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starlight-blvd · 9 months ago

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thomas orson hunt, he/him (hwu)

(more under the cut! this is gonna be a long one, folks.)

Where do I even begin? Thomas was the first character from HWU (or any of PB's work, for that matter) that I ever got attached to. To this day, I don't really know why. Sometimes, I just want to put him under a microscope and intensely study him (aka write from his perspective for pages on end to Figure Him Out™).

(Please excuse the weird menagerie of a playlist this time around; it's best to turn shuffle on for this one.)

He's inspired heavily by Henry Cavill.

He grew up in a dysfunctional household in Providence, Rhode Island; he's always been close with his mother, but his father was an alcoholic and put the two of them through hell.

Rachel is Thomas's half-sister due to his father having an affair during the first few years of his life.

He, Dr. Ethan Ramsey, and Gabe Ricci have been friends since childhood.

To earn money for his mother and for college during high school, he was a Sears catalog model. He mostly modeled underwear, sleepwear, swimwear, and holiday collections.

Thomas dated Yvonne in high school. She was a French exchange student, and they started dating their sophomore year. When they were planning their futures, they realized they were on very different paths in life, with her going to her first opera run in the West End and him going to film school in L.A. Neither were sure if they could handle a long-distance relationship while they both put their careers first, so they called off the relationship.

When he attended Hollywood U as a student for his first film degree, his roommate and longtime boyfriend was Diego Barrantes. This would be the first time either of them dated another man, during a time when it was not as widely accepted. They would spend summers at Diego's mother's home in San Francisco, and it's where Thomas gained a fondness for carne asada tacos. The two never "broke up" officially, but Diego decided to spend more time with his family after his brother got into a car accident that gave him long-term medical issues, and as much as Thomas loved him, they would find each other again when the time was right.

During his master's degree work in film is when he met the mysterious Marianne Delacroix, who was going for her master's degree in fashion at the exact same time.

Trying to finish films during his master's program as an creative fully in the industry was a whole different beast compared to his student films. Having to work with figures like Brian Ratzik and Anders Stone to get his films distributed in theaters during this time, Thomas had to learn to be his own advocate for his work in more ways than ever before.

During his first few years of teaching at Hollywood U, he pursued open relationships and wanted to try polyamory. He still saw Diego when he could, but he also dated actress/business mogul Bree Wesley and musician/bartender Kane Washington, two best friends who moved out to buy homes in Hollywood after their careers took off in New York. During this time, he also dated fellow professor Priya Singh, though they only lasted a few months and have been professional rivals ever since.

It's when two of his students began fighting for an internship at Faux Pas Magazine that everything changed. Through this, Marianne re-entered his life, and the two began a relationship that would prove detrimental to his health, to say the least.

Without going into too much detail, Thomas's relationship with Marianne was rife with emotional manipulation and physical harassment. The worst events of their relationship happened while he was directing his first two television series — Desire & Decorum in 2017 and 2018, and The Unexpected Heiress in 2019. Cast and crew were terrified when Marianne was on set, as she was the costume director for both shows.

After a particularly difficult altercation on set during the last week of filming The Unexpected Heiress, Thomas ended up in the hospital with multiple severe injuries when cast members found him unconscious in his dressing room. Marianne was arrested, and Rose stepped up to help finish directing the project, consulting with Thomas remotely.

Four months before The Unexpected Heiress premiered, the pandemic hit. Editing the show remotely and doing press interviews occupied his time, but could only do so to a point.

Dealing with the pandemic also meant that Marianne's assault trial would take longer to begin, especially as more charges were added as time went on and multiple pre-trial hearings needed to take place.

Thomas coped with all of this in a few ways: vlogging, cooking, screenwriting, songwriting, and getting to know his new-at-the-time neighbor across the street, Sadie Kennedy-Appleton.

When the trial began in September of 2021, the media covered it relentlessly. Thomas never answered questions paparazzi or news reporters alike asked him, relegating them to his lawyers. When it concluded in December, the court ruled in Thomas's favor and then some. It could never make up for the damage that was done to him, but at least he had closure.

He kept himself out of the spotlight aside from teaching at HWU, not working on his filming his latest project, The Deadliest Game, until January of 2024.

#hollywood u #hwu #thomas hunt #red carpet diaries #a lot of this centers on his love life because it's honestly a mess (tm)#this is so long i'm so sorry #i have so many little details for him #but they would take up an entire document i fear #ch: thomas

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hwu-adventures-blog · 5 months ago

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Well, one thing I didn’t have on my 2024 bingo card is coming back to this old blog after 3 years because I got dragged back into Hollywood U and High School Story nostalgia kicking and screaming a month before Christmas and my 26th birthday. Like literally my brain woke up yesterday and was like you know what was (not really) cringe? Your 2015-2019 Hollywood U phase but hear me out: Thomas Hunt.

