Can I request class 1-a having a new student and one day the hole class have to make a PowerPoint presentation and the new student makses on of the whole class but it's (for example that's why todoroki makes a good boyfriend and bonus points he is a cold and warm pack ) and then they say there is nothing I could find pozetief on mineta but who wants to date him anyway

I hope that makes sense

I’ll try my best!

Fluff 💖

PowerPoint Presentation On Why You Should Date Them!

All of Class 1-A!

For a school project, you had to make a presentation on something that everyone needed or needed to know. After about a week, it was finally your time to shine. "Hi everyone!" You say as you get your computer set up, everyone smiles and looks up at the projector screen. "Okay so this is the presentation I made and it's called "Why You Should Date The Students of Class 1-A at UA." You say as you point at the title. Everyone's eyes go wide, Aizawa doesn't care since it was his nap time. You heard him lay his head on his desk, so you continued.

The first person to show up was Yuga Aoyama! You started to read off the points, "okay so the first person is Yuga Aoyama!" You say as you point to him in the front, he smiles. "Number one, he has wonderful fashion sense! Like that's who you would want to go to for it, second, he can teach you french! Yes, it'll probably take some time but hey, you'll still learn it! And lastly, he is such a fun person to be around!" You look back at him and he's smiling more now, "thank you dearly (y/n), I knew I was that gorgeous on camera!" He says and you laugh.

You go to the next slide, this time it says Mina Ashido! "Next up is my dear friend, Mina Ashido!" You can hear Mina giggle, you smile and continue. "First, she's always there when you need her! She's goofy and lovable so that is a plus! Second, she is romantic! Like girl, it's amazing!" You exclaim, you can hear Mina and some others laugh. "Lastly, she is the best to go anywhere with! She is so sociable and fun that you'll automatically have a great time! Bonus points for her great style, girl send me some of those tips!" You say as you wink at her, she bursts out laughing.

As you continue onto the next slide, it shows up as Tsuyu Asui! On the slide, you include a cute photo of her and a frog. "Now onto Tsuyu Asui! For one, she's mature and responsible! Tsu is focused on her schoolwork and home life. Second, she is like a mom to everyone! She knows how to look after us and makes us feel at home." You smile, Tsu smiles at you and you can hear her go "ribbit" every now and then. "Lastly, she is loving and caring. Even at your weak point, she can help you and give you all the emotional support you need."

"Next up is Tenya Iida!" You say and you can see him blush slightly. "First reason is that he's incredibly smart! If you ever have a problem or even just need some extra help, he'll be amazing for that! Second, he works hard. He is so determined that he'll want to make sure you can achieve your goals as well. Lastly, he's humble. He'll admit his mistakes and the rare occasions when he is rude, that's boyfriend material, guys!" You say that laughing, his face goes even redder. "Bonus points for the fact that he loves study dates, hint hint!" You say as you wink.

The next slide is pastel pink and filled with bubble gifs. "Next up is Ochaco Uraraka! Number one, she's bubbly and loving! She is so friendly and can make a friend out of anyone! Second, she is always excited and loves to go out! Lastly, she may be a bit of an airhead, no pun intended," You giggled, "but she is such a friendly person and she's so empathic." You look back at the class and Uraraka is smiling widely, "I feel honored to be on the list!" She says, you laugh and continue on.

The next slide has thunderbolts all over it, and in those, it spells out "Denki Kaminari". "Okay, so this one is Denki Kaminari! He is super funny and sweet for starters, so that makes him an awesome person to hang around with! Secondly, he tends to joke around a lot and be playful, so automatically he's goofy!" You exclaim, you hear Denki laughing and saying "how did they know!" You laugh and continue, "lastly, he may be a bit of an airhead but he cares for all of his friends. He is such a sweet guy."

You smile, "next is Eijrou Kirishima!" Kirishima laughs and watches the presentation. "He is manly and a gentleman! He knows how to treat you right that's for sure!" Eijrou smiles, "Second, he is super loyal! I mean look at him, he's funny and can make friends with everyone he meets! Lastly, he's kind-hearted! He's super sweet and he is amazing to be around! I'm glad to call him my friend!" You say with a big smile. "Plus, his quirk can be useful in other activities if you know what I mean!" You say, winking. Everyone starts laughing, "nice one (y/n)!" Kirishima calls out to you.

"Next is Koji Koda! For one, he can teach you sign language! It may not seem like a lot, but it can be really useful to know! Second, he's kind-hearted as well! He's super sweet, he's shy but that doesn't stop him from being kind and a good friend. Lastly, he loves animals! Everyone loves an animal person, he's great with them and it's such a cute sight to see as well!" You pause before going on, you spot Koji, he's smiling and clapping. You smile and continue onto the next slide.

"Next up is Rikkido Sato! For starters, he loves to bake! And that's an amazing trait because imagine all of the desserts you can eat! Next is that he is sweet! Just like his desserts, he's super sweet and kind! Lastly, he's a very positive person! He has a good attitude about everything and it's adorable!" You smile, and Rikkido smiles at you.

A picture of Mezo Shoji and him with his friends, you included, shows up on the slide. "Next is Mezo Shoji! One, he's super protective of his friends! It shows how much he cares and loves his friends. Two, he is kind and can make friends with everyone. Thirdly, he is selfless. Which means he's willing to risk his life for any of his friends." Shoji smiles, "thank you (y/n)."

"Next is Kyoka Jiro! She is usually very social, except for when Denki bothers her." You laugh and Kyoka laughs as well, and nods "that's true honestly." You continue on, "second, she has great taste in music! She has a mixture of different bands she listens to, and then she'll even try some new ones for you! Thirdly, she can play different instruments! I find that amazing and she can even teach you how to play them!"

"Now we have Hanta Sero, he's very sociable and friendly! He is also quite funny and I have to say, he might be the funniest out of everyone in here!" Sero starts laughing, "you got that right!" You laugh and go on, "lastly, he's brave! He'll make sure to keep you safe and he's willing to step in for you."

"Now we have Fumikage Tokyami, he is protective of his friends! He will step in and make sure they're okay. Second, he has self-control. This may not seem like a big thing, he knows his limits and he can stay patient. Third and finally, he is very brave! Yes, he's shy but he's brave." Tokyami nods and watches the presentation.

A picture of Katy Perry's "Hot and Cold" shows up on the next slide, everyone giggles, and chuckles. "If you didn't guess from that, it's Shoto Todoroki! He is very calm and collected, he stays calm during stressful situations. He tends to care very much for his friends and values them very deeply, and lastly, he tends to put them first. He's grown a lot from when he first started, he's becoming more sociable!" You say, Shoto slightly smiles and nods. "Plus he makes a great heating pad and an ice pack if you need it!" You say laughing, others join in.

"Next we have our favorite invisible girl, Toru Hagakure! For one, she's super bubbly and overall a very positive person! Second, she likes to collect plushies and other cute things, so that means you'll have a shopping buddy! You have to invite me at some point girl!" You say, she laughs, "for sure (y/n)!" You look back up at the screen, "then finally, she can easily make friends and super sociable! She's such a sweet person!"

You laugh and change the slide, "now the one and only, angry pomeranian, Katsuki Bakugou!" Katsuki frowns, "hey dumbass that's not funny!" You laugh and continue, "yes he is very hot-headed, but he is protective over his friends. Second, he is very determined to do good, he'll push you just because he wants to see you achieve your goals. Lastly, he may have pride but he does have his sweet moments. I've only gotten to experience them every now and then but he truly is a good friend, angry or not." You say with a smile, everyone starts going "aww" and Katsuki's face goes beet red. "I- Thanks dumbass." He says quietly.

"Now onto our favorite broccoli boy, Izuku Midoriya!" You exclaim, "first off, he's super sweet! Like just look at him!" You say pointing to Izuku, he blushes and smiles. "Second, if there's anything you want to know about heroes, that's the man to go to! And lastly, he cares for his friends so much. He loves them and will do anything for them, he honestly just wants the best for them." Izuku smiles, "plus if you ever want some cute dates, that's who you go to!" You exclaim.

You frown as you move onto the next slide, "okay so Mr. Grape Pervert, or known as Minoru Mineta. " You clear your throat with the *ahem* sound, "there's nothing good about him so next!" Minoru frowns as everyone laughs.

You smile, "and our last slide is about Momo Yaoyorozu! She is a natural leader, so definitely determined and focused! She encourages you and helps you out, she wants you to be the best you can be! And finally, she is a really great person. She's an amazing friend and always wants the best for you!" Momo smiles, "thank you (y/n)!" You smile and close your computer. "This was my presentation on why you should date the students of class 1-A. I really hope you did enjoy it! I meant it, you all, besides Mineta, are wonderful people. I'm so glad to have you as friends." You say, smiling.

I hope you enjoyed it! This took FOREVER!

I hope you have a great day!

Art of Aardman

I found myself a cheap copy of the Shaun the Sheep movie, so I was rewatching a bunch of Aardman films earlier this month and decided to hunt down some books too. For anyone that doesn’t know, Aardman is a British stop-motion studio that does fantastic work like Wallace and Gromit, Shaun the Sheep, Chicken Run, Early Man… tons of cool stuff. They’re always quirky and funny and warm-hearted. This was just a very nice art book for anyone that’s a fan of Aardman stop motion and wants to see a bit extra; it shows some cool concept art and blows up the neat details in Aardman work, especially in their intricate stuff like The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists!

Asterix and the Picts (Asterix and the Chariot Race, and How Obelix Fell Into The Magic Potion)

I decided to try a couple of the new Asterix comics that were done by the new team, just to see if they stand up to the old ones (that and How Obelix Fell Into The Magic Potion cause I’d never read that one before). They were pretty decent! Asterix and the Picts was my favourite of the two though I wouldn’t say either are going to contest for my favourite Asterix comic... but still! The art looks good and the stories felt like what I would expect, they made for a pleasant couple evenings of reading especially since it’s been so long since I’ve read a new Asterix comic. If you’ve never read Asterix it’s one of the biggest name French comic series in North America, as far as I know and very worth the read. It’s about a single Gaulish village that’s holding out against the invading Romans through sheer force of will, slapstick hijinks, and a magical super-strength potion brewed by their druid. Lots of fantastic visuals and cute wordplay, even in the English translations.

Bear

I found out about this bastion of Canadian literature via tumblr post that was losing its collective mind over the fact that some bizarre bear-based erotica novella somehow won the most prestigious literary prize available in Canada. Since I too found this hilarious and unspeakably bizarre I had to give it a read, obviously. And yes, the flat surface level summary is... a librarian moves out into rural Ontario and falls in love with a literal for-real not-supernatural-not-a-joke bear. And I have to say… it is actually worthy of an award, which I was not expecting given that I was there for a laugh. It has beautiful writing, and the subtextual story is pretty interesting… it kind of makes me think of The Haunting of Hill House actually in terms of themes. (Womanhood, personhood, independence, autonomy partially achieved through escaping the male gaze by claiming non-human lovers... listen if I were still in university I would right a paper comparing the two novels).

I dunno man, it’s fucking weird. Actually a well-written book, but sure is about a woman falling in love with a literal bear. Give it a read if you want something bonkers but like… high-brow bonkers.

Hunger Pangs: True Love Bites

Best book I have read in like… a while. A long while. I am not a fast reader, and I consumed 90% of this book over a weekend. It’s not at all like Terry Pratchett, but at the same time it scratched an itch for me that I haven’t had satisfied since Pratchett’s death. A very clever, hilariously funny poly romance between a disabled werewolf, an anxious vampire lord, and an incredibly powerful woman, with heaps of social satire, political commentary, and sinister undertones. The whole thing reads a bit like fanfiction and I say that in the most flattering way possible -- it is so easy to jump right in and be immediately taken over by the characters and the world and the plot, you never feel like you’re fighting to engage even though the world-building is fascinating and expansive. It welcomes you in right away, it was the book equivalent of a quilt and a hug which is something I sorely needed with all this pandemic bullshit. If you read any of the books on this list, go read that one while I sit here in pain waiting for the sequel.

Kid Paddle

I watched the cartoon of Kid Paddle as a kid and was thinking about it recently, so I decided to hunt down some of the original comics online. They’re fun and weird, with a cute art style and fantastic monsters designs. (My favourites are always about Kid either daydreaming or playing games that involve Midam’s weird warty troll creatures. It’s like a cross between Calvin and Hobbes and Foxtrot with the fun sort of quirks that I love in Belgian comics. Unfortunately, unlike Asterix, I’ve only come across these ones in French, but if you can read French it’s totally worth popping over to The Internet Archive and reading the ones they have available.

The Last Firehawk: The Golden Temple

The lastest Firehawk book. Despite being written for quite young readers, I did enjoy the early books in this series quite a bit. They’re about a young owl and squirrel who found an egg for a magical species that was believed to be extinct. With the newly hatched firehawk, the three of them head off on a mission to find an ancient firehawk magic that could save the entire forest. Very basic adventure story but a good intro to the tropes for children. Unfortunately the quality really feels like it drops with each subsequent book; this will probably be the last one I bother reading.

Lumberjanes: The Moon Is Up

I honestly think I enjoy these Lumberjanes novels even more than the comics just because it really gives time to delve into each story and examine how the camper are really thinking and feeling about everything. (Also I’m always weak for novelizations of anything.) The Moon Is Up is a book that focuses more on Jo, and takes place during the camp’s much anticipated Galaxy Wars, a competition between cabins that goes over several days. While the campers prepare for these challenges though, they also run into a strange little creature with a penchant for cheese and theft. Roanoke cabin needs to keep ahead in Galaxy Wars and somehow deal with the fearsome Moon Pirates that a closing in...

