case, he would put him in charge of wide shots and Cyrus himself would take care of close-ups.

Then, he sent T.J. off to change into his uniform before approaching Buffy to quickly go over the script with her again. Then, he grabbed Jonah, explaining what he needed him to do (mostly just stand there by the camera and make sure it was recording). Then, he spoke to the two students who volunteered to play the teams’ Captains and go over their scenes (it was their chance to “boss” their actual Captains around for a few scenes, so they were quite appealing roles).

When T.J. came back, all dressed and ready, Cyrus called to gather everyone.

“First, I just want to say thank you to all of you who came out to help me today,” he began, offering them all smiles. “I’m sure the ten bucks I offered had something to do with your participation, but I appreciate it nonetheless.”

He successfully made them laugh for a beat or two.

Satisfied, he continued, “Second, I’ve given everyone a copy of the script but things may still change in the next couple of days so I’ll keep everyone updated on the Facebook group but I’m hoping I wouldn’t have to change anything major. I’ve scheduled most of everyone’s scenes, except for a couple of T.J. and Buffy’s, to be after school, but if you can’t make it, please let me know in advance, my number is on the script. And last, if I get an A on this project, I’ll treat everyone to baby taters and milkshakes at The Spoon!”

At that, everyone let out a cheer. It was a last-minute addition, but Cyrus figured it was best to get them all motivated to help him make this his best project ever!

After the talk, he gave them five minutes to go over the script again and prepare for the scene.

They all scattered. T.J. led his team to one side of the gym, probably for a pep talk, and Buffy did the same for hers.

Meanwhile, Cyrus stood by the cameras, giving himself a moment to take several deep breaths. He was excited and nervous at the same time and his anxiety was slowly creeping in.

“I can do this,” he whispered to himself, trying to calm his anxious heart. “I got this.”

“Hey.”

He turned to see Andi walking up to him, smile on her face.

“I finished with the girls’ makeup and I made sure all the basketballs have air,” she said to him.

“Thank you,” he replied, gratefully.

She scrunched her brows. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m fine. First day filming jitters and all.” He swallowed. “I haven’t made anything in a long time and… I guess I’m a little nervous.”

His pixie-haired friend stepped forward and offered him a hug. “Everything will be okay,” she calmly reassured him. “Besides, it’s Buffy and T.J. What’s the worst that can happen?”

“Don’t say that! You’ll jinx it!”

Nothing good ever comes out of “What’s the worst that can happen?”!

“Oh. Sorry.” She looked genuinely apologetic but patted his shoulder, nonetheless. “Don’t worry too much, okay? Just do what you gotta do. You got this.”

The talk helped as Cyrus felt his heart calm down a bit. After one last comforting hug, Andi left him to check on Buffy.

Five minutes passed in a blur and soon, he was calling for quiet on the set.

In this first scene, the boys’ and girls’ basketball teams booked the gym for practice at the same time. The Captains have a brief altercation, fighting for use of the place until Quinn (played by the lovely Buffy) suggests sharing the gym. This pique the interest of Logan (played by the handsome T.J.), who agrees. The two teams decide to split the gym in half, boys on one side and girls on the other.

Shooting this scene went remarkably well. The two students playing the Captains only messed up their lines twice, but Cyrus allowed the slight deviation from the script. And he needed shots of them just playing so not much acting was involved there. (And if Cyrus took a couple of extra close-up shots of T.J. shooting basket after basket, well, that was just for B-roll purposes.)

After that, it was time to film the scene where Logan and Quinn officially talk for the first time and fall in love at first sight but are cruelly torn apart by their respective Captains.

Cyrus carefully watched his camera, zooming in on the basketball that bounced by Buffy’s feet. He took a quick glance at Jonah’s camera, making sure his friend was zooming in on the shot of Buffy picking up the basketball and walking towards the center of the gym where T.J. waited by the line that split the court.

“Here,” she said, handing T.J. the ball.

T.J. took it. “Thanks.”

“Cut!” Cyrus called out.

The two athletes turned to him.

“T.J., you were supposed to put your hand over hers when she gives you the ball!”

“Oh. Right. Sorry."

Cyrus offered him a smile. “It’s okay! Let’s do it one more time from the walk!”

They re-did the scene.

Buffy walked up to T.J. with the ball and handed it over. T.J. placed his hands over hers…and Buffy flinched and dropped the ball.

“Cut! Buffy, what was that?”

“His hands are cold!” she complained.

“Well, excuse me for being a human being!” T.J. retorted.

Oh, god, Cyrus was starting to get a headache. “Guys, please! One more time!”

They shot the scene a third time.

T.J. ended up laughing out loud when Buffy made a face at their hands touching.

Sighing, Cyrus yelled “Cut! Everyone, take five!”

He paused his camera before walking up to his two lead actors.

“Guys, you’re supposed to fall in love at first sight in this scene,” he explained, as calmly as he could.

“Sorry, but I can’t act like I’m in love with his face when I don’t like his face,” Buffy said.

“Ditto,” T.J. agreed.