Then I got all nostalgic and then redownloaded Choices, So now I’m back and reworking my HSS/HWU MC lore (because it became a bit of a mess) and a bunch of other choices stuff.

but out off all the things I expected from 2024; Professor Thomas Orson Hunt dragging me kicking and screaming back into the HSS/HWU/Choices fandom was not it 😂

(Damn I miss High School Story and Hollywood U so badly).

#pixelberry #hwu game #hollywood u: rising stars #high school story #is this fandom still alive #if so I’d love some friends on here #choices you play #pixelberry Hollywood U #Pixelberry high school story

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hopelessromantic1352 · 2 years ago

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I honestly kind of forgot I made this magazine cover 🙈😆 I decided to make it so y’all could see Natalia’s dress and hair from chapter 13 of New Beginnings.

Thomas tags: @alleksa16 @alj4890 @kuladekiwi @lxaah11 @lilyoffandoms @moodyvalentinestories

FCs: Emmy Rossum and Jon Hamm

#choices #playchoices #thomas hunt #red carpet diaries #choices red carpet diaries #thomas orson hunt #choices rcd #natalia anne york #thomas hunt x oc #thomas hunt x natalia york #faceclaim #emmy rossum #jon hamm

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gutsfics · 2 years ago

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Starting the New Year Right

Fandom: Red Carpet Diaries Pairing: Thomas Hunt x Avalon (M!OC) Length: 618 words Rating: Teen Warnings: Mentions of sex (nothing explicit) and smoking

Prompt: "I'm not ready for the new year." "Don't be silly. New year, new you." "I don't want a new me, I want the same me and the same you." @choicesrcd2022 @promptnonny Summary: Thomas and Avalon get ready for the new year together and discuss what comes next

"Are you ready to go?" Avalon asks, checking his outfit in the mirror one last time.

Thomas heaves a sigh, slipping his wallet and a pack of cigarettes into his pocket. "I suppose."

"Oh, now what's that supposed to mean? Do you not want to go to the party? We could always stay home... ring in the new year by ourselves..." To emphasis what he's saying, Avalon pulls Thomas into his arms, his chest to Thomas' back and his hands at his waist.

"That does sound nice..." Thomas leans into Avalon's arms with another sigh, this one softer and more content. "But it's not the part I'm unhappy with."

"It's not? Did something happen?"

"No, it's just..." Thomas frowns and shakes his head.

"What?"

"I'm not ready for the new year."

Avalon hums quietly, amused. "Don't be silly. New year, new you."

"I don't want a new me," Thomas grumbles. "I want the same me and the same you."

Avalon can't help but let out a laugh.

Thomas turns slightly to look at him, frowning.

"Sorry, sorry! But what "same you" and "same me" are you wanting? You and I have changed so much since we first met, and, honestly, I'm hoping that so long as we keep pushing each other to be better, we won't ever stay the same for too long."

"I suppose that makes sense..." Thomas relaxes back into Avalon's arms again.

"I love you, Darlin, and I love the person you've become, and I love watching you grow into the person you'll be next. No matter what this next year holds for us, I'll always love you."

"I love you, too..." Thomas takes one of Avalon's hands into his own and brings it to his lips, gently kissing his knuckles. "And what do you think the new year will bring?"

Avalon considers this for a moment. "Sex. Plenty of it."

It's Thomas' turn to let out a chuckle, and he turns in place, draping his arms over Avalon's shoulders. "Oh? What makes you say that?"

"Well, I know us, baby, and I know how... excitable you get on T days. And given our track record, it wouldn't take a genius to figure out how much suckin' and fuckin' happens under this roof alone." He pauses, brushing his thumb against Thomas' lower lip. "Plus your immediate response to me saying that was to press your thigh against my dick. So there's that too."

"You've got me there." Thomas adjusts his stance so he's not rubbing up against Avalon so hard. "...What else do you think will happen?"

"Oh... Maybe we'll both stop smoking so much." He lets out a small laugh. "Honestly though I say that I'll stop every year and it never happens."

"If that's what you think, then maybe we should stay home tonight."

"And why is that?"

"You and I both know that once we get to Matt and Macy's house, I will stand in a corner for all of ten minutes before going outside to chainsmoke for the rest of the party, and you'll join me shortly after when you get overwhelmed."

"Yeah, that sounds about right."

"If we stay here and..." Thomas unbuttons the top few button's on Avalon's shirt. "Enjoy each other's company, we'll share a single cigarette afterwards before going to sleep, as opposed to smoking a whole pack in one night."