Lumberjanes v4 (Out Of Time)

One of the Lumberjanes comics, a cool, girl-focused, queer comic series. Honestly, this is just a fun series that I never got as into as I should have. My advice is honestly to skip book one because it gets better as it continues, and I’ve really been enjoying the later books now that I’ve given it another go. It follows five campers at Miss Qiunzella Thiskwin Penniquiqul Thistle Crumpet’s Camp for Hardcore Lady Types (Jo, April, Molly, Mal, and Ripley) as they handle all sorts of challenges, from friendship to crushes, camp activities to supernatural horrors, getting badges to not being brutally killed. Great if you liked the vibe of Gravity Falls but want it to be queer-er.

Mooncakes

Another queer graphic novel, but unfortunately not a very good one. It really looked appealing and I had high hopes, but the book itself really didn’t hold up… I actually couldn’t even finish it, the plot was just too… non-existent. The art is fairly mediocre once you actually look at it, especially backgrounds, and it feels very… placid. Not much conflict or excitement or even a very compelling reason to keep reading. If you just want a soft queer supernatural you may get more mileage out of it than me, but it didn’t really do it for me. There’s better queer graphic novels out there.

New Boy In Town

One of the worst books I have ever read. My girlfriend had ordered a very different book online but through a frankly stupendous error was sent this 1980s pulp romance instead. Absolutely nauseating on levels I couldn’t even begin to enumerate here. Naturally we read the whole thing out loud. Probably took us 10 times longer to finish than it warranted because I had to stop every two sentences to lose my mind. If you like bad decisions, baffling hetero courting rituals, built-in cultural Christianity without actually calling it that, and gold panning then boy howdy is this the book for you.

(seriously, you better have patience for gold-panning if you attempt this one, because I sure learn that I don’t)

Piggies

This was a picture book I enjoyed as a kid and had a reason to reread recently. Honestly it’s just very cute and simple, and the art is completely mesmerizing. Wonderful if you know a young child that would enjoy a simple goofy boardbook.

Shaun the Sheep: Tales From Mossy Bottom

Related to my Aardman fascination earlier this month. I tried reading a varieties of Shaun the Sheep books — most of which are mediocre at best — but the Tales From Mossy Bottom Farm series is genuinely good. Just chapter books, of course, but the illustrations match the series’ concept art and each story feels like it could have jumped directly out of an episode. They’re just cute and feel-good! Kinda like Footrot Flats but more for kids, and from the sheep’s perspective moreso than the dog’s.

stardust crusaders: with a s/o who does ballet

tw // none

contains: kujo jotaro, joseph joestar, kakyoin noriaki, muhammad avdol, jean pierre polnareff with a s/o who does ballet + nutcracker references. neutral!reader.

dora's note: this was a request from a sweet anon... i unwillingly posted it when it was unfinished and i lost the original ask because i had to delete it. if you're seeing this, i hope you enjoy it~🤍

word count: 1.9k

kujo jotaro

↳ he didn't really want to have anything to do with this ballet thing at first, but when he noticed how passionate you were about it and how much dancing meant for you, he understood it was no joke.

↳ you'd never imagine jotaro watching ballet, but he ended up gladly coming to see every performance of yours.

↳ after all, he's secretly so glad that your passion isn't something tiring for him or too loud. relaxing in front of a good performance of yours is way better for him than go traveling somewhere or even get into dance clubs.

↳ he's obviously heard of the nutcracker before, so when he hears from you that you'll have to perform in it, jotaro's gonna look up for it and make some research to be more informed about it.

↳ jotaro will never say it out loud, but all the efforts you put into ballet and into rehearsals scare him. he'd rather see you more relaxed and doesn't really know how to deal with it.

↳ he's not good at taking care of his own tiredness, go figure someone else's. but he'll definitely do his best. don't expect too many displays of affection, but he will.

↳ "i can move the sofa out of the way if you wanna have a quick rehearsal in the living room."

↳ while you do rehearse for the nutcracker, he'd spy on you from behind the book he's reading on the couch. don't ever tell him you notice that.

↳ the consequence of this, is that you'll probably find yourself in star platinum's arms as soon as you seem to be losing your balance. the man wouldn't let you fall so easily, he definitely keeps an eye on you.

↳ the man is used to you stretching your muscles almost everywhere around the house. he wouldn't be surprised if he woke up to you trying the splits even in your sleep. jotaro used to look at you as if you were alien at first, but now his mind accepted the fact that ballet dancers do be just flexible.

↳ jotaro is glad you have such a passion, so that during festivities like christmas or for your birthday, he knows ballet accessories will be appreciated. easy gift! but don't tell anyone.

joseph joestar

↳ oh gosh, joseph is such a supportive man. he's not a ballet kind of man, but it all becomes meaningless when it comes to supporting you. the man is gonna love ballet if it's you on the stage!

↳ definitely wants to try it too. he's kinda funny when he tries to dance with you, but you can tell he's doing his best.

↳ would you like to be spoilt? i hope so, because joseph is gonna use his huge amount of money to buy you unexpected gifts in the form of new ballet clothing, accessories and special pointe shoes with your name on them.

↳ when he gets to know you had a role in the nutcracker, he's on cloud nine and incredibly proud of you. he also specifies that his alarm clock's ringtone is one of the pieces from the nutcracker. oof.

↳ he's the kind of man who would help stretching your muscles or train with you. while you dance on the soothing music, he's gonna do push-ups or something for his muscles. on the soothing music.

↳ feeling responsible for a role in a piece like the nutcracker can easily be stressful. if you happen to have any breakdown, with joseph you won't be alone. he knows how to deal with you.

↳ but he also knows you don't like to rely on someone, above all on him, to be comforted. joseph always helps you and you don't want him to be overwhelmed. but he'll pull you closer using his hermit purple.

↳ "remember to dance and feel for yourself. not just to please whoever's gonna look at you."

↳ after you told him it's recommended to hit pointe shoes on the wall or scratch their bottom part, he'll always want to do that for you.

↳ he probably learns to reevaluate ballet thanks to you, your passion and the way you involve him in what you enjoy doing. if you're happy like that, then joseph is happy too, and he'll never stop reminding you that. he hasn't lost a single performance of yours.

↳ a downside (or perk) of having joseph as your main supporter is that he'll always make himself recognizable as the one who screams during your performances. what a man.

kakyoin noriaki

↳ probably differently from what you think, he won't even care about ballet. not because he doesn't care about what you like, just because he thinks he shouldn't try to say anything about it since he's a gamer.

↳ but that's only until you show him the emerald accessories you bought to match hierophant green's aesthetic. then, he's amazed.

↳ hierophant green is even more amazed than kakyoin himself, it won't stop nuzzling against you because he's grateful about the fact that you bought it for him purposely. the stand is deeply affectionate to you.

↳ get ready for a lot of questions coming from your cherry boy. noriaki is new to this world, and realized what stands behind ballet is much more tiring and stressful than anything that stands behind videogames, somehow.

↳ he gets scared when you mention the nutcracker. luckily, you immediately explain it's just the title of a ballet representation in which you had a role. phew. he thought you were gonna dance on nuts to crack them.

↳ kakyoin gets easily concerned when you stretch next to him. he lives in the constant fear and panic that you will suddenly break a leg or get bad muscle pain.

↳ he can't understand the struggles of doing ballet, but will probably look for anything to help on the internet. he got traumatized by pointe shoes. someone save this man's soul, please.

↳ "ballet scares me... but listen, do you have any performances planned, by chance? i wanna see..."

↳ probably brought jotaro with him to watch your performance in order to show you off to someone. he's a proud boyfriend.

↳ noriaki is the kind of boyfriend who would bring a professional camera to your performances in order to get some videos of you dancing recorded. he definitely watches them when he's alone in his room, and asks himself how can he have such a talented s/o.

↳ he set up some led lights in a room, for you to be able to create the correct atmosphere when you feel like rehearsing. there are many colors. the coolest thing he's ever bought for you.

muhammad avdol

↳ even if he's your boyfriend, he does behave like a dad. as soon as he gets to know you're into ballet, he'll turn into a proud parent. avdol's got no time to concern, he'll just be really happy for you have a passion like that.

↳ he'd read tarot cards for you everytime before a performance, and they always turn out positive. if they don't, he'll just tell you to be really careful.

↳ muhammad's always chill around you while you rehearse and tries not to look at you too much or interact too many times in order to not to distract you, but deep down, he's your number one fan and would look at you for hours.

↳ he tells everyone, when you get chosen to play a role in the nutcracker. it's something that gets often performed, but it's also so known that he takes it as if you were about to become a hollywood star.

↳ if you need someone's shoulder to cry on, he'll be the first one to embrace you. ballet isn't easy, and as much as he cherishes your passion, he'll always check on how you feel about it.

↳ last time he got too excited about your stage clothing, magician's red risked burning a pointe shoe of yours. luckily, avdol managed to handle it. he scolded his stand afterwards, but you petted it instead.

↳ no avdol, you can't get closer to the stage to take photos. you can take them from your seat. he's just like elementary school moms who want to take quality pictures of their children.

↳ "i know, falling during a performance feels horrible... come here, let me get you some ice..."

↳ he's the ceo of do-not-overwork-yourself and of if-you-feel-tired-please-stop. avdol will spoil you with cuddles after every rehearsal.

↳ if he notices you keep on comparing yourself to your fellow dancers, he'll make sure he makes you understand you're worth it just the way you are, and that you don't need to be like someone else to be talented. you'll always be his favourite either way, so you don't have to worry at all.

↳ you've let him decorate some accessories with patterns which are typical of his culture. your ballet teacher allowed you to dance in them. you couldn't be happier than that.

jean pierre polnareff

↳ have you said ballet? he loves ballet, those graceful way of dancing, the classical music, the whole atmosphere's just perfect for him, might it be because of the romantic part of his frenchness, but he's gonna cherish your passion.

↳ he's gonna dance with you. jean doesn't know how to do it, of course. but will still do that. he just enjoys it. just let him.

↳ the man treats you to special meals after rehearsals, or maybe some bubble tea, warm chocolate, or anything he has at home that he can serve you as a treat. dancing is important, but having a full stomach matters more.

↳ as soon as you come out of your latest lesson and tell him you've been chosen to have a role in the nutcracker, he'd immediately pick you up and pepper you with kisses and reminders of how proud of you he is.

↳ he'd jokingly behave like a dance teacher, keeping your timings in check. nothing serious, of course, if you told him you feel like taking a pause, he'd stop and get you a glass of fresh water.

↳ the two of you just have a lot of fun like that. you allow yourself to combine successfully some quality time with the man you love and your passion for ballet.

↳ "you're doing so well, listen to your man, you're gonna shine, babe, like the sun! trés bien!"

↳ you two once had to interrupt a rehearsal without finishing it properly, because he had said your pointe shoes looked just like his hair and you couldn't hold back the laughter.

↳ polnareff's the kind of boyfriend who doesn't want to be in the audience during performances of yours, he has a special place in your dressing room and is allowed to come in and be your emotional support. nobody's gonna keep him from being there for you!

↳ most of the time, he uses silver chariot - carefully - to move people out of the way in order to get to you. this obviously confuses non stand users, but that doesn't matter to him, as far as he can get to you.

↳ he brings food with him, when he comes to see your performances, so that he can feed you after it ends. as i said before, dancing is important, but for jean, eating is essential!

Cowboy Like Me

Read Cowboy Like Me on AO3

Masterlist

Written for Maribat March Day 5 - Last Time

Now I know, I'm never gonna love again

Marinette was a terrible sentimentalist. After such a bad breakup it might have been cathartic to tear up the pictures of them, but Marinette just couldn't do it. No, she could bring herself to destroy the evidence of her six-year relationship. Marinette kept all the pictures, all the movie tickets, all the handwritten notes and put them in a shoebox at the top of her closet, somewhere that she couldn't reach without the help of a stepstool. Maybe the pads of her fingers could brush against the smooth cardboard if she stood on her tiptoes. But Marinette could never open it again. Inside that shoebox were the memories of being in love, kept safe, locked away, just out of reach.

As Marinette boarded the plane, she looked back on everything that had gone wrong. Though the cause of all the destruction in her life was uncertain, Marinette could pinpoint the effects exactly. There were a few things Marinette knew for certain: Marinette would never fall in love again, the city Marinette once loved now only held bad memories, and once the plane took off, Marinette would say goodbye to Paris for the last time.

Never wanted love, just a fancy car

The socialite scene of Gotham was dreadfully boring in the winter, Marinette learned. The weather was so brutal that anyone who could afford a second house in Key West or Malibu left as soon as the first snow-fall hit. Marinette stayed inside her penthouse apartment for weeks, designing her wardrobe for the next few months. It had been so long since she had been able to design for herself, without input from anyone else. It was freeing, to work with the colors, the patterns, the styles that she wanted. Marinette had forgotten what freedom felt like. For so long, she had worked for the whims of others, crafting to someone else's design.

Marinette made her first friend two weeks after the move. Silver St. Cloud was Marinette's neighbor in the apartment to the left. Silver was a model and influencer, and a self-proclaimed expert on all of the rich single men in Gotham. Upon their first meeting, Silver offered to show Marinette around Gotham and introduce her to the socialite scene. Marinette, hesitant but hopeful, accepted.

"Bruce Wayne is the best that Gotham has to offer," said Silver as they leave Starbucks, lattes in hand. "But there are plenty of men who are worth your attention - women too, if that's what you prefer."

"Bruce Wayne is the best?"

Silver nodded. "The Waynes have owned this city for as long as Gotham has been on a map. I wouldn't set your sights on him completely, though. Bruce Wayne doesn't date anyone, not even a former member of Kitty Section."