Cyrus sighed. “Here. Let me show you.” He gestured for Buffy to move so he could stand in her place and took the ball from T.J. “So, Buffy, you hand him the ball.” He demonstrated. “Now, T.J., put your hands over mine.”

T.J. obediently followed.

Wow, his hands really were cold. And he was shaking.

“Dude, just relax,” he said to the athlete, chuckling a little. He felt T.J. calm down. “Now, do it like your hands are interlocking with mine.”

T.J. adjusted his fingers.

“Good. Now, after you thank her, look into her eyes because you just fell in love.”

Getting into the role of Quinn (to demonstate to Buffy, of course!), Cyrus looked up to meet T.J.’s gaze.

The taller boy’s eyes softened as he smiled down at him.

All of a sudden, time stopped. The background noises seemed to fade away. And Cyrus’ heart did a little flip as the blood rushed to his face.

That was exactly the look he needed, the emotion he wanted to convey to his audience. It was a look that made hearts flutter and legs feel like jelly. A look that you couldn't tear your eyes away from.

Shaking his head to free himself from the spell, Cyrus nodded in approval. “Y-Yeah, like that.” He cleared his throat. “Do exactly that, okay?”

“Okay,” T.J. replied, softly.

Smiling, Cyrus gently removed his hands from T.J. and handed the ball back to Buffy.

“U-Um… Uh… T-Three minutes!” he called out as he turned on his heels to walk back to his camera.

“Keep it together, Cyrus,” he scolded himself.

His face felt hot. He needed water.

..........................

T.J. was aware of the goofy grin on his face. He made Cyrus all flustered. He was so cute.

“Earth to Kippen! You still alive in there?”

His eye twitched in annoyance as he turned his attention back to the girl he was meant to be sending heart eyes to.

“What?”

She flashed him a strange look before sighing and shaking his head.

“Nothing. Can we please do this scene right and get it over with? I really don't want to hold your hand for any more than five seconds.”

T.J. snorted. “And you think I want to? Have you even read the rest of the script? We’re supposed to hold hands a bunch of times!”

Buffy’s eyes widened. “Y-You mean… I-I-I have to…”

He lamented that fact too. “Afraid so, Driscoll.”

Looking like she wanted to throw up, Buffy turned on her heels and jogged towards where Cyrus was standing by the cameras, talking to Jonah as he pointed at things on the script.

T.J. watched, head cocked to the side at Buffy starting to argue something with Cyrus. She was probably protesting the number of hand-holding.

He wasn’t exactly thrilled about it either but he knew what he signed up for when Cyrus explained his script. Besides, he was doing it for him. He just wanted to help his friend…who may or may not be more than a friend to him.

But, no one knew that. No, T.J. preferred to keep this knowledge to himself, for now. But, he did hope that doing this project would help him and Cyrus get closer. They already had a moment when he held Cyrus’ hand over the basketball, their eyes meeting, and Cyrus blushing all cutely. So worth the few scenes he was going to be doing with Buffy.

And by the time this project ended, maybe… just maybe… T.J. would finally have the guts to ask Cyrus out.

“Okay, everyone! Back to your places! T.J. and Buffy, again, please!”

But, first, he had to get through this nauseating scene with Driscoll.

..........................

“That’s a wrap for today! Thank you, everyone! I’ll see you all tomorrow!”

Cyrus maintained his smile and wave as the students filed out of the gym, one-by-one. Soon, only him, Andi, Jonah, Buffy, and T.J. were left.

Sighing, he allowed his fatigue to catch up with him as he laid on the floor.

“Can I do this for 7 more days?” he asked himself out loud.

Andi and Buffy crouched down on either side of his head.

“Awww, Cy, you did great today,” Andi complimented.

“Yep, and we are very proud,” Buffy added.

Cyrus smiled and sat up. “I appreciate that.”

The girls patted him on the arm before getting up to go and pack their things.

“Hey, CyGuy.” Jonah came up to him. “I packed the cameras for you. Mind if I head out?”

He nodded. “Sure. Thanks again, JB.”

Jonah offered him a fist bump, which Cyrus returned, and the dimpled boy headed off, giving the girls and T.J. a quick wave.

Speaking of T.J., he crouched down on the floor facing Cyrus.

“That was kinda fun, Underdog,” he said, grinning. “Well, except for the part where Driscoll tried to murder me with a basketball.”

“I told you, Kippen, it was an accident!”

“That’s what all murderers say!”

“What kind of murderers have you been interacting with?!”

The back and forth was adorably hilarious. Cyrus burst out laughing.

“Why can’t either of you show this kind of chemistry when the cameras are rolling?” he asked in between giggles.

T.J. wrinkled his nose. “Eew.”

“Gross!” Buffy looked at Cyrus in horror. “Don’t even, Cy. Just… don’t.” She grabbed her bag. “I’m gonna go change. You coming to The Spoon with us after?”

He shook his head. “Nah, I’m good. You guys go ahead! Thanks, again!”

The two girls headed out, the gym doors closing behind them.

Cyrus turned to T.J. “I think she's still bummed that I didn't manage to get Marty."