"Mmm... that does sound nice..."

"Doesn't it?" Thomas slides a hand onto Avalon's chest, under his shirt, and leans up to kiss his jaw. "What do you say? Start the new year off right with me?"

Avalon puts his hand on the back of Thomas' head and pulls him in for a kiss. "I'd love that."

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TAGS

RCD Appreciation Week: @alj4890 @hopelessromantic1352

Fic of the Week: @choicesficwriterscreations

#Thomas Hunt #Red Carpet Diaries #Choices Red Carpet Diaries #Thomas Orson Hunt #rcd appreciation week #cfwc fics of the week #oc: Avalon Hammond #gut's fics

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sketchmeats · 4 years ago

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sometimes u gotta draw ur favorite character in a turtleneck and pearls, and with a nice rack.

i have a headcanon that he's trans, and although he's been on HRT since he was like 19 or 20, he doesnt care to have any surgeries. normally he binds and/or wears enough layers that its not noticible though

#my art #digital art #thomas hunt #hollywood u #red carpet diaries #thomas orson hunt

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th-elliott · 4 years ago

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I have decided that Thomas Hunt listens to Hozier. That is all, thank you.

#id talks #Thomas Hunt #Hollywood U #thomas orson hunt #specifically his debut album #and even more specifically Work Song and Foreigner's God #you can't tell me i'm wrong!!!!!!!!!!!

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theartoflovingthomashunt · 3 months ago

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Chibi!Hunt

Not my favorite of my recent sketches but I wanted to try arms crossed and a different expression. #itried

#thomas hunt #thomas orson hunt #professor hunt #hwu hunt #rcd hunt #hollywood u #hwu #red carpet diaries #choices #playchoices #choices game #lovealexhunt #theartoflovingthomashunt #january2024 #my attempt to art #my art attmepts #my sketches #my art #my attempts to art

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storyofmychoices · 2 years ago

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SpreadJoy #765: spreading positivity with quotes and @playchoices characters.

Quote in edit by Charlotte Freeman

#thomas hunt #thomas orson hunt #thomas hunt rcd #red carpet diaries #hollywood u #my forever love #spreadjoy #spreadjoy request (by me) hehe #choices spreadjoy #choices #playchoices #choices game #charlotte freeman #himmmmm

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lovealexhunt · 3 years ago

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And so Dani cries over HWU has ended (but will it ever really?). *sigh* I will always adore the app and the love of writing I developed because of Thomas Hunt. I know I don't need the app to keep Thomas alive, but it was nice knowing it was there if I ever wanted it. (Clearly I wrote this when I actually thought the app was leaving 🤷‍♀️)

I can't thank those of you who support Thomas and Alex's story enough. I love all the pairings I write for, but these two will always have a special place in my heart. I honestly believe writing for them saved my life, and for that I will always be grateful to them and to you for keeping up with their story and their adventures. I hope to keep writing them whether in the HWU universe or RCD or even another AU I've yet to explore.

Thank you again to everyone who has ever read, liked, reblogged, and/or commented on my work! Special shoutouts to @lilyoffandoms and @trappedinfandoms for being with me since basically day one! And @theicestarme @peonyblossom and @quixoticdreamer16 for joining me more recently, but always being the most lovely and supportive especially during this Farewell week. The kind words and lovely thoughts you five have left on the things I've posted have truly meant the world to me. I am forever grateful to you!

Complete masterlist below the cut. I'm still waiting on one art piece and a few fics I still hope to complete.

#01: Kiss the Cook by @bayleedrawsx

#02: You're my Weakness by @rpbys

#03: The One I Want by @hydn-jpg

#04: Being Together by @vantaray

#05: Worth the Risk by @gokushairgel

#06: Free by @/artsy_elii (Instagram)

#07: Moving in Together by @/seirachannn (Instagram)

#08: A Night to Remember by @/irdeinfierno (Instagram)

#09: My Forever by @/artbyainna (Instagram)

#10: And That's a Wrap by @/sherry_artwo (Instagram)

#11: Not Goodbye (gift) from @hydn-jpg

#12: Trapped by @/mm1kaa_ (Instagram)

[All HWU appreciation week Art in one post]

Stories are listed chronologically

Trapped (Hunt's Journal): Hunt reflects on his night being trapped in the studio with Alex.

My Weakness (Hunt's Journal): Following the events of the Date Auction in which Hunt was punched by and then punched a drunk idiot to defend Alex and confessed his weakness to her, he goes home and journals about the events.