Kitty Section was known around the world, the biggest band to come out of France in the last decade. Their songs topped charts. Their albums won awards. Their well-crafted image of reclusive, mysterious artists led to a media sensation over the members of Kitty Section. Everyone wanted to know them - Luka Couffaine and Marinette Dupain-Cheng, the lead vocalists whose relationship enchanted their fans. Rose Lavillant, the backing vocalist and keyboardist, and Juleka Couffaine, the bass guitarist, who were unashamed of their love for each other. Ivan Bruel, the mysterious drummer who had the name Mylène carved into his drumsticks. They were famous. They were at the top of their game. They were unstoppable.

Marinette ruined it all when she left the band. Her split had been big news, exposing a dark side of Kitty Section that their fans were never supposed to see. But after their breakup, Marinette quickly realized that she never loved music. She loved Luka, and once that love faded away, she loved nothing.

"I guess I'll find someone else," said Marinette, but it was a lie. There was Luka Couffaine, and after that, there was no one else. She might be able to love fancy dresses and expensive cars, but Marinette would never love a person again, not the way she loved Luka. When it came to love (deep, true love, not just the infatuations of childhood) Luka was her first time, Luka was her only time, and Luka would be her last time.

Perched in the dark, telling all the rich folks anything they wanna hear

Marinette quickly learned the art of charming everyone she met, either through her impressive resume (founding member of Kitty Section) or through her newfound ability to flirt. It turns out, once you turn off your feelings it becomes very easy to pretend that you can still love.

Marinette and Silver became thick as thieves. The girls became a popular pair, charming every birthday brunch and charity dinner. For Silver, it was all about networking. As she explained to Marinette, "I'm trying to create a brand. I'm trying to turn my own name into something that can be sold, and for that, I need connections.

For Marinette, it was something to do. As long as she used her money wisely, Marinette had enough saved to comfortably live out the rest of her days. The real problem came in finding something to pass the time. Marinette rarely felt joy in living her life, the way she used to back when she was a child, the bright-eyed girl who aspired to be a designer. Now, everything from charming a billionaire to designing a new dress felt like a chore.

"Come meet Bruce Wayne," urged Silver as she grabbed Marinette's hand. "He just got back from Nepal. It's his first time in Gotham in six months. He skipped his own New Year's Gala to go soul-searching in the Himalayas. It's my job tonight to convince him to stay in town for longer than a week."

There was a determination to Silver's voice. From everything she had heard about Bruce Wayne, Marinette doubted that Silver could make him change his ways. However, that wouldn't stop Marinette from helping her new-found friend.

Silver's whole body-language changed, shifting from a determined march to a delicate float as she made her way over to a dark-haired man in a well-fitted tux. "Hello, Bruce. It's so nice to see you again."

"Silver." Bruce acknowledged her, sounding bored. "Who's your friend?"

"This is Marinette Dupain-Cheng. She was the lead singer of Kitty Section before the band split up a few months ago."

"Kitty Section... I might have heard of them before. The band was... French?"

Marinette nodded. "Yes. All the members were born and raised in Paris. Have you heard of any of our music?

"I'm certain now that I have. It was very... commercial."

Marinette ought to have slapped him across the face right then and there. Not only was commercial not a compliment, but it also wasn't even true. It was the biggest criticism of Kitty Section, their reticence to work with popular music trends. Despite her overwhelming desire to assault the most wealthy and influential man in the ballroom, Marinette instead steeled her face and gave Bruce a pleasant smile. "Thank you. So what do you do for a living, Mister Wayne."

"I travel."

Marinette resisted the urge to roll her eyes. He spoke two words to her. The conversation was anything but interesting. "How interesting. Have you ever been to Paris?"

"I'm not a tourist, Miss Dupain-Cheng. I travel to much more interesting places."

Marinette officially gave up on the conversation. She would let Silver (who looked to be itching to have her turn to talk to Bruce) try and fix the train-wreck of a conversation that Bruce created. "You sound like a man with a lot of stories to tell. I hope you can tell me them over lunch someday."

"Perhaps."

Marinette gave Bruce her politest smile. "I have to excuse myself. Silver, why don't you tell Bruce about your new sponsorship from Lululemon."

Silver lit up. "Oh, you have to hear about this email I got last week. It was amazing, it's so good for my brand..."

Marinette walked away, letting her distaste towards Bruce leave her. Secretly, a little part of her hoped that Bruce would leave Gotham, as he was well-known for doing. Though Silver was her friend, Marinette didn't think she could pretend to like Bruce.

"He's intolerable, isn't he?" joked a voice from beside Marinette.

Marinette turned to face the stranger, a beautiful woman, taller than Marinette by quite a few inches, with dark hair, dark eyes, and tanned skin. She wore a dress of royal blue silk, so elegant it reminded Marinette of the sort of thing she always dreamed of making. "Who?"

"Bruce Wayne. Who else would it be?"

Marinette let out a quiet laugh. "He is quite unpleasant. I take it you know him."

"I accompanied him on some of his travels. Bruce is a good friend of mine, but these parties tend to bring out the worst in him. He hates this city and he especially hates the wealthy of this city." The woman grabbed a glass of wine off of a server's tray and handed it to Marinette, who gratefully took it.

"Then I doubt Silver will have any luck convincing him to stay." Marinette tried to keep the satisfaction out of her tone, but the woman laughed anyways, an indication that it didn't work.

"You're quite funny..." The woman paused for an introduction.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng. And you are?"

"Diana-"

The sound of shattering glass interrupted Diana's introduction. The crowd started to get frantic, and Marinette was pushed one way while Diana was pushed the other. The glass of wine was knocked out of Marinette's hand, staining the fabric of her dress. Marinette struggled to stay on her feet, desperate to not twist an ankle in her four-inch heels.

"Listen up!" shouted an oddly-dressed man. "You're all going to listen to me, and no one will get hurt."

Marinette had a very odd feeling that this would be a moment she remembered for the rest of her life.

Never thought I'd meet you here. It could be love

"They're calling him a supervillain. Apparently, his name is The Riddler," reported Marinette, looking up from her phone, where she was reading about the events of the night before.

Silver glanced up from her seat on the sofa across the room where she was painting her nails a delicate shade of pink. "It's about time Gotham got its own supervillain. Metropolis has had Superman and all the villains that follow him around for years."

Marinette snorted out a laugh. "You think that a supervillain is a good thing?"

"Sure. It means that Gotham will be getting a superhero of its own soon." Silver brightened up. "Plus, the hostage situation from last night meant that I got to spend a whole two hours with Bruce."

Marinette groaned. "I can't believe that you two are going on a date. Bruce Wayne is one of the most insufferable men I've ever met."

"It's not a date. Bruce specified it as just dinner between friends. You should come too, Marinette. I'm sure that once you spend some time with Bruce you'll warm up to him."

Marinette gave Silver a skeptical look. "You want me to come with you on your date with Bruce?"

"Again, it's not a date. Bruce said that he would be bringing one of his friends along as well."

Marinette finally understood Silver's intentions. "You want me to come with you so that I can partner up with Bruce's friend, and you can get some alone time with Bruce."

"Well it doesn't sound very nice when you put it that way," huffed Silver.

Marinette giggled. "I love devious plans. We'll just have to make it look natural."

It took a little time to get all the details, but Marinette and Silver got their plan in order. Silver would arrive first and meet Bruce and his friend. Marinette would arrive later, strike up a one-on-one conversation with Bruce's friend, and spend the night engaging Bruce's friend in conversation so that Silver could flirt with Bruce. Marinette's only concern about the evening was that Bruce's friend would be just as unbearable to talk to as Bruce himself.

The restaurant that Bruce picked out was very fancy, but Marinette didn't mind. It allowed her to wear her new dress, a pale blue and silver creation meant to mimic the shimmering quality of ice. Marinette thought it might be a little too experimental for the old-fashioned Gotham society, but Silver approved of it, and Marinette trusted her friend.

As soon as Marinette walked through the doors her eyes caught sight of Silver's white-blonde hair. Then she noticed Bruce sitting beside her friend, his eyes trained on Silver with an odd intensity. Finally, Marinette noticed Bruce's friend. She was shocked to see that it was Diana, the very woman that Marinette had met at yesterday's gala, the very woman whose introduction was interrupted by the untimely arrival of the Riddler. For a second, Marinette was shocked into stillness. The chaos of the night before had overshadowed her meeting with Diana to the extent that Marinette had forgotten how very charmed she had been by Diana. Now, it seemed Marinette had the perfect opportunity to get to know the charismatic woman from the night before.

"Marinette," the surprise in Diana's tone told Marinette that she was just as blind-sighted by their meeting.

"Hello, Diana. Fancy meeting you here," said Marinette with a smile.

Bruce raised one eyebrow. "I didn't know you two knew each other."

"We met last night," explained Diana. "I wanted to let her knew that you aren't usually so insufferable."

Bruce looked affronted. "I wasn't insufferable."

"You lied about having listened to Kitty Section," piped up Marinette. "There are a lot of valid criticisms of Kitty Section. However, our music being too commercial is not one of them."

Bruce had the decency to look guilty. "I apologize, then. I'll make sure to take the time to give your music a real listen."

For Silver's sake, Marinette was willing to forgive him. "Maybe next time you can give me some real criticism."

Bruce nodded graciously. "I'll do that."

Diana took that moment to bring back up their introduction the night before. "So Marinette, I don't believe we got the chance to finish our introductions last night. I'm Diana Prince, newly a curator at Gotham's Art and History Museum."

"I'm Marinette Dupain-Cheng, former member of Kitty Section, currently taking a soul-searching sabbatical."

"Soul-searching for what?" asked Diana.

"I suppose I'm trying to figure out what I'm going to do with the rest of my life. When I was younger I was so passionate about fashion. I made my own clothes, entered my creations into design contests, spent years creating a portfolio. I'm trying to rediscover that passion."

"Maybe you could show me your designs some time," offered Diana.

"I would like that," agreed Marinette.

"Actually," chimed in Silver, "Marinette made the dress she's wearing right now."

"Really? I would have assumed that it was professionally made. It's a gorgeous dress," praised Diana.

Marinette blushed, a warm fluttery feeling stirring deep within her. The rest of the night passed in a blur, with Marinette hanging on Diana's every word. It was easy to talk to Diana. She was so naturally charming that Marinette couldn't help but enjoy herself. As the evening winded down, Marinette felt only regret that they would have to part so soon.

As Marinette stood outside the restaurant, waiting for a taxi, she felt Diana's hand settle on her shoulder. It had been a while since Marinette had felt such an intimate touch. "I had a nice time talking to you tonight." The feel of Diana's fingers gently trailing down Marinette's arms was almost more than Marinette, touch-starved and hungry for more, could bear.

Marinette smiled. "I did too. I hope to see more of you."

"I'm sure you will." Marinette took comfort in the certainty in Diana's voice.

And in the back of her mind, Marinette began to rethink her policy of never falling in love again. Something about Diana made Marinette think that Luka wouldn't be her last time after all.

And the skeletons in both our closets plotted hard to fuck this up

Marinette could not believe he did this. After everything they had been through together, Marinette's one final request to Luka was that he not release a song about their breakup. But there it was, top of the charts, the lead single of Luka's new solo album, Different Cities. And if it wasn't bad enough that Luka broke the only promise she asked him to keep, included in the song was a snippet of the last voicemail she sent to him. She left it for him weeks after they broke up, as an explanation to him, to let him know she was leaving Gotham.

In the last few seconds of the song, Marinette's voice is hesitant as she speaks. "I know that you wanted me to stay so that we could work things out, but I don't think that our relationship is fixable. So I guess I'm calling to tell you that I give up. I'm leaving Paris next Friday. I've already bought the plane ticket. You can't change my mind. Goodbye, Luka."

It was the rawest emotion Marinette had shown since the breakup, and Luka exploited it for his own gain.

Marinette spent the day joylessly deleting emails from various news outlets begging her to tell her side of the story. As if she would give Luka the satisfaction of giving free publicity. Everyone loved drama, so Marinette was going to make her reaction - or lack of reaction, in this case - as boring as possible.

Every time her phone rang, Marinette ignored it. The voicemails started to stack up, and eventually, Marinette found herself going through them one-by-one. One from Alya, letting Marinette know that she was there for her when she wanted to talk. One from Adrien, more joking in tone, trying to cheer Marinette up. One from Ivan, directly threatening to punch Luka in the face if Marinette wanted it (and that was the only voicemail that actually brought her spirits up). One from Juleka, an apology.

In the voicemail, Juleka's voice was rough, like she had been crying. "I'm so sorry, Marinette. I begged Luka not to release it, but he wouldn't listen to me. He said- he- he said-" Juleka broke off into a sob, and Marinette couldn't help but sniffle along with her. "I can hardly recognize him anymore. Rose and I aren't on speaking terms with him now. He's no longer my brother."

Marinette wished that she could pick up the phone and tell Juleka that it was okay to forgive Luka, but Marinette couldn't. The wound was still fresh, still bleeding out.

One step forward, one steps back. Two days after Marinette considered the idea of loving again, and she was right back where she started - in too much pain to even consider friendship, let alone love.

Speak of the devil, Marinette's phone rang, Diana's name lighting up on the screen. Part of her wanted to throw her phone across the room and curl up under her blankets. The other parts of her answered the call. "Hello?" spoke Marinette, wiping away the moisture at the corner of her eyes.

"Marinette, are you okay?" Diana's voice was soft. It was the most comforting thing Marinette had ever heard.

"Not really. I can't decide if I want to punch Luka in the face or if it would hurt too much to ever see him again."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Marinette sighed. "I met Luka when I was fourteen. He was my classmate Juleka's older brother. Luka had his own band, so all the girls in our class thought that Luka was so cool, but he mostly ignored us. Then one day his backing vocalist got bronchitis and he needed someone to fill in. I was a soloist for the school chorus, so I volunteered. Luka was hesitant to let me join his band until he heard me sing. He told me I had the voice of an angel. Two days later he kissed me, and I fell in love with him so hard and so fast I didn't have a chance to consider if he was really the one."