"I'll bet. She looked like she wanted to tear my head off just for holding her hand." T.J. chuckled. "Anyway, you need help with anything else here? I don’t mind.”

Cyrus looked past towards the equipment. Those tripods did not look fun to carry all by himself.

“I do need to return those tripods to the Film Club’s room but you know how heavy they are."

T.J. grinned. “Give me 5 minutes to change and I’ll be right out.”

With that, he got up and jogged towards the gym doors to the locker rooms.

Meanwhile, Cyrus grabbed his copy of the script and began to flip through it.

Buffy had come up to him earlier, begging him to change some of the hand-holding scenes to… not hand holding. She really did NOT want to hold hands with T.J. He was glad he thought not to add a kiss scene or she would have an aneurysm. But, there was a hand-kiss scene. He should probably change that. He was leaving the hug, though, that was important.

Grabbing a pen from his pocket, he began making changes. Line-through some dialogue. Scratching out whole scenes and making notes to write new ones. Adding new dialogue.

His creative juices were flowing. Cyrus was on a roll.

“Someone’s busy.”

He looked up to see T.J., all dressed in regular clothes. The taller boy plopped down on the floor and crossed his legs.

“Buffy asked me to make a few changes.” Cyrus showed him the current page, filled from top to bottom with ink marks.

T.J. chuckled. “The hand-holding scenes?"

Cyrus sighed. “Yeah.”

T.J. suddenly looked guilty. “Sorry. I know we’re supposed to act like we like each other but… Well… It’s not like I hate Buffy, I don’t. But… you know… It’s kinda hard to act like you like someone in a romantic way… when you don’t.”

“That’s why it’s called acting, T.J.,” Cyrus teased but with no malice. “But, it’s okay. I know that romantic chemistry is kind of too much to ask when you and Buffy are often at odds with each other.” He hesitated before asking, “Do you… want to back out?”

“No!” T.J. replied, quickly.

“I mean, it’s only day one, I can try to find someone else-.”

“It’s fine, really!” T.J. kept insisting. “I’ll do better on the rest, I promise! I won’t mess this up for you! And I’ll make sure it will be the best project this school has ever seen!”

He looked so passionate and determined that Cyrus had to smile. He really was such a sweet guy.

“Thank you.” Cyrus looked back down at his script. “I don’t mind changing some of the scenes to make you and Buffy more comfortable. But…I would definitely appreciate it if you could work on looking at Buffy like you’re in love with her."

“I can do that. I’ll act really hard!” Even as he said it, he still flinched.

Cyrus chuckled. “Can I offer you an acting tip?”

T.J. shrugged. “Sure.”

Cyrus placed the script aside and looked at him, seriously. “Have you ever had a crush?”

His question made T.J. look like a deer caught in headlights, eyes wide and cheeks red. “U-Um… what does that have to do with acting?”

“Just answer the question, T.J.”

The other boy appeared to hesitate before replying, “Yeah. I do.”

His voice was soft and affectionate. What a lucky girl.

Cyrus felt his chest twitch, but he chose to ignore it.

“Well, when you do your scenes with Buffy,” he continued. “Pretend that she’s your crush and you’re saying all these things to her and looking at her like she’s the most wonderful person in the world.”

Cyrus paused. T.J. was looking at him the same way he was earlier when he was demonstrating the scene with the basketball.

A soft gaze accompanied with sparkling eyes.

“J-Just like that,” Cyrus managed.

T.J. blinked. “Like what?”

Chuckling, Cyrus pointed at his face. “Like what you’re doing now. Are you imagining your crush?”

To his amusement, T.J. turned red in embarrassment and looked away. “Um… Uh… I’ll definitely do that next time,” he said.

Cyrus grinned. “It would definitely help.”

Deciding not to tease the jock anymore, he picked up his script and stood up.

“We should drop off the tripods and head home.”

T.J. followed suit. “You sure? We can stay if you want to keep writing. I don’t have anywhere to be.”

Cyrus walked up to the equipment and picked up the camera bags. “Thanks but I think I’ll just finish up at home. Besides, you already missed tutoring for me.”

T.J. grabbed the tripod bags and placed them on his shoulders. “It’s fine. My tutor says I’ve been doing pretty okay so far. I can afford to miss this week’s for you.”

Together, they headed out of the gym.

Looking up at him, Cyrus flashed a smile and fluttered his lashes. “My hero.”

That last bit must have caught him off-guard because the athlete with boundless confidence T.J. tripped on his own shoes.

Cyrus tried to hold back his laugh but couldn’t stop his grin. “You okay there, basketball guy?”

T.J. cleared his throat, trying to look calm and collected like he didn’t just almost face plant on the floor.

“I’m fine. All good.”

Shaking his head, Cyrus nudged his arm with an elbow. T.J. nudged back. Cyrus did it again. And T.J. retaliated.

Their trip to the Film Club’s room ended with a race, one that Cyrus actually won because, according to T.J., the tripods were heavy and weighed him down.

But, Cyrus still counted it as a win in his book.

Tag list:

@lemon-boy-tj @homosexualearthworm @disastrxlogy @new-to-the-phandom @tyrusgoingfast