The One I Want: After confessing to Alex she’s the one he wants at his dinner party, their moment together lingers a little longer.

Being Together: Hunt and Alex are taking the ferry to Catalina Island for their first official date.

Forbidden Romance: Hunt can’t stop himself from critique films, even on a date.

Worth the Risk: At the drive in, Hunt and Alex await the movie’s start.

Moving In Together: Following Rachel’s wedding, Hunt asks Alex to move in with him. Now, comes the unpacking.

A Night to Remember: While moving in to his their house, Alex finds a small curious box with something familiar.

My Forever (Hunt's Journal) : What started out as a simple gift from the flea market changed everything. (engagement)

Kiss the Cook: After moving in, Alex and Hunt make dinner together.

Harrison Byrd (HWU)

Autumn Brooks (HSS visiting HWU)

Ethan Blake (HWU)

Addison Sinclair (HWU)

Julian Castillo (HSS visiting HWU)

Chris Winters (HWU)

Lisa Mermaid Valentine (HWU)

Thomas Hunt (quote by Thomas Hunt!) (HWU)

Peyton Saunders (HSS visiting HWU)

Holly Chang (HWU)

Videos:

Amour Hunt Date Quest Videos

Hollywood U assorted Videos

Custom Hunt Funkos

Thomas Hunt Custom Funko Pops

Thomas Hunt Custom Funko Pops #2

Thomas Hunt Custom Funko Pops #3

Throwback Fics:

A Choice/Free: Bianca is using Hunt’s relationship with Alex (a student) to blackmail him into being a positive character reference at her probation hearing.

Love Among The Stars: Addison has a story to tell and a special gift for the happy couple. Is it true love? (A Hollywood U legend/story plays an important role in this RCD au wedding fic.) *The Quest this fic is based on is one of my favorites and I really love this story. I hope you do as well!

Love & Scotch: dx: Beards: Alex and Hunt are planning their wedding and waiting on one more RSVP, a certain doctor who has just returned from the Amazon.

Screenshots/Memories:

Alex ruining Hunt’s plans to remain a bachelor for life

Hunt admits Alex is the one he wants

Thomas Hunt outfit assets

Hunt plays Choices

Reward: Thomas Hunt (aka the best reward)

Alex tripping on purpose so Hunt would catch her aka idiots in love

Thomas and Alex in Couples Corner gifs and other gifs and screenshots

Thomas and Alex workshopping gifs

Again, from the bottom of my heart, thank you! 🥺🥺🥺

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hotvintagepoll · 8 months ago

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this is a poll for a movie that doesn't exist.

It is vintage times. The powers that be have decided to again remake the classic vampire novel Dracula for the screen. in an amazing show of inter-studio solidarity, Hollywood’s most elite hotties are up for the starring roles. the producers know whoever they cast will greatly impact the genre, quality, and tone of the finished film, so they are turning to their wisest voices for guidance.

you are the new casting director for this star-studded epic. choose your players wisely.

Previously cast:

Jonathan Harker—Jimmy Stewart

The Old Woman—Martita Hunt

Count Dracula—Gloria Holden

Mina Murray—Setsuko Hara

Lucy Westenra—Judy Garland (rip)

The Three Voluptuous Women—Betty Grable, Marilyn Monroe, and Lauren Bacall

The Agonized Mother—Mary Philbin (rip)

Dr. Jack Seward—Vincent Price

Quincey P. Morris—Toshiro Mifune

Arthur Holmwood—Sidney Poitier

R.M. Renfield—Conrad Veidt

The Captain of the Demeter—Omar Sharif (rip)

The First Mate of the Demeter—Leonard Nimoy (rip)

Mr. Swales—Ed Wynn (rip)

The Correspondent for The Daily Graph—Ethel Waters

Dracula in dog form—Frank Oz with a puppet

Sister Agatha—Angela Lansbury

Mrs. Westenra—Gladys Cooper (rip)

Dracula's solicitors—Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee

Dr. Van Helsing—Orson Welles

Thomas Bilder, zookeeper—Lon Chaney Jr.

Thomas Bilder's wife—Elsa Lanchester

The Reporter from the Pall Mall Gazette—Hattie McDaniel

The carriers are working class men dropping off some heavy boxes of dirt who get berated and then attacked by Renfield outside the asylum. They then successfully talk Dr. Hennessey into buying them several rounds at the pub as payback. Today's Dracula Daily episode can be found here.

#dracula daily #hotvintagepoll #dracula casting #silly times #asldjhlkhsgshadjgkhaksjdhg this is not a very good poll but it's the best i can do in ten seconds. sorry all

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hollywooduniversityalumnus · 4 years ago

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3. alone in our secret, together we sigh

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

“I did not bid a hundred and fifty bucks for you to not pay attention to me,” whined Bianca Stone.