Marinette took a deep breath, then continued, "It was a whirlwind after that. We started dating. We started a new band and named it Kitty Section. We started writing songs together. The weird part was, he never asked how I felt about any of it. He never asked me if I wanted to date him, he never asked if I wanted to join the band, he always assumed that I wanted what he wanted."

"And what did you want?" asked Diana.

"Back then, I thought I wanted a future with Luka. Now, I guess I just want to feel passion again. I've felt so empty since I left him."

"You might feel better with some company. Do you want me to come over to your place?"

Marinette looked around at her empty apartment, at the way the shadows filled the room, at the way seemed to lurk in every corner. "Sure."

"You could show me some of those designs you were telling me about the other day," suggested Diana.

Marinette glanced over at her sketchbook, which had laid empty for months. "That sounds good."

As she hung up the phone, Marinette realized that talking to Diana had made her feel a bit better. The knife wound that Luka had left in her heart had begun to close up at the edges. Marinette took a deep breath and picked up her sketchbook. If she wanted to rediscover her passion, she needed to work for it.

Now you hang from my lips, like the Gardens of Babylon

Marinette let out an appreciative noise as Diana re-entered the room, modeling one of Marinette's creations. "Give me a little spin."

Diana turned herself around, letting the red fabric swirl around her legs. Something about the way that the dress looked on Diana made it so much prettier in Marinette's eyes. Suddenly the fabric wasn't just red, it was carmine. The dress wasn't just being worn, it was being modeled. It didn't just move, it flowed. "It's a gorgeous dress," complimented Diana as she looked over her shoulder at the mirror behind her to admire it.

"It is nice, isn't it." Marinette had been so caught up in her head she had forgotten to truly admire her creation. Suddenly an idea occurred to her. "You should keep it. One of Bruce's charity galas is coming up in a few weeks. You could wear it there."

"I couldn't," protested Diana.

Marinette shook her head. "It looks best on you. I could never pull off such a vibrant shade of red." There was a second part to the sentence that was left unspoken. If Marinette made the dress knowing that it wouldn't look good on her, she must have made it for another reason. She must have made it with Diana in mind.

Diana smiled, seeming to have caught those unspoken words. "Well if I'm going to wear the dress, you'll have to put up with me gushing about how talented you are all night long."

Marinette flushed. "It's no big deal. It's just a dress."

"It's not just a dress. It's your passion." There was truth in Diana's words that Marinette couldn't deny. It was so much more than a dress. It was the passion for design that Diana had helped her rediscover. It was the newfound friendship with Diana that chased away the loneliness and despair that had taken over her life. It was the glimmer of hope for a future with Diana.

Takes one to know one, you're a cowboy like me

Diana looked beyond gorgeous in that carmine dress. Marinette could keep her eyes off of her as they mingled around the ballroom. Marinette's dress was nice, made with the same passion that Marinette had in her younger years, but it paled in comparison to Diana. However, Diana made up for this disparity by gleefully explaining that Marinette was the creator of the dress every time it was complimented. By the end of the night, Marinette had spent so much time blushing over compliments that she worried her face would become permanently flushed.

The gala was a complete success for everyone involved. The charity, which happened to benefit Gotham Child Protective Services, raised twice their goal amount. Marinette got to spend time with Diana. Even Silver had spent the night looking very pleased with herself, her hand resting on Bruce's forearm as they walked through the ballroom together.

As the night winded down, Marinette and Diana found themselves walking out of Wayne Manor towards Diana's car. Diana had offered to drive Marinette there and back, and Marinette had eagerly accepted. Marinette hated driving in Gotham, as Gotham was known for its aggressive drivers and high rates of automobile accidents.

Marinette sat down in the passenger seat with a sigh, kicking off her heels. "Tonight was nice."

"It was nice," Diana agreed. "We'll have to attend galas together more often."

"You just want an excuse to get your hands on another one of my dresses," teased Marinette.

Diana laughed. "I wouldn't say no to another dress. But really, Bruce's rich friends are much more bearable when I have someone to make fun of them afterward with."

Marinette shuddered. "And to think I thought that Bruce was bad. His friends are intolerable. I never want to talk about golf again in my life."

The two women chatted as they drove through the dark streets of Gotham, back to Marinette's apartment.

"Thanks for driving me home," said Marinette as the car pulled up in front of her apartment building.

"It was no problem." Diana hesitated, before continuing. "I was wondering if you would like to go out to dinner with me tomorrow night."

"Dinner sounds good," Marinette replied, strapping her shoes back on.

"I'm asking for this to be a date." Diana finished.

Marinette looked up at her, surprised. Her friendship with Diana had been so easy that Marinette had forgotten that it could be anything else. She had half a mind to decline, to stay in the familiar, but that little bit of hope in her heart urged Marinette to take a leap of faith and accept. "I would like that. What time will you pick me up?"

Diana smiled, her whole face lighting up. "How does six sound?"

Marinette smiled back, her heart feeling lighter than it had in years. "Sounds great. I'll see you tomorrow."

And as Marinette got ready for bed, she realized that all of the sadness that lingered in her heart since the breakup had gone away. All that was left for her to feel was hope for the future.

@maribatmarch-2k21

The One With The Stoned Guy Part Two (Amuse Bouche)

Sorry it took so long! But here is the next part to the Friends Rewrite. I’m just kind of writing when I find time. Enjoy all!!!!!!

Last Part (Part One), Series Masterlist

It was the next morning and the night before was the first night where you actually slept at Bryan’s apartment, you didn’t even go to yours and Ross’s apartment. But no you found yourself walking toward Monica and Rachel’s apartment for early breakfast before everyone went off to work or in your case school and the work. “Good morning,” you cheered with a smile. Everyone in the living room bid you a good morning in return while Joey sat there and stared at you with that same sad dog expression. So Ross must have told him that you never went home. “So, I heard you didn’t make it home last night.” Rachel confirmed your suspicions, but apparently Ross just decided to up and tell everybody.

“Yeah, last night was my first night actually staying there,” you smiled brightly at her when you thought about all of the adventures that you had with Bryan.

“You really like him, don’t you?” Rachel asked as she scrunched up her face and came closer to you to make your conversation a bit more private. You were about to answer her when all of a sudden the apartment door slammed from behind you. 

“Can you see my nipples through this shirt?” Your big brother asked after he entered. He made sure to lift up his suit jacket so that all of you could have a good look. 

“No,” Rachel answered for him as she carefully looked. “But don’t worry I’m sure they’re still there.” You laughed at her harmless joke. 

“Where’re you going Mr. Suity-Man?” Phoebe asked him from her spot in the living room next to Ross.

“Well,” Chandler reached into his inside jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. “I have an appointment to see Dr. Robert Pillman, career counselor a-go-go.” You listened to him as you took a seat on the couch, but realized that you sat too close to Joey like you used to. So you had to awkwardly slide in the opposite direction no matter if it made you a little upset and Joey very. “I added the a-go-go.” Chandler emphasized as all of them ignored the thing that just happened. 

“A career counselor?” Rachel asked him, wondering why he was going to see this guy. 

“Hey, you guys all know what you want to do.” Chandler whined to you all as he started to get defensive. 

“I don’t,” Rachel chimed in. 

“Hey, you guys in the living room all know what you want to do. You have goals, you have dreams. I don’t have a dream!” Chandler declared. But no matter how serious he tried to come across as, you all still found it a little funny. 

“Ah, the lesser-known “I don’t have a dream,” speech.” Ross called Chandler out on his mistake. 

“Y/N/N?” Chandler asked and placed his hand on your shoulder so that you would turn in your seat and look at him. “How did you know you wanted to go to Esthetician school?” He only asked because you had taken such a big leap to follow your dreams even if it made a few other people unhappy.

“I don’t know really. I just never really enjoyed or got into anything that I was learning while I went to college. But I always enjoyed skin and skincare and makeup, so once I actually found a career in it. I just decided to go for it.” You explained. “And even though it was terrifying at first, I know that it was the perfect decision.” Chandler couldn’t find words, he was just so proud and jealous of you. He just wished that he could find something that he was just as passionate about. 

“Oh, I love my life! I love my life!” Monica cheered as she had just gotten back from an interview with that restaurant guy. She was beaming from ear to ear and it looked like it hurt. 

“Oh, Brian’s Song.” Phoebe guessed, thinking that Monica was quoting a song. 

“The meeting with that guy went great?” Rachel asked her after Phoebe’s strange outburst. 

“It was so great. He showed me where the restaurant’s going to be. It’s this cute little place on 10th Street; it’s not too big, it’s not too small. It’s just right.” Monica beamed as she shared her experience for her new job opportunity. 

“Was it formerly owned by by a blonde woman and some bears?” Chandler joked, when Monica accidentally quoted the famous nursery rhyme. 

“So, anyway I’m cooking dinner for him Monday night. You know, kind of like an audition.” Monica continued as she just ignored everything that Chandler just said. “And Phoebe he really wants you to be there,” she explained as she made her way over to the woman in the living room. “Which would be great for me because then you can make oh’s and ah’s and you can make yummy noises.”

“What’re you going to make?” Rachel asked Monica. 

“Yummy noises,” Phoebe answered instead, acting like it was obvious.

“And Monica, what are you gonna make?” You asked, changing the question to one that everyone could understand. 

“I don’t know. It’s just got to be so great.” Monica answered you as she walked over to her shelf of cookbooks to try and come up with some ideas. 

“Oh! I know what you should make.” Phoebe announced as she ran over to join Monica and Rachel in the kitchen. Almost knocking you down in the process as you made your way over to them, as well. “You should make that thing with the stuff.” Phoebe said as she sprinkled imaginary spices into her hand. “You know that...thing.” She just couldn’t think of it. But Phoebe could tell she wasn’t getting through to any of you. “Okay, I don’t know.” She finally gave up. 

“Hey, guys. Does anyone know a good date place in the neighborhood?” Ross asked, changing the subject. 

“Uh, how about Tony’s?” Joey suggested, and seeing as you used to date him you could see where this was going. “If you can finish a 32 ounce steak, it’s free.” Ross looked up at you for confirmation to see if he ever took you there.

“Yeah, no. That was the date from hell.” You felt bad for saying so, but it was true. 

“You said you loved it!” Joey whined. 

“Yeah, but we couldn’t finish because no human can, so you got upset and left, sticking me with the cheque.” He treated you like a queen, but you had to call a spade a spade. That date stunk. 

“Okay, does anyone know a good place if you’re not dating a puma?” Ross asked again as he joked at Joey’s answer. 

“Who are you going out with?” Chandler asked him with a chuckle. 

“Oh! Is this the bug lady?” Phoebe asked Ross. 

“I love you, Ross.” Rachel joked as she started buzzing like a bug and using her fingers as antennas. 

“Her name is Celia. She’s not a bug lady. She’s curator of insects at the museum.” Ross defended. 

“So a bug lady?” You asked since Ross was trying to be technical, but he knew that you were messing around. 

“So, what’re you guys gonna do?” Monica asked as she flipped through a cookbook at the table. 

“I just thought we’d go out to dinner and then bring her back to my place and I’d introduce her to my monkey.” Ross sounded like he was 100% joking but when you looked at him his face was serious. 

“And he’s not speaking metaphorically.” Chandler mumbled to himself. 

“So, back to your place. You’re thinking maybe, heh-heh?” Joey asked Ross as he implied sex. 

“Well, I don’t know heh-heh.” Ross said under his breath to Joey. “I’m hoping heh-heh. So Y/N can you steer clear of the apartment tonight.” You nodded even though you had nowhere to go since Monica had her dinner tonight and you and Joey were broken up. You would have to just go back to Bryan’s, oh well. Too bad. 

“I’m telling you-that monkey is a chick magnet. She’s going to take one look at his furry cute little face and it’ll seal the deal.” Joey promised him. 

*******

It was later in the evening, all of you were back at Monica and Rachel’s while Monica tried out some new recipes to have all of you try. Joey, Phoebe, and Rachel sat at the kitchen table. While you and Bryan sat alone in the living room. You really were surprised at how well everyone was getting along with Bryan, including Joey. They weren’t really best friends because clearly Joey still harbored some feelings, but they were able to be in a room together. That was all you could ask for. The both of you sat on the couch talking with Bryan’s arm wrapped around your shoulders. Bryan was about to continue the fire story that he had been meaning to tell you, but he jumped out of his seat when the apartment door slammed shut from an aggressive force. “Oh, my God. What happened to you?” Rachel asked, you kneeled on the sofa to turn and look who had entered. It was Chandler with his shirt unbuttoned slightly and tie loose, with a stack of folders looking he had had a day. 

“8 and a half hours of aptitude tests, intelligence tests, personality tests and what do I learn?” Chandler also seemed a little on edge. “You are ideally suited for a career in data processing for a large multinational cooperation.” Chandler read off of the test result that he had gotten. 

“That’s so great! Because you already know how to do that!” You cheered him on sarcastically. Bryan chuckling quietly as he looked up at you. 

“Can you believe it? Don’t I seem like somebody who should be doing something really cool?” Chandler asked all of you as he paced along the kitchen, half-heartedly waving to Bryan without looking at him. “I just always pictured myself doing something…something.” Chandler frowned down at the floor as he lightly stomped his foot.  

“Oh, Chandler, I know.” Rachel got up from her seat and half hugged the man as she patted him on his chest. “I know. Oh, hey! You can see your nipples through this shirt.” But Rachel’s realization did not seem to help Chandler as he turned his head and glared down at the woman. 

“Here you go. Maybe this will cheer you up.” Monica tried as she offered Chandler a plate of mini food. 

“Ohh, you know I had a grape about five hours ago. So I better split this with you.” He joked again as he tried to push passed his disappointing day. 