Thomas Hunt, who sat nearly a foot away from his “date” in Chateau de Rose, barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He had known that auctioning off his evening for charity was going to guarantee him several hours of boredom at best, but being essentially held captive by one of his most detested students was not what he had even considered in the realm of possibilities for how the night would go. Aria Sheridan, the unnervingly perky hostess and auctioneer, had failed to inform him that his students would be allowed to bid on him, something that surely would have influenced his decision to take part in the event. But he had been one of the bigger names on the block, and though he knew that hundred and fifty dollars was Anders Stone’s money, at least it was going to some good use for once-

“Thomas, are you even listening to me?”

Snapped out of his thoughts, he reluctantly turned his gaze to his student. “Do not call me that.”

Bianca’s frown quickly turned sly. “Oh, okay. I’ll call you ‘professor’ then, if that’s what you like.”

He did not appreciate the implications behind her words. Or the tone she used to deliver them.

Thankfully, their server appeared, bearing their respective meals and drinks, giving him a much needed out from the salacious turn their stilted conversation was going. Though he hadn’t been to Chateau de Rose in years, not since – well, it had been a while, but he had ordered what he considered to be his favourite dish. Salmon Wellington with a side of herb and garlic mashed potatoes and acid-free cherry tomatoes. Back when he had frequented the restaurant with – well, back then, he only ordered the buttered mashed potatoes to spare his date from garlicky breath. But now, however, he hoped it would at the very least deter Bianca.

As he gulped down his three fingers of scotch, he nearly choked at the feeling of a shoe rubbing suggestively against his ankle. Swallowing hard, he shifted further away from her, only for the distance to be shortened by his smirking companion.

“Don’t be shy, professor.” The way she said the last word made his skin feel like crawling. “We’re tucked away in the corner. You don’t have to be so staid. We can get a little closer. A lot closer, in my opinion.”

Though the meal was as delicious as he had remembered, his stomach was churning. “I don’t know what you think this is-”

And then a commotion pulled his attention away from her, to where two people were noticeably getting escorted to the only other booth near them. The commotion came not from the two settling into their seats, but from other diners present who apparently couldn’t help but speak loudly of their entrance.

“Is that who I think it is?”

“Why, of course, I worked at the Fox Theatre for years. I’d recognize that face anywhere!”

“Chris Winters and . . . wait, who’s that with him?”

“That’s certainly not Sofia Morena.”

“Now, where have I seen that girl before? She looks so familiar.”

As the voices of the other diners seemed to fade into the din of the restaurant, Thomas found himself fixated on the booth in which the action movie star was openly flirting with his other notorious nuisance of a student. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, the conventionally handsome household name and A-lister leaned into her and whispered something, earning him a face-splitting smile and a laugh that Thomas had heard often from across the lecture hall.

And several times during . . . other situations, but he didn’t want to think about those.

Ignoring Bianca’s attempts at getting him to sit closer to her, Thomas finished his food and signalled to the waiter for another drink. He gulped down his refill in record time as he watched Chris Winters wrap an arm around her shoulder and hold his phone in an angle that suggested they were taking a selfie.

Thomas sensed Bianca moving a little closer, cell phone in hand.

“Don’t even think about it,” he muttered.

Bianca scowled. “If I had known you were going to be this rude, I would never have bid on you! You’re the worst date ever.”

Removing the cloth napkin from his lap, he dabbed at the corners of his lips carefully before folding it and placing it on the table beside his empty plate.

“Miss Stone, what exactly did you think was going to happen?” Thomas asked, genuinely curious. “Did you think your purchasing several hours of my time for charity guaranteed that we’d, I don’t know, fall in love and have children together? At the very least, cross the line that should never be crossed between student and teacher? I wish I could say I didn’t expect you to be so obtuse. This is simply a charitable obligation for me. I mean, really. Do you honestly think I want to be here?”

Bianca stood up so fast that Thomas instinctively leaned back. Grabbing her purse and phone with one hand, she took hold of her half-drunken bellini and tossed it at him, narrowly missing his face.

“I’m getting a refund,” Bianca declared. “And for your information, I wasn’t even that into you anyway.”

“Right,” Thomas deadpanned, assessing the damage the colourful cocktail was doing to his shirt.

Bianca left in a huff, leaving him damp in alcohol and feeling uncomfortably vulnerable to the other diners, who had begun speaking to each other about what had just transpired in more hushed tones than before. He heard his name murmured more than once, which annoyed him; usually, he was in more dignified situations when he was recognized, and he suspected that this incident would be in a tabloid soon enough.

But he had other things to worry about, like the state of his clothing. He took his cloth napkin and delicately dabbed at the splatter. The shirt was most likely a write-off, unless he could get a-

“Tide pen?”

He startled at the sight of his other student, having left the booth where she had sat with Chris Winters to approach him, brandishing the aforementioned product as though she were offering a spare pencil. Warily, he took it, and made quick work of his shirt. Though he knew she lingered by him, he didn’t glance up until after he had finished the application. Then, he handed it back to her with little fanfare.

Still, she didn’t move from where she stood, watching him closely as though assessing the situation.

Finally, he snapped, “What do you want, Miss Schuyler?”

His student seemed surprised by his tone. But quickly, her eyes narrowed. “You’re welcome.”

He felt a rush of heat on his cheeks, realizing that he didn’t even bother thanking her for the pen. Though he had his own doubts about whether it would actually work, it was a nice gesture all the same. Clearing his throat, he turned to look at her properly, only to find that she had returned to her booth and her own celebrity date, who seemed eager to recapture her attention now that he had been handled.

Well, Thomas thought as he prepared to leave, at least the rest of my evening is free.

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

Unfortunately for Thomas, it was not to be.

Aria Sheridan, upon getting brought up to speed with what had occurred between him and Bianca, called him just as he was getting into his car. Though his bidder had forfeited her date – and failed to bully her way into getting a refund – he was still obligated to attend the other event for the evening. And, much as he hated to admit it, it wasn’t like he had other plans for himself other than getting out of his suit and repressing the evening’s events with a bottle of merlot.

The aquarium had been kept open after hours for the charity dates, and though he felt a little silly walking through the exhibits by his lonesome, he much preferred it to having to deal with Bianca clamped to his side, much like the starfish to its mossy rock. He found himself walking in a tunnel made mostly of glass, surrounded by aquatic creatures who seemed almost at peace with being held captive for ogling by the public. Even he knew it was cynical to think like that, but he couldn’t help himself. The seahorses, the clownfish, even the eels, all unwitting spectacles for the amusement of those who would tap on the glass and buy obnoxious, over-priced plush versions of the creatures at the gift shop afterwards.

Despite himself, while stopping to observe some jellyfish, he wondered if it would have been an enjoyable experience with an actual date.

Now that he was finally alone, barring the fish, he allowed himself to reminisce, his mind’s eye conjuring up a heart-shaped face with a dazzling smile and a laugh that he was startled he even remembered. Her name on his tongue, as though he were decades younger again, being dragged out of the dorms to a party or being pulled along during a tiring, cliché hike to the Hollywood sign with their likeminded peers.

He pressed his fingertips gently to the glass, closing his eyes against the blue tint of the tunnel.

Yvonne.

He wondered if she ever thought of him, of the aspiring director who had failed to meet her that fateful night when they were to run away together, as her time in America was ending. He had sat in his dorm room all night, his hair clenched between his fingers, forcing himself to read to distract himself from thinking of her sitting at the bus stop. He wondered, for the first time in years, if he would ever see her again. If he would ever feel like how she made him feel again.

It was a love destined to end, and they both knew it. But they were young, in love, and desperately foolish enough to believe in those grand gestures Hollywood peddled in their blockbusting, lackluster romantic comedies. He had not wanted it to end, but he knew that running away would severely hinder his burgeoning career, and though he had loved her, he loved film – and the prospect of being one of the greats – more.

Still, he had regrets. He seldom allowed himself to dwell on them, but as soon as he afforded himself that moment of weakness, it all came back to him. His mind was cruel enough to conjure up dregs of their final conversation, done over the phone, months after she had returned to Spain, when his guilt and his need to hear her voice became too much to bear.

“I have a husband now. We’re expecting.”

“You made up your mind. I made up mine.”

And, lastly, “Please don’t call me again.”

It could have been him, and he knew it. She knew it. But it wasn’t. And, as far as Thomas was concerned, he might never be that for someone.

A husband. A father. A lover.

He had his career, the respect of his peers, and accolades that spilled over the polished surfaces of his many armoires and credenzas. All that had been dreams when he had met her.

He didn’t dream anymore. Couldn’t remember what he last dreamt of even if he tried. His life had become a blur of grading and critiques and tiresome events. Waking up in his bed and falling back into it sixteen hours later, repeating the cycle with little to differentiate the days.

Though he had dated after Yvonne, he found it difficult to forge a lasting connection with any of his now-exes. God, how he had tried. Marianne, for all that they had in common, was just too much like him, critical and cold, and they were better off as friends anyway. And Priya . . . he hesitated to brand her a mistake, but his memories of their short relationship proved that her choosing to prioritize her career over him was not a decision he should’ve been blindsided by. He chose not to dwell on the others, those he had brief dalliances with, because they were momentary distractions more than anything else.