“It’s supposed to be that small, it’s a pre-appetizer. The French called it an Amuse Bouche.” Monica taught all of you. So Chandler took one for the team and popped one into his mouth, when suddenly he wasn’t as upset at the moment. 

“Well, it is amoozing.” Chandler joked even though he couldn’t help but get where Monica was coming from. 

“You’re friends are so weird.” Bryan said quietly to you as he deeply chuckled. 

“I know,” you beamed. “Isn’t it amazing.” You smiled at him in return and Bryan wrapped an arm around your waist as he pecked a kiss to your forehead. 

“Hello?” Monica said as she answered the phone that had started to ring a couple seconds ago. “Oh, hi, Wendy. Yeah 8 o’clock. What did we say, ten dollars an hour? Okay, great. I’ll see you then. Bye.” Monica hung up the quick phone call and you couldn’t help but notice the hurt and surprised look on Rachel’s face. 

“Ten dollars an hour for what?” Phoebe asked, before Rachel could jump to conclusions. 

“Oh, I asked one of the waitress’s at work to help me out.” You couldn’t help but cringe when Monica didn’t even realize her mistake. 

“Waitressing?” Rachel asked in surprise. 

“Uh-oh,” Joey sang as he stood up from his chair. 

“Of course I thought of you, but...but,” Monica couldn’t even think of an excuse. 

“But-but?” Rachel repeated for her, you could tell that she was starting to get a little upset. 

“But you see this night had to go perfect, you know.” Monica’s excuse was already flimsy. “And well, Wendy’s more of a...professional waitress.” She really was just digging herself in deeper. 

“Oh. I see, and I’ve sort of been maintaining my amature status so that I can waitress in the Olympics.” Rachel joked to hide her hurt. 

“You know, I don’t mean to brag, but I waited tables in Innsbruck in ‘76.” You added to try to make the conversation a bit more lighthearted. But Rachel did not find it funny at all when she glared at you, so you shrunk down and hid behind Bryan for protection. 

“Amuse Bouche?” Chandler offered Rachel the plate of food to try and diffuse the situation. You were about to kiss Bryan when he leaned in, but a voice made you jump up.

“Hey, Y/N.” Joey’s voice rang out.

“Yeah?” You asked, wondering what could be so important that he was interrupting your moment with Bryan. 

“We’re still on for hanging out, right?” He asked, you just furrowed your eyebrows at him. What game was he trying to play at? 

“Um, yeah. Sorry must have forgotten,” you tried to play it off. But even you knew that your face just read surprise. 

“Great, see you then,” Joey smiled. So then you tried to play it off with a smile, but you were breaking when you felt Bryan look at you with slight confusion.

Taglist:

@vampiregirl1797

@kellysimagines

 @shizzybarnaclee

Just Friends| Part Three

Timothée Chalamet Imagine: Part One Part Two Part Four Part Five

Female!Reader, Dancer/Actress!Reader, CoStar!Reader, FrenchSpeaking!Reader//4713 Words

Summary of parts one and two// Reader and Timothée are best friends. They are going to be costars on a new movie where Y/n plays a dancer and has a small, but still important, role, and Timothée’s a lead. There’s a storm and Y/n’s hotel is having issues, so she has to stay in Timothée’s apartment. Timothée and Y/n are super close, share some cute special moments, but not as anything more than friends.   

Warnings// Grammar/spelling and lack of proofreading, not gonna lie, this ends kinda angsty, just pain. P A I N. um, self-deprecating thoughts if you really squint, I’m sure sure much else, cute banter with Timmy, Zendaya and Ansel being epic friends

Key: French writing (english translation), Y/n/n-Your nickname, Y/f/n-Your first name, Y/l/n-Your last name

(Added July 2020) Note: this whole series was written before Ansel Elgort’s allegations arose, and honestly, in the most disrespectful way possible: I hope he rots in hell. I ALWAYS stand with the victim, and if that’s going to be a problem, find another series to read. If the mention of his name is triggering to you, PLEASE do not read. If you or anyone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, do not be afraid to speak up, but if that’s not the route you personally want to take: you can call 1-800-656-4673, available 24 hours every day and 100% confidential.

Not my gif: enjoy :))))

It was your last week in the most romantic city in the world, you’d had a couple of interviews, photoshoots, autograph signing events, and you were worn out to be honest, but luckily, you’d have had Timothée on your side the entire time.  It was early in the morning, you were sitting on the couch, swirling around a glass of water when your phone rang and you picked it up.

“Remember that French talk show Timothée was on last year?”

“Hello to you too Kelsey...,” you could practically feel her glaring at you through the phone, “the one he went on when he was promoting Call Me By Your Name?”

“Yes and Beautiful Boy, that one, it’s called Quotidien.” you snickered and choked on your water at her pronunciation.

“Quotidien, it means daily, Kelsey.”

“Whatever, anyway they want to do an interview with you and Timothée, and then some kind of photoshoot, I’m not sure, I’ll send you the information once I get it.”

“Okay, sounds good.”

“Have you talked to Kelly today?”

“Yeah, like twenty minutes ago.”

“She told me Julia was on set the other day, and she said Leighton was raving about you...” Julia was working in production on the movie, she was a good friend of Kelly, Kelly was considered your “assistant”, but since you think having an assistant is completely pointless, you just think of her as someone to talk to before interviews who also knows where you need to be at all times. As for Leighton, she was your choreographer. Someone you’ve heard of since you were a kid, an icon in the dance industry. You had only dreamed of working with her up until you got this role. 

“No way, you better not be fucking with me right now.”

“Yes, way. She said and I quote, ‘Y/n? She’s the least of my worries, the easiest to work with...’”

“NO WAY. Kelly didn’t say any of that.”

“I’m serious, this is great, she thinks your great. This is good for roles in the future...you can probably count on her recommendation...” that was Kelsey all right, always thinking about the next thing. To be honest, the future had been the last thing you were thinking about. 

“Alright, let’s not get ahead of ourselves.” You looked into Timothée’s room, his door open. You’d think you might’ve gotten used to early-morning Timothée by now. It’d been five weeks, and still it made your heart flutter to see him so early in the morning, his voice groggy, and his hair just a little messy. As if you and Timothée hadn’t already been close enough, the past five weeks had brought you even closer. Every night you switched off, he’d pick a movie, then you’d pick a movie. You’d have little midnight dance parties, where he’d commend you on your, as he put it, “exquisite music taste” and you’d attack him for having never really listened to Harry Styles. You almost killed him when he said his favorite song was Sign Of The Times. You thought back to the night before your first day on set.

It was almost midnight and you were starting to loose feeling in your left toe. Your skintight white tank top was holding onto your skin for dear life. You were barely sweating, you knew this turn sequence like the back of your hand, but you couldn’t sleep until you knew it was the best it could be. You’d moved the coffee table in the living room area of the apartment so you had enough space to practice, and you’d been repeating and repeating for hours. 

“Can’t sleep?” Timothée had been standing in the doorway of his room, once again, you wondered how long he’d been standing there.

“I’m so sorry, did I wake you up?” you moved the coffee table back to the center of the room, right across from the couch and made your way over to him. 

“It’s alright I couldn’t sleep anyway, wanted a glass of water,” you walked over to the kitchen counter and he poured you a glass as well, “You know, you really need to get some sleep.” He sat down next to you, rubbing your shoulder trying to comfort you. 

“I’m just really nervous.”  you took another sip of your water, trying to ignore the feeling of his hand on your exposed shoulder. 

“You’ve been practicing on and off all day, you’ll be fine, you’ll be great actually. I’ve seen you do those turn things so many times I practically have them memorized,” he playfully shoved you before leaving his chair and sitting his glass in the sink, “Get some sleep, I’ll see you in the morning.”

“Goodnight T,” you watched him walk back into his room.

“Goodnight Y/n/n,”

You walked into Timothée’s room and laid down on the bed next to him, lightly shaking him until he woke up.  

“So, they want us to do a French Interview...” 

“Damn Y/n. No good morning Timothée, sorry to have awaken you...” he grabbed a pillow and covered his head, you snaked your way under the blankets to nestle yourself in his arms. 

“Good morning Timothée.”

“Good morning Y/n.” He pulled his head out from under the pillow to look you in the eyes.

“We should eat.”

“Y/n, I cannot believe it’s been five weeks and yet you still won’t open the fridge yourself...”

“It’s not my apartment T,” you sat up and walked to the kitchen.

“You’re so fucking polite it kills me,” he groaned and got out of bed. He opened the fridge and grabbed some fruit, just like the first night. 

“The talk show, It’s the one you did those two times, for Call Me By Your Name and Beautiful Boy...”

“I remember, that’ll be fun. The host is really funny.”

“Like you funny...or?”

“Oh. Okay. I see how it is Miss Y/l/n” he picked up a blueberry and threw it your face. 

“You don’t wanna start this with me, Timothée,” another blueberry hit your face.

“Oh, I think I do...” you picked up a raspberry and threw it at his nose. It was a good thing a whole food fight didn’t break when Timothée’s phone rang. 

“It’s Celine,” he mouthed to you as he walked into his phone to continue to talk to his publicist. 

You wanted to slap yourself every time he looked at you. How is he real? How is someone so smart, so kind, so caring, and yet still so attractive. How is someone simply just perfect. 

The next day, Timothée and you took a cab to the interview venue. You got your outfit picked out, a cute little dress, and your hair done. You were freaking out, to be honest. You were nervous more than usual interviews, hopping you didn’t screw up your French. You were makeup for the interview, that you were already losing your shit over. It was your last one before you had to head back to the city, where you were set to be working with another choreographer of your dreams, training for another show, the dance world never sleeps.

“Holy fuck, I’m really nervous.” You looked up at Kelly. 

“Y/n it’s French television, calm yourself.” Kelly knew better than to actually try to calm you down after working with you for so long. Your makeup artist giggled and steadied your chin as she continued to wipe away the powder still on your face. 

“Doesn’t change the number of people that are gonna see it...,” Timothée opened the door to your trailer and sat in a chair next to you.

“Êtes-vous prêt à aller?” (Are you ready to go?) 

“No.” You glared at him.

“Come onnn. You’ll be fine. Votre maquillage est superbe.” (Your makeup looks great.)

“Merci,” (thank you) you turned to your makeup artist who had just finished up final touches, “he said my makeup looks great.” She gave him a quick thank you and you thanked her as well. Kelly came in and told you they needed you both stage left to get ready to go on. 

When they called your names Timothée escorted you with one hand on your lower back as you made your way to your seats. You knew twitter was gonna loose it’s shit over that later. The host shook both of your hands and introduced you both to the crowd.

“Aujourd’hui, nous avons l’acteur Timothée Chalamet,” (Today, we have actor Timothée Chalamet,) he paused for applause from the audience, “et, nous avons la danse et l'actrice, Y/f/n Y/l/n,” (and, we have dancer and actress Y/f/n Y/l/n,) he held for applause once again, “Maintenant, Timothée, ce n'est pas ta première fois dans l'émission,” (Now, Timothée, this is not your first time on the show,) he smiled shook his head in agreement with the host. A picture of the movie cover for Beautiful Boy came onto the screen. 

“Oui, j'étais là pour Beautiful Boy,” he smiled when he saw the picture. (Yes, I was last here for Beautiful Boy)

“Je m'en souviens parce que tu étais tellement inquiet pour ton français,” (I remember because you were so worried about your French) you laughed along with the audience. 

“Alors, comment ça se passe depuis, rattrape moi?” (So, how’s it going since then, catch me up?)

“Je travaille sur quelques autres projets depuis lors. Nous sommes en fait, Y/n et moi, ici en train de filmer un autre film, je ne peux pas encore en révéler trop, mais ça avance bien,” (I've been working on a few other projects since then. We are, Y/n and I, actually here filming another movie, I can't reveal too much yet, but things are going well.) The interviewer then turned to you and smiled.

“Eh bien, Mademoiselle Y/n, bonjour. Comment avez-vous été?” (Well, Miss Y/n, Hello. How have you been?)

“J'ai été bon, merci, je suis très excité d'être ici.” (I’ve been good, thank you, I’m very excited to be here.)

“Oui, c'est votre première fois dans l'émission, nous sommes très heureux de vous avoir. Et vous parlez aussi couramment le français, n'est-ce pas?” (Yes, it’s your first time on the show, we are very happy to have you. And you also speak French fluently, is that correct?) Timothée turned to watch you as you spoke.

“Oui, je veux dire que Timothée a un meilleur français que moi, euh ... mais j'ai étudié tout au long de l'école, j'ai fait quelques années à l'étranger au collège, et ma grand-mère parlait couramment. Mais nous ne parlions pas vraiment français dans la maison, so c'est ne pas parfait,” (Yes, I mean Timothée’s French is better than mine, um...but I studied throughout school, I did a few years abroad in college, and my grandmother was fluent. But we didn't really speak French around the house, so it's not perfect,) you looked up to the audience. 

“Cela me semble plutôt bien,” (It sounds pretty good to me,) you smiled and let out a quiet thank you as the host complemented you, “Pourriez-vous nous en dire un peu plus sur le film?” (Could you tell us a little bit about the movie?)

“Oui, donc je ne peux vraiment pas dire grand-chose,” (Yes, so I really can’t say much,) you looked to Timothée, scared to reveal much, but he just nodded, a little sign of approval telling you to go on, “C’est donc un problème psychologique...(So, it’s a psychological...),” you looked at Timothée for a second, “Je ne sais pas 'thriller'...y a-t-il un mot pour ça?” (I don’t know how to say ‘thriller’...is there a word for it?)

“C'est juste comme l'anglais.” (It’s the same as in english.) the host nodded at you and smiled, urging you to consider.