All the awards in the world couldn’t fill the void he had been working tirelessly since that night in his dorm room to ignore.

He hadn’t realized he’d pressed his forehead to the glass until a thunk from the other side startled him out of his thoughts. A turtle knocked itself against the glass before swimming away. He looked after it for a few seconds before straightening his shoulders, wiping under his eyes with his thumb, and leaving the tunnel through where he had come in.

The room he entered was more dimly lit than the tunnel, but the displays emanated that blue-green glow that made it obvious where everything was. He didn’t have to squint much to see the benches, the informative plaques citing statistics and scientific names, and . . . he stilled.

Even shrouded in shadows, he recognized her immediately.

His student stood alone, tears streaking down her face. Her head bowed as soon as she saw him enter, and her arms, wound around her torso as if giving herself a hug, squeezed her sides as if in reassurance or comfort.

No Chris Winters in sight, or anyone else involved in the date auction, for that matter.

His chest felt tight at the sight of her.

But, before he could say anything, she broke the silence.

“I’m sorry I let Bianca win.”

Thomas blinked, taken aback by the apology.

“I could have won,” she continued, her voice shaky in a way that made his own throat feel dry, “but I let her win. I shouldn’t have.”

He felt frozen in place. “Where is your date?” His voice embarrassingly cracked at the last word.

“He’s gone.” She sniffled, a pitiful sound in the otherwise silence.

Thomas looked around. Still no employees or other charity dates in sight. Where did they all go? Were they even here when he showed up? He struggled to remember much of anything between parking in the nearly empty lot and all the memories he dredged up with his forehead pressed against the glass.

His student lowered herself onto a bench and buried her face in her hands. And, as much as a part of him scolded him for doing so, he joined her on it, though he chose to keep his eyes glued to the exhibit in front of them rather than the girl softly crying by his side.

“I bet you would’ve been a better date than Miss Stone,” he finally said.

She made a sound between a sob and a laugh. “I know I would be.” She raised her head and gave him a little smile. “For example, I wouldn’t waste a bellini on you.”

That little smile made him feel a little braver. He reached over and placed a hand on her shoulder. The mere touch made her smile brighten for a beautiful, lingering moment, before dimming once more as her eyes went downcast.

Thomas wanted desperately for that smile to reappear.

“I wanted to keep bidding,” she admitted. “You looked so nervous on the stage, seeing Bianca and I bid on you. And, between the two of us, I consider myself the lesser evil, so . . . I was going to.”

“What stopped you?” Thomas asked, shifting on the bench to see her better. Her eyes were still downcast, but she had somewhat of a bitter smile playing on her lips.

“I want to say my friends,” she said slowly. “They knew Chris was going to be at the auction, and that he’d taken me on a couple of dates already, so I felt pressured to bid for him. But that’s not the real reason.”

Thomas’s brows furrowed. “What is the real reason, then?”

She snorted. “It was the way you looked at me. When you were standing on the stage, when I was about to outbid her. You looked . . . well, you were . . . disgusted.”

Sighing deeply, she turned her gaze to the exhibit in front of them, following the manta ray’s movements as though she hadn’t just made Thomas’s stomach twist with her confession.

They were dangerously close to talking about it. What had transpired between them in the past few weeks, first at the masquerade, then on that film set overnight. She had not spoken to him about personal matters since that night on the set, allowing him to blissfully pretend as though he hadn’t, for a handful of hours, been close with her in a way that he knew he shouldn’t have been. But now they were alone, and it seemed as though it was the time to discuss it.

“It . . . scared me, seeing you look so horrified by the possibility of spending any time with me. Even after . . . what’s happened between us.” She looked as though she was speaking to the manta ray. “I may be a hell of a handful as your student but believe me when I say I didn’t want to torture you. Still don’t.” She shook her head. “I’m surprised you’re even talking to me, after everything.”

Thomas’s mind was cruel, bringing up images and sensations he hadn’t allowed himself to think of. The beautiful blue dress. Her impressive, fluid dance moves that kept up with his. The sound of her voice as she teased him for apparently being able to recognize every person in that ballroom apart from her. The mask that hid her high cheekbones, one of the most prominent physical characteristics of her, but still couldn’t conceal her identity from him.

The truth that he had kept to himself. That he had known it was her from the start.