“D’accord, desole, c'est un thriller psychologique, un peu comme le film Black Swan, je joue un danseur...” (Okay, sorry, it’s a psychological thriller, a little like the movie Black Swan, I play a dancer...) 

“Et je suis soumis à des règles strictes qui me permettent de ne rien dire concernant mon personnage...” (And I am under strict rules that allow me to say absolutely nothing about my character...) the audience laughed as Timothée spoke.

“Vous deux jouez des intérêts amoureux, est-ce exact?” (You two are playing love interests, is that correct?) The host cut you off.

“Non, nous ne jouons pas d'amour, pourquoi tout le monde nous le demande?” (No, we aren’t playing love interests, why is everyone asking us that?) Timothée leaned up as he spoke, asking the host as he laughed a little. He was right, we’d have gotten that question about a million times since the public was informed we were gonna be in a movie together. 

“J'aurais pu jurer, mais vous sortez tous les deux...non?” (I could’ve sworn, but you two are dating right.) you tensed up a little bit, but knew better than to show any sort of emotion. 

“Non, non, non. Juste amis,” (No, no, no. Just friends.) you both hesitated then answered rather quick, speaking in sync, making the crowd laugh. 

“En aucune façon, mais vous avez une si bonne chimie.”(No way, but you have such good chemistry.) The host motioned to you two and then for the crowd, in a little “am I right?” moment, and the crowd applauded. Timothée looked at you and smiled as you two laughed.

“Je suis serieux, Timothée est mon meilleur ami.” (I’m serious, Timothée’s my best friend.) you giggled, your heart dropping just a little bit every time you answered a question like this, but you made the subconscious choice to ignore the feeling. 

“Nous sommes les meilleurs amis, c'est tout.” (We’re best friends, that’s it.) Timothée said as he put an arm around you and playfully squeezed your shoulder. 

“Eh bien, y a-t-il d'autres intérêts amoureux dans votre vie, Y/n?” (Well, are there any other love interests in your life, Y/n?) the host turned to you. “Haha non, pas pour le moment,” (Haha no, not at the moment,) you smiled to the audience.

“Et toi, Timothée?” (And you, Timothée?)

“Um...non, pas pour le moment.” (Um...no, not at the moment.) A hesitation, a little, tiny, hesitation. One that could just be summed up by a slow translation, but you knew Timothée heard the question loud and clear. One that no one else would notice, but one that stuck in your brain.

You practically begged Timothée to just let you take a taxi to the airport, but he insisted on driving you and walking you to your gate, you drove him to the airport when he had to be in Paris a couple weeks earlier than you. You two were inseparable, that was the thing, you, Ansel, Timothée and Zendaya would spend almost every weekend together, and you were all equally close. However, you couldn’t deny the fact that you and him had a special friendship, not like the friendship you had with Z or Ansel. You guys were ride or die, you could probably go a year without talking and just pick up where you left off, not that you couldn’t say the same about you and Timothée, you could also go long amounts of time without seeing each other. Z was your all time best friend, your shoulder to cry on, you partner in crime, the person who’d make you feel comfortable in photoshoots. Ansel was Ansel. He was funny, he was comfortable, you guys had a bet that if you weren’t married in 40 years you’d move to a country where they allow you to have more than one wife and Ansel would marry both of you. While Z was your shoulder to cry on, Ansel was the one who’d cheer you up, and you were the same for each other. Ansel, Z, and you fed off of each other’s energy, and with Timothée, it was similar, but a little different. It probably had all to do with your love languages, you were both touch, meaning your way of showing love and appreciation was little lingering touches, and hugs, and holding each other. You’d have to explain yourselves on social media all the time, and you did. Constantly being asked about pictures Z or Ansel would take of you two asleep together on the couch, or him having his arm around your waist at parties, he’d play with your hair when you’d fall asleep on his lap sometimes, and fans would go crazy, like the teasing from Zendaya and Ansel wasn’t enough. He put it best in an Ellen interview.

She asked about you. Of course she did, the rumors were intense, all of the fans constantly shipping you two together, but the way he answered had always been perfect to you, “You know Ellen,” he looked up to Ellen and then to the audience, “My relationship with Y/n is so important to me, it’s a beautiful thing, really, platonic intimacy, the ability to just be with someone, and hold someone, with no romance necessary. We’re so close, we tell each other everything, we get comments on how inseparable we are, how must be dating. But the question I’ll ask is, why? Why aren’t more friendships like this? Despite anyone’s sexuality, orientation, religion, or race, despite any of it, why can’t we normalize this kind of friendship, because genuinely, it’s one of the best things in the world. And also, on a slightly separate note, the misogyny involved in dating rumors like these, it makes me feel ill. And I’m not talking about Y/n and I, I can completely understand why people assume we’re dating, we’re ridiculously close, we spend a lot of time together, and we both very touchy people, so...yeah,” he smiled, knowing Ansel and Zendaya were watching this, cracking up in their living rooms, “but, seriously, I’ve had members of my team questioned if they’re involved romantically with me. I go out to dinner with my sister, and there’s at least one article in the morning about my new, as they put it, “lover”. Why is it so hard of a concept to understand that I have many, many smart, capable, actually more than capable, extremely intelligent, young women as part of my team, that I respect so highly. Why is it the first assumption that these women are involved with me. I know people love it, I know, people are obsessed with love, and there’s nothing wrong with that. But really, something has to be done about this underlying misogyny in every single comment on my instagram posts, something has to be done, and the first step is to stop the generalizations, and to stop the assumptions, because these hard working women who work in my team, should never have to face anything like this. Y/n included too, not that she works for me, but it’s horrendous that no matter how hard she works, no matter how talented she is, and she is, she’s exceptionally talented,” he motioned to the audience, “ you’ve all seen how talented of a dancer and actress she is, yet, when someone google searches her name, a picture of her playing Aurora in one of the most decorated productions in the world, one people fly across countries to see, but you know what will come up? Me. You might have to scroll just a little bit, but a picture of me is going to come up in the mix, and it can’t be said vise versa.” 

You gave him the biggest hug in the world after that interview, thanking him for being the intelligent man he was, and you guys continued to be as close as ever. Even though the four of you would hang out over the weekends, you and Timothée would also hang out during the week. You’d walk to breakfast together sometimes, your apartments in the city being really close to each others. You’d have movie nights, game nights, baking nights, nights where you’d just stay up late talking. Some nights he’d just show up at your apartment with flour and butter, even though he knew your fridge was fully stocked, and claim it was the perfect temperature outside for baking or some other random shit to give him a reason to bake with you. So having to send him off, those couple of weeks ago, wasn’t your favorite thing in the world, and he could say the exact same about you right now.

He walked you to your gate and gave you a huge hug. He wrapped his arms around you, fingers running through your hair and you nestled you head in his neck.  “I’ll miss you,” you muttered into his neck.

“I’ll miss you too, call me when you land, okay?” you nodded, hugging him for just a little longer until they called your flight. You both said goodbye, he wished you a safe flight, and you were on you way. Z picked you up from the airport, and you gushed about your trip, she tried to ask you how it was staying with Timothée, but you just glared at her and switched the topic.

It had been a week, which meant Timothée was coming back in a week, you’d face-timed, stayed up late talking on the phone, and while it wasn’t the same, you still had your weekends with Ansel and Zendaya to look forward to every week. Not to mention you were training for an audition for another production like Sleeping Beauty. You’d just finish dance rehearsal with your personal trainer, and you were about to shower then get ready for dinner with Ansel and Z when your phone rang, it was Timothée. It was a little past 5:00, so you were confused, meaning it was 2:00 in the morning in Paris, you picked up.

“What’s up T, you alright?”

“Yeah...why wouldn’t I be.” You could practically feel him smirking against his phone screen.

“Well, it’s 2 in Paris, you should be sleeping.” you heard him laugh agaist the phone, you missed his smile, it’d been a fucking week, and all you could think about was how much you missed his smile. There was silence for a little bit, you could sense something was off, “What’s going on T?” “...there’s a girl,” your heart stopped, you knew it, you knew it when he hesitated in that interview, you knew. You thought about it for a split second, a girl, another girl, another you, but that’s the thing, you were you, his best friend, you weren’t you, his girlfriend. You were his best friend, you did everything you could in your two seconds to find the light in this. If he had a girlfriend, you could finally suppress this stupid crush once and for all.

“T...that’s, wow, that’s great....name! I want a name! What’s her name? Do I know her?” you wish you weren’t but you were, genuinely happy for him, if anyone deserved to be happy, it was him.

“I don’t think you do. Um...Lily, Lily Rose-Depp.” 

“Timothée, of course I know who that is, she’s extremely talented, you were in The King together? We watched it together, of course I know her.”

“She’s great, really, really great. I want you to meet her.”

“Yeah...meeting her...,” you felt your eyes start to water, “go on, tell me everything. I want ever detail.” so he did. He told you about how he ran into her a couple days before before the interview, and found out she was here for a photoshoot. Then he ran into her again a couple days ago and found out that she was coming to NYC the day he was, and that he really, really, wanted you all to meet her. You said goodbye a little later, after talking about everything, you told him how happy you were for him, no matter how bad you just wanted to cry. 

A couple days later you were walking home from the little cafe you ate breakfast in when you passed a magazine stand. You did a whole double take, then picked up the magazine. Lily and Timothée, her tongue deep down his throat. You didn’t know whether to throw up or cry. You turned in the opposite direction of your house and started walking. You walked until you approached Z’s apartment building, she buzzed you in almost instantly. 

“Y/n what the hell are you doing here, aren’t we going out in an hour?” the tears started to stream down your face as you held up the magazine.

“I shoplifted...” you managed to get out through little sobs. 

“Come here girlie,” she pulled you into you apartments and sat on the couch, you laid down with your head in her lap, crying into her legs. She stroked your head as you cried, shocked at what was happening. To be honest, this was the first time you’d cried about Timothée. The night after he told you about Lily, you’d been a little off at dinner, and while you excused it for being tired and still jet-lagged. Ansel and Z saw right through you, begging you to tell them what was going on. You told them, then made them swear they would act surprised when Timothée told them.

A little bit after you calmed down, Zendaya’s phone rang, it was Timothée. She tried to ignore it but you told her to pick up. She chatted for a minute, and you tried not to eavesdrop.

“I’m sorry...” she put down her phone and looked at you with “you’re in deep shit now” eyes

“Why, what’d he say?”

“Well, he said he tried to call you, but you didn’t pick up. I said you were with me and your phone was off, he asked to talk to you I said you were in the bathroom...”

“Thank you for that...” you sighed, she hesitated, “The point, Z?”

“Him and Lily got an early flight, they’re here, and they wanna go out to dinner...” you rested your face in your hands, of course, as if tonight couldn’t get any worse, “I can get you out of it?”

“No, no I wanna meet her, it’d be rude if I didn’t go,” you laid backwards on the couch, resting your head in a pillow, “I don’t even know why I’m acting like this, this is good for him, I’m just having a lapse in judgement, I swear I’m fine.” 

“Eventually, you’re gonna have to stop telling yourself that, we both know why you’re upset,” You sighed. She was right, but it was so much harder to say it out loud. “Let’s call Ansel, go out to lunch, and then we’ll come back here, and I’ll give you a hot dress to wear, come on, let’s go.”

You went out to lunch. Ansel paid for you meal once he figured out what was up with you. You all went back to Z’s apartment where she gave you a nice blue dress to wear to shut up your complaining about how you had nothing to wear, which was wrong, you had a closet full of gorgeous dressed to wear, but none of them felt good enough. She put on a red dress.

“Lily, is going to eat. her. heart. out.” you playfully slapped her.

“I’m sure she’s very nice, don’t say things like that.” you laughed. 

You all left Z’s apartment, headed to the restaurant. You were practically shaking in the car.

“It’ll be quick Y/n, really, really quick, we’ll go in eat, no dessert, head out.” Ansel said as he shook you out of your daze.

“No, no let’s stay the whole night, I’m really excited about this.” He laughed, even though he knew your sarcasm was just your way of covering up your emotion. As the car pulled up to the restaurant, Ansel got the door for you and Z, you walked into the restaurant and checked your coats, and that was when you spotted them. They looked so good together, sitting next to each other at the table you had to walk towards, it was time for you to put on the best fake-happy face you could. 

AH IM EXCITED TO WRITE PART FOUR EEE

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Cheap Thrills

Summary: Imagine receiving drunk text messages from a random number. Even when you make it known you're not who the person is looking for, the texts keep coming. And it's not until you make a post about the texts, complete with screenshots, do you find out who it is.

Words: 3.9K Warnings: None that I can think of.

[From XXX-XXX-XXXX]: u awake? [From XXX-XXX-XXXX]: miss u [From XXX-XXX-XXXX]: can i come over? [From XXX-XXX-XXXX]: hello?

You read the texts, snorting at the poor unfortunate individual who typed in the wrong number. Thumbs tapping out a message of your own, you send it before getting back to your movie.

[To XXX-XXX-XXXX]: i'm sure whoever you're trying to reach misses you too? But sorry to say you have the wrong number.

The random number doesn't text you back so you continue on with your night as if nothing had happened. But the next morning, when you wake up, you find yet another text message from the random number.

[From XXX-XXX-XXXX]: i am so sorry about those texts. I was drunk.

[To XXX-XXX-XXXX]: lol it's alright. You're forgiven.

You've had random numbers text you from time to time, but never a number that texts you in a drunken stupor yet again even after you've told them they had the wrong number. So the following night, you're surprised to see the stranger's number pop up again.

[From XXX-XXX-XXXX]: what r u doin?

[To XXX-XXX-XXXX]: umm…

[From XXX-XXX-XXXX]: r u a chick or a dude lol..