His playing along, pretending that he didn’t know who she was, was irresponsible. Reckless. Inappropriate. But he had done it, partly out of curiosity to see where it would lead. Another part due to his boredom of attending the event stag, of attending such events for years alone and without much to keep him past the obligated hour or so of mingling. And another part . . .

“Can I drive you home?”

She looked surprised to hear him offer. And, honestly, he was surprised he offered, too. For a moment, they looked at each other, frozen in that mutual moment, before she nodded.

“I don’t think there’s anything going on after this, so . . . if you wouldn’t mind, I’d be grateful not to walk back in heels.”

🎬🎬🎬🎬🎬

He’d let her pick the music for the drive and was surprised that she unearthed a CD case from the console to rifle through.

“Barry Manilow?” Margot giggled. “I didn’t take you for a Fanilow.”

“Don’t make me regret this,” Thomas said warningly, though he found the corners of his mouth twitching.

She flipped to the next few slots. “Ooh. A big musical theatre fan. The Music Man, Oklahoma, and – Ooh!” Pulling out a CD, she stuck it into the slot and allowed the music to wash over them both. At a red light, he side-eyed her with an amused grin.

“What? ’The King and I’ is one of my favourite shows,” she admitted.

The light changed, and another song began, one in which two forbidden lovers sang about hiding their relationship. Though she seemed unaffected by it, choosing to stare out of the window, he felt himself glancing more and more at her as the song progressed.

He did not appreciate the irony.

But, all the same, he kept a close eye on her as they neared the dormitories. Where, he realized too late, it would be completely conspicuous for him to be dropping off one of his students in the late hours of the evening. Especially one who was dressed to the nines like she had just gone on a big date-

Wait a minute.

He looked over at her as the car came to a stop by the curb. She was rifling through her purse for her keys, hardly paying attention to his lingering eyes, when he spoke.

“Why did Mr. Winters leave you this evening?”

She stilled. Sucking in her bottom lip, she bit down on it enough to transfer some of her lipsticks to her teeth.

He waited.

And waited.

Then . . .

“Good night, professor. Thank you for getting me back safely.” Her hand moved toward the door handle, only to freeze on it upon contact.

Offering her an out, he simply said, “Good night.”

But rather than swinging open the door and taking her leave, she turned herself until she was angled to him, her face fully visible to him. Though her eyes still seemed a bit puffy from her earlier crying, she looked otherwise flawless, even with the slight smear of dusty rose lipstick on her front teeth.

“He knew I wasn’t . . . into being with him tonight, but he had been a good sport all the same,” she said, her voice so soft against the darkness of the night and the gentle hum of the car’s engine. “We got to the aquarium shortly after you did. I saw you in that tunnel, looking so upset, so sad, and I wanted to talk to you. But Chris . . . well, he didn’t want me to. Said I’d been distracted all evening and that I needed to focus on what really matters.”

Thomas suppressed the urge to scoff. Regardless of the kindness Chris Winters may have usually bestowed upon her, his superstar ego still got in the way. It wasn’t a surprise; big names like him, whose careers revolve around big-budget, unnecessary-explosions-and-gunfights, tropey Tommy Phelps-ian films, almost always thought far too highly of themselves, demanding their mere presence entitled them to nothing less than the best at restaurants, public events, and the like, as though they weren’t one injury away from being replaced by a brighter-eyed actor who continued the vicious cycle . . .

Margot’s voice was a little quieter than before, more vulnerable.

“So, I did.”

Their gazes met over the centre console and held for several moments too long.

Thomas felt strange, a mixed bag of emotions furiously working their way over his senses. Mortified that she’d seen him so . . . so human. Upset at himself for opening that old wound in the first place. Confused that she had intended to blow off one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars to comfort him. Touched that she considered him and his feelings of great importance to her.

“I made up my mind,” she continued, shrugging. “He made up his.”

His ribcage felt constricting around his lungs. Her eyes upon him felt both judgemental and soothing.

Finally, he straightened up in his seat, nodding to himself as he broke the spell. She similarly took the movement as a dismissal and pulled on the door handle, stepping out into the cool night. Illuminated now by the lamppost by the sidewalk, he could see her, really see her.

Of course, he’d seen Margot on screen in several assignments during his class. For all her faults, she really was a remarkable actress, and her classmates almost always asked for her assistance in their projects, meaning that her visage was more often than not gracing the screen, inexplicably yet seamlessly transformed into whichever character she was embodying. He could recognize her a mile away, regardless of the darkness of the room or the mask perched upon her face.

“Good night,” he said.

“Good night, Thomas,” Margot said, giving him one last small smile before closing the door and turning for her dorm.

He did not correct her.

#thomas hunt #thomas orson hunt #hollywood u #only fools fall for you #fanfiction

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