You snort. Of course. It's definitely a guy texting because had it been a drunk female there's no way she'd care to find out the gender. She'd most likely just text to her heart's content before passing out without a care in the world whether it was a guy or girl listening to her rant.

[To XXX-XXX-XXXX]: chick.

[From XXX-XXX-XXXX]: yess! Boyfriend?

[To XXX-XXX-XXXX]: jesus. You're really in top form tonight, aren't you?

[From XXX-XXX-XXXX]: baby i'm in top form every night ;)

[To XXX-XXX-XXXX]: and on that note, I'm out. Don't forget to chug some water before bed, Stranger Danger.

The texts continue the following weekend, the drunken stranger flirting to his heart's content. He's funny, is definitely down to cuddle, and really wants to spend the night though he has no clue who you are. You had asked for a name, but never got an answer. You weren't too alarmed about not knowing it since he was never really serious about coming over (at least you hoped not), but your curiosity ended up getting the better of you.

So after screenshotting a couple pages, you post them to Twitter after blacking out every number but the last four with the caption: Get you a stranger who'll drunk text you even after explaining you're not who he's looking for..

You weren't really expecting the screenshots to blow up the way they did, nor for anyone to actually know your drunken stranger, but sure enough a week later you're receiving private messages from none other than David Dobrik himself.

Planning to meet David Dobrik leaves you feeling a bit anxious, but you calm when he tells you his assistant Natalie will be joining him. So after hastily making some plans, you agree on meeting in a public park where there will be others around to make you feel a bit more comfortable.

You choose a pretty shaded spot beneath a tree in clear view of everyone milling about the park, and plop down with an assortment of snacks as you wait for David and Natalie to show up. Fortunately for you, you don't have to wait long. Natalie video calls you to find exactly where you're at and when she does it's not long before you're meeting them face to face.

David's already giggling and recording when he steps up to you, and you can't help but smile in return as you stand to greet them. "Hey. So, uh, it's cool to meet you guys." You briefly hug each of them before gesturing for them to sit with you.

"Likewise," David says. He and Natalie sit, and you offer them some of your snacks which Natalie readily digs in to. "So not to be rude and rush you, but can I please see the texts?"

You chuckle. "Yeah." Bringing forth your phone, you pull up the numerous texts from the number David claims to know. As you pass him your phone, you ask, "So you gonna tell me who Stranger Danger finally is?"

Natalie's eyes widen before she swats at David's arm. "You haven't told her?!"

"Ow! What?"

"David," she sighs.

You watch them, grinning. "I mean I kind of understood why David waited, but I'm really curious as to which one of your friends is thirsty as fuck to be texting a stranger."

David laughs as he continues to read. "Did he really say I'll show you mine if you show me yours?"

You grimace. "Yeah. Even sent me a dick pic which is why I tell him that I don't wanna see the peen a few texts down."

"Oh my god," Natalie muses. "He didn't."

"He did. Now can I please know whose penis I have seared into my brain?"

Natalie facepalms as David says, "Toddy."

"Toddy?" You brow furrows as you try to recall which one Toddy is. It isn't until Natalie shows you a picture of Toddy on her own phone do your eyes widen. "Oh. Oh wow."

David snorts and Natalie winks as she puts her phone away. "So you never once asked what he looked like?" She then asks as David screenshots everything he can before airdropping the pictures to his own phone.

"I mean I didn't really care about what he looked like," you shrug. "I found amusement in the texts and it surprised me that he continued to text every time he got drunk. I asked for a name eventually, but he never gave one."

"So he doesn't know your name or what you look like?" David asks, finally looking up at you.

"Nope."

He slowly smiles and Natalie groans. "I know that look. I hate that look. What are you thinking?"

David giggles. "I'm thinking of surprising Todd." You must make a face because David's quick to finish explaining. "It'll just be us and Todd. We can all hang out at my place and if the others show up, they show up. It'll be fine."

"I- I mean.." You trail off, glancing at Natalie. "What do you think? You've got a clearer head on your shoulders."

"Hey!"

Natalie huffs a small laugh. "It could be fun," she then says with a small shrug. "Todd will definitely find it funny, especially since you exposed him on Twitter. He'll also be happy that you're cute."

You blush as they stare at you, anxiously awaiting your answer. And after taking a moment to think about it, you sigh. "What the hell. Let's do it."

David cheers and they waste no time in helping you gather your trash. David offers for Natalie to drive his car while he drives with you, and she agrees. Then on the way to his house, David records some more to get more of your story for his vlog.

He finds out you're single to which he ooh's at and casually mentions that Todd is single as well, and is quite fascinated to learn that you think his friend is hot. You laugh and end up blushing, so to make you feel a little better he mentions that you're his friend's type as well. But all too soon you're pulling up to David's house where he's instructing you to park behind the safety of his gate.

You've seen his house in several of his videos, but it still leaves you awestruck as they lead you inside. All shoes are left by the front door and you can't help but stare at the ridiculously large bean bag chair when you enter the living room.

"Dibs."

"On?" David asks, he and Natalie immediately plopping down on the couch and stretching out on opposite ends.

"The bean bag." You cautiously take a seat and let yourself sink into it, smiling at David's giggling. Once you're completely laid back and curled up, you sigh in contentment. "I definitely need to invest in one of these."

"It really is comfortable." David taps away on his phone, humming. "So Todd should be here in a couple of hours. Does anyone want to order food while we wait?"

"Food. Yes!" Natalie groans.

"Does anyone deliver a good burger? I am so down for a burger and fries," you grumble.

David turns on his TV while Natalie orders the food. Bohemian Rhapsody is on and you urgently plead for David to leave it on that. He does and you have no shame in singing along or clapping to the Queen songs. The We Will Rock You scene leads you to performing your own rendition of the song, and both David and Natalie crack up when you sing the entire song from heart.

The food eventually gets there and you all take a seat at the kitchen counters. However, not even halfway through with your food, Todd texts David that he's outside.

"Oh shit, Y/N. Hide!" David tells you.

You nearly fall off your stool to which Natalie nearly chokes on her food laughing at, but she's quick to help you into the guest bathroom that's just around the corner. She leaves you alone and rejoins David, and it's not long before a third voice enters the mix.

          ----------

Todd walks into the kitchen, yawning and ruffling his hair. He nods at Natalie as she washes a few dishes to place in the dishwasher, and then takes a seat next to David who has his camera set up across from him.

"So what's going on?" He asks, stealing a french fry from the tray in front of him.

"I called you over here because I want to hear your side of the story," David informs him, slowly grinning.

Todd freezes, nervously chuckling as Natalie smirks at him. "About?"

"About this." David pulls up tweet that went viral, showing Toddy the screenshots of his text messages.

"She didn't," Todd exclaims, laughing. "Fuck. She did!"

"You've been exposed," Natalie muses. "How does it feel?"

"How did you even find these? Or even connect them back to me," Todd then wonders. "Wait does she have a pic?"

"No," David laughs, taking back his phone. "And I know it's you because the last four digits are the exact same as yours, and when I DM'd her I confirmed that the number she had was the same one I had for you. It was a long shot really, but I'm glad I took that leap of faith."

"You talked to her?!"

"Yeah. She's really cool. I think you'd like her."

"Really?"

"Really," Natalie agrees. "And if you keep eating her food, she's going to murder you."

          ----------

"And if you keep eating her food, she’s going to murder you."

"My food?" You mumble. But then Natalie's words click and your eyes widen. You can hear Todd beginning to ask something, but you throw open the door and march out towards the kitchen. "Not another bite, Stranger Danger!"

Todd nearly falls off the stool from where he whirls around so fast and you can't help but laugh. He's surprised, but beams a moment later, and you slowly walk towards him.

"You're the- you're her?"

"Yep." You stop a few feet in front of him. "And you're him- the drunk texter."

"Holy shit." He laughs, shaking his head at David whose recording it all, and then asks you, "Can I hug you? Is that weird?"

"You've sent me a dick pic, man. There's no getting more weird than that."

The tips of Todd's ears burn red as he moves in for a hug and you embrace him briefly. When he lets go, however, he keeps one arm around your shoulders as he faces David's camera once more. "So how much of my texts have you actually seen?"

"Everything but the picture," David giggles. "Y/N deleted it."

"Y/N?" Todd then glances down at you.

"Yep. And you're Todd. It's nice to officially meet you."

"Aw. Aren't you two adorable," David teases. "Now come on. Let's move this to the living room. It's getting weird just standing around."

"Wait. Hold on." You scurry forward and grab up your half eaten burger, taking one last big bite from it before heading towards the living room.

Todd watches you go, gaze adoringly watching your every step. "Marry me."

With bulging cheeks, you wink and continue on.

David and Natalie retake their spots on the couch, and the bean bag is so large that Todd throws himself next to you after you've settled down. The problem with the bean bag, however, is that you end up sliding towards Todd since he's heavier. He winks when you bump into him and you huff a laugh, but you get settled either way and pull out your phone to give you something to do.

Todd, you find out, is an Instagram hoe and you find yourself taking numerous selfies with him- some with filters and some without. You're even in his Instastories, laughing and trying to cover your face, but it's no use. He gives no explanation as to who you are, only that you're a friend. He even posts quick little videos of David and Natalie, and you arguing with David over which movie to watch.

You have no idea how long you've been with the group, only that it feels like you've known these people for a long time, so it's no big surprise that other friends of theirs show up to hang out.

Erin and Carly show up together, followed by Zane and Matt.

"Wait. So let me get this straight," Erin exclaims. "You," she points at Todd, "have been texting her," she then points at you, "for weeks? And you had no clue what the other looked like or names and this is your first time meeting?"

From your position- Todd stretched out one way and you the other with your legs draped over his- you grin. "Yep."

"Todd!" Carly laughs. "What even- how?"

"I thought I was texting Corinna!" He defends himself, chuckling. "I deleted Corinna's number, and she and Y/N have similar numbers. Totally accidental."

Everyone glances at you and you roll your eyes. "Chill. I knew his texts were intended for the ex. I even encouraged him to text her, but his drunken self found more amusement with a stranger."

Natalie snorts. "I'll say. He asked for nudes pretty frequently."

"Todd!" Matt cackles at the same time Zane muses, "Baby, no."

"Don't worry, I never sent them. I got more respect for myself than that," you say. "Todd, on the other hand, has no shame."

"You didn't," Erin says.

"It was one time!"

"It was still a dick pic." You grin. "And come on, man, who are you trying to kid? Your texts were thirsty as fuck at times."

"I have got to see these texts," Zane says.

Smirking, you pull up the text messages on your phone and move to toss your phone to an eager Zane. But seeing what you're about to do, Todd grips your thigh just enough to make you laugh in surprise. "Y/N, don't."

Zane's still reaching for the phone so Todd rolls over you. You grunt at the added weight, wiggling just enough to roll both you and Todd off the bean bag and onto the floor. You both grunt when you land.

"Oh my god," David laughs. "This is better than two girls fighting in baby oil."

Everyone's laughing now, especially when Todd says, "There's nothing better than two girls fighting in baby oil," as he gets the upper hand and straddles your stomach.

Your phone slips out of your hand, which he's quick to grab up, but with your free hand you're free to pinch Todd's nipple through his shirt. He yelps and you're quick to buck him off, you then rolling the both of you in order to straddle his stomach before reaching towards his outstretched arm for your phone.

Todd goes oddly still before giggling and it's all too easy to reclaim your phone. "You know what, I'm not even mad about this position."

Slightly leaning up to glance between you and Todd, you huff a laugh when you see his face is practically in between your tits. "You're a dick." As you fully sit up, you pinch Todd again to which he giggles at and then toss your phone at Zane. "You have free reign to read every one of Todd's texts now. Enjoy." Zane cheers, Matt, Erin, and Carly quickly crowding him to read them as well.

Todd pokes your waist and you flinch, your waist being very ticklish, and the two of you end up slapping each other's hands as you slide off of him and back onto the beanbag. Todd's beaming smile makes your heart beat a little harder and you're grateful he can't hear it.

"You're kind of strong," Todd says as he ends up settling next to you once more.

"I should hope so. I grew up with two older brothers. You best believe they tried every wrestling move on me until I learned how to get out of it."

"They still tease you?"

"All the time." You slowly smile, chuckling at fond memories. "What about you? Any siblings you fight with?"

"Nah. I'm an only child."

"So you're an only child who still acts like a child, huh?"

"Hey!"

Todd reaches over as if he's going to tickle you and you curl up in order to protect yourself. "No! I'm sorry. I didn't mean it."

He chuckles softly and reaches for you again, but he only hooks an arm under your neck and pulls you in so you're curled into his side. "How much longer can you stay?"

You hum. "Not much longer," you admit. "I live about an hour away so I should be on the road pretty soon."

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

Zane, Matt, Carly, and Erin are still hysterical over Todd's drunken texts, David and Natalie are in their own world, as are you and Todd. His calm demeanor puts you at ease and you suddenly find yourself wishing you could stay much longer in his presence.

"Aw. Look at them," David suddenly teases. When you and Todd look at him, David smirks. "You're welcome."

You snort. "Shut up." Todd opens up his phone to momentarily distract himself, but in doing so you see the time. "Shit," you mumble. "It's already that late? I need to go."

Todd's head snaps in your direction. "Aw. No."

"Sorry, but I need to." He frowns and your heart goes out to him for a bit. "Tell you what. Let's go grab some dinner. You take your car and I'll take mine so I can leave afterward."

"Fuck it. Let's do it." You and Todd stand up, and everyone readily stares at you. "Nope," he tells them. "None of you are invited."

As the weeks slowly pass, nothing really changes with the exception that you've made friends with several Youtubers, and Todd's taken to texting you when he's sober as well now- maybe even hanging out when he's not with everyone else. So it's really no surprise when you get a FaceTime call from David as you're scrolling through social media before you put a movie on.

Accepting the call, you squint at the too bright room on David's end. "Do you have to have all those lights on? Jesus." As you move around, you end up laying back on your pillows.

He grins. "It's not even midnight. Why are you in bed already?"

"I'm not in bed-bed." You roll your eyes. "I was just getting ready to watch a movie. It just so happens that it's more enjoyable to watch from the comfort of a bed."

"Yeah? Which movie?"

"Guess."

"Bohemian Rhapsody."

"Goddammit."

David giggles. "You have a serious problem when it comes to that kid from Jurassic Park who's all grown up now."

"Joe Mazzello went from an adorable little nerd to total daddy material. He deserves all my love."

"Jesus Christ." You grin at David's amusement. Eventually though, his laughter tapers off. "Well I'll let you get back to your movie, but I need to record something real quick. You game?"

"If it involves me leaving my bed, then no. Other than that, let's do this."

"No. This is good." David props his phone up so he can hold his camera with both hands and record the call. Then, he says, "So since I posted the video of you and Todd meeting, the viewers have gone crazy."

"Of course they have."

"Inquiring minds need to know," he smirks, "if you're still Todd's booty text or if an honest friendship has blossomed from my intervening?"

You roll your eyes, teeth digging into the bottom corner of your lip as you fight off a blush. "Why does this feel like an episode of Catfish where the host is checking in weeks later to see how I'm doing?"

"Just answer the question, Y/N."

"Fine." You sigh. "Hold on." Getting out of bed, you then make your way downstairs. Heading for the kitchen, you then flip the camera on your phone. "Does this answer your question?"

Upon hearing your voice, Todd turns around from his place at the kitchen island where he was fixing a bowl of popcorn. He smiles. "What are you doing?"

"Oh my god!"

Todd's smile falters but your wink lets him know all is good. Sidling up to his left side, you hip check him as you flip the camera back so it catches both you and Todd. "An honest friendship has blossomed," you say. "I am introducing him to my current favorite movie."

Todd chuckles as he leans closer to the screen, his expression then morphing into one of mock horror. "Help me."

"No way. Natalie owes me twenty bucks! NATALIE!" David then sets his camera aside, picking his phone back up as he starts walking around. "So how long have you guys been hanging out for behind our backs?"

"Since you introduced us face to face," Todd says. "And we weren't exactly going behind your back, we just-"

"We wanted to hang out without anyone making a big deal out of it." You shrug. "But it's been long enough and you're going to make a big deal out of it no matter what, so.."

"So if you don't mind," Todd says as he takes your phone from you, "Y/N and I got a movie to watch."

"Wait! Just answer one question," David says. Todd goes quiet, nodding. "Did you finally get Y/N to cuddle you?"

Todd and David explode with laughter at the same time, and that seems to be all David needs to hear. You take your phone back, shaking your head. "Goodbye, David. We'll text you later if you're still awake." And before he can retort, you end the call before pocketing your phone.

"I guess the cat's out of the bag," Todd muses, shrugging sheepishly.

"Well not the whole cat." You slowly smile, leaning up on the tips of your toes and pressing your lips to Todd's. "And it's going to stay that way just a little bit longer. Your fans are crazy."

"Whatever you say, babe. Now can we please go watch that movie of yours? You got me all hyped up after those Queen songs you played all afternoon long."

"Sure thing." Todd grabs the bowl of popcorn and you grab some drinks from the refrigerator. As he follows you back up the stairs, you say, "Now don't get all huffy when I eventually swoon. I adore you, but I adore Joe and Gwilym just a little bit more."

"You're a terrible girlfriend."

"And I'm afraid I don't get much better." You huff a laugh. "You signed up for this, babe. Get used to it."

Survey #424

“got no superspeed, but i’m running this town”

What is the first line in the song you are currently listening to/last listened to? "I’m running out of time; I hope that I can save you somehow.” Are you an easy lay? Not in the slightest. What was the last reason you cried? Life and how inexplicably I'm failing at it. What’s hurting you right now? More like what isn't. Do you remember important dates? Only some. I'm awful with numbers. Do you own anything with the Playboy Bunny on it? No. Do you own a bean bag chair? No. Have you ever played Gamecube? At a friend's house. Have you ever played with toy cars before? Yeah, with my nephew. He LOVES monster trucks. Have you ever touched a caterpillar? Oh, definitely. I loved picking them up as a kid. What is your favorite kind of salad? Just plain 'ole iceberg lettuce with ranch, really. Are you any good at Ping-Pong? Holy hell no, I SUCK. What was/is your high school mascot? A firebird. Can you make cute little animals by folding paper? God no, I'm awful at origami. Like, I have zero concept of how to do it. What kind of music do you like? Various types of metal and rock. Do you like apple juice? Yeah. Do you like to draw? It's funny, like I do love it, but I barely ever do it because I get frustrated when I can't get what's in my head onto paper. What do you put on your french fries? Generally ketchup. How many people can comfortably sleep in your bed? Two. Do you want to have a big family in the future? I don't want kids, just pets. Probably a lot of pets. Is Vegas one of your must-see places? No. Pet rat: yay or nay? I've had multiple pet rats and I adore them. I've come to find I'm not the best at keeping rodents because changing the bedding so much sucks ass, but nevertheless they are fantastic pets for people who don't mind the maintenance. Would you call yourself a writer? Written any stories lately? Yes. I haven't written in a while, though. I just have absolutely zero motivation to RP. Are you good at reading people's body language? I probably overanalyze it, really. Ever threatened somebody and actually went through with it? I don’t threaten people. Does holding newborn babies scare you? Extremely. I feel like they're made of thin glass. Piercings: yay or nay? I LOVE piercings. They add an interesting touch to your appearance and to me just (usually) look super cool. There are very few piercings I don't like. Do you have a collage of pictures in your bedroom? No, but I want to make a motivation board very badly. Favorite Nicholas Cage movie? Ghost Rider. Were video games better in the 1980s, 1990s, or the 2000s? Why? '80s games bore me honestly, but I love some '90s and many 2000s games. I've got to say ultimately newer games win, because of graphics increasing immersion (no, I do not whatsoever believe graphics are everything or always make a better experience), voice acting improving immensely, etc. Have you ever watched The Beverly Hillbillies? Yes! Mom loves it so I used to watch it a lot with her as a kid. I'd still watch it. Did your mother ever sing lullabies to you when you were younger? Yes. Are you ready to get out of this town? I HATE THIS TOOOWN, IT'S SO WASHED UUU-UP, AND ALL MY FRIENDS DON'T GIVE A FUUU-UUUUUCK god hell yes get me the fuck out. Do you know anybody that is pregnant right now? Quite a few. What are you listening to? "Superluv” by Shane Dawson. Have you ever gotten a speeding ticket? No. Does your father have any facial hair? Yes. Did your grandparents teach you anything? My maternal grandmother, the only one I really ever knew, taught me I'm a disappointment, pretty much. And a bitch. Do you want/have a Bachelor’s degree? It'd be nice to have one, but I don't, and I'm not pursuing it again. I've wasted enough of my parents' money. Are you into superheroes? Who’s your favourite? Not seriously, but I enjoy them well enough. I like Spider-Man. What did you have for dinner last night? Mom ordered Mexican. I had two shrimp and cheese quesadillas and rice with cheese. Do you think you look similar to your siblings? No. Have you ever played Cards Against Humanity? Did you like it? Yeah, it's fun. Do you know your best friend’s middle name? Yes. Are you close to your father? I am. Have you ever had a serious conversation with your dad? Yeah. Would you rather have long or short hair? I enjoy having short hair way more. Who did you go/plan on going with to prom? I went with Jason twice. Have you ever been to a debate and speech tournament? Hell no, and I never would. Arguing makes me cry lmao. Are you someone who enjoys stand-up comedy? Yep. What’s one thing that scares you about living alone and being independent? A lot of things do, but one thing in specific that I fear is that I let the house become cluttered and messy. I'm so shit at cleaning, especially when I'm depressed. It's why my own bedroom isn't even fully decorated, and we've lived here since I wanna say last November. If someone offered you an all-expenses paid trip to one European country, where would you go and why? Germany, 'cuz I enjoy the culture and would love to try some foods and visit places. Have you ever won anything on the lottery? No. Are you interested in the World Cup? I couldn't possibly care less. What’s the longest time you’ve ever been on a plane for? Idk. Do you let your hair dry naturally or do you towel-dry it or blow dry it? I use a towel to dry it some, then let it really get the job done naturally. How many of the Harry Potter books have you read? None. Who last gave you their number? When I posted on Facebook about going on a mental health hiatus, my good friend Alon messaged me her number if I ever needed to talk. I was really thankful. Are you often the last one to understand a joke? Honestly yeah. I'm slow to grasp a lot of things. Your first black eye: Did you give it or get it? Never gotten or given one. Have you ever slept in a tent, indoors or out? Yes to both. Are you mad right now? I'm annoyed, but not mad. Are you allergic to nuts or dairy products? No. Has anyone ever called the cops on you? No. Do you ever actually drink milk alone? Yeah, I love milk. Do you have a sensitive gag reflex? It is EXTREMELY sensitive. What was the last situation to upset you? I'd rather not talk about it. Have you ever had an online argument? I have been heavily active on the Internet since I was like, 11. Maybe younger. I have been in plenty. Are you at risk for any medical issues? A lot of heart problems run in my family. I'm also suspicious I may develop diabetes, which also runs very heavily in my family. What were you doing at 7:00 a.m.? Surprisingly, I was asleep. Do you own a robe? No. What would you consider your life to be? A wreck. What is your favorite mark of punctuation? I like question marks. Who knows your biggest secret? Nobody. Do you think anyone has feelings for you? Probably not. How do you know? I just doubt it. I'm so unlikable right now. Could you go a day without eating? I don't think I could. I do not react to stomach pain well, and that includes when I'm hungry. How many bracelets do you have on your wrists right now? None. What’s your favorite drink? Strawberry Sunkist, but I don't allow myself to have it. I will DESTROY a can or five of it. Who was the last person that texted you? My mom. What are you craving? Nothing really right now. What was the first thing you ate today? An everything bagel. What was the last type of meat you ate? Pork. Have you taken any medication today? Yeah, I take some prescription meds in the morning and at night. Have you ever been to Hawaii? No, but that'd be cool. Do you know anyone who has diabetes? My mom, for one. Have you ever made a boy cry? Sadly. Who are you talking to? Nobody. Do you think you’ve ruined your chances with someone? Absolutely. Your parents split; would you want to live with your mom or dad? My parents are divorced, and I stayed with Mom. Would you strongly prefer to go out with someone of your own skin color/racial background? I couldn't care less. For you personally, is abortion an option in case of an accidental pregnancy? For others, absolutely. It's your right. For me myself, it's possible, idk. If I was God forbid raped, I probably would have an abortion. If I accidentally got pregnant in a healthy relationship, I'd probably have a "too bad, so sad" outlook where I'd suck it up and go through with the gestation because having sex and risking pregnancy was my own decision. Even if I'm pro-choice, I think I'd feel too guilty aborting, especially with the child being someone's I love. Is it a requirement that you communicate every day with your significant other (via phone, text, in person, whatever)? IF I had an s/o, no. I like to, but sometimes you just want space. Are you fetish-friendly? I'm not gonna lie, some fetishes are just too fucking weird for me. I TRY not to judge, because I doubt you can actually help fetishes, but I inevitably do sometimes. If you're asking would I engage in fetishes because my s/o liked them, possibly, but it would really depend on what it is. Have you ever cosplayed? No. I think cosplay is really cool, though. Do you support the exploration of outer space? If yes, would you consider taking a trip into space, or even to another planet? As creatures who crave knowledge and understanding of our universe, I do support space exploration, but I do NOT believe we should be spending as much money as we do on it. Taking care of the planet we're actually on is far more important imo. I wouldn't personally go to outer space. Is it okay for men to wear makeup? What’s your opinion of male crossdressers? It's totally okay! Guys with makeup can be super attractive. Crossdressers, too. Go for it. You’re in a new relationship and your partner admits that they have had 14 sexual partners. Does that sound like a lot to you? For me personally, yes. I don't even know if I'd date someone with 14 past sexual partners, honestly. I would admittedly question their loyalty. Would you let your children under 13 watch movies with full nudity? No. If someone asked you, “What’s the worst thing you’ve ever done?” would you know the answer right away? I would. What is your opinion concerning strip clubs? Not my scene at all, but so long as you respect the dancers, whatever. You do you.

Jared virtual panel Sunday 22 Nov 2020

As with Misha, tried to type as he talked as much as possible. I did get interrupted by a couple of brief phone calls & I’m sure someone will post a video later today, but for now--

--Just got out of the shower. Didn’t do his hair lol. It is SHORT Y’ALL.

--Been a hell of a week, we all know why. Series finale. Shed some tears, watched it at his house, everything came flooding back, was really emotional. Wishes he could see our faces. He feels the love.

--Top 3 episodes and why? Series finale is his favorite, he is a fan of storytelling & looking at SPN as a whole the finale wrapped up things in a way that were meaningful and poignant and “wonderfully frustrating”. #2, Sacrifice. Another moment of seeing deeply inside the boys but they were flipped Sam thinking he was dying vs Dean dying. #3 French Mistake, doesn’t know if any other TV show could have done that.

--Was pie in Dean’s face scripted? Yes and he got to do it a few times! When Sam throws the pie in Dean’s face there is a passerby looking on, that is Bob Singer. It being scripted didn’t make it any less fun.

--How were the first days on the set of Walker? Thank you for asking, it’s been awesome. Strange but incredible. Feels lucky and fortunate to be able to see his kids in the morning and and at night, proud of what SPN was and hoping to recreate some of that with Walker. Learned so much from Sam and wants to do that with another character.

--Bad hair days? Puts on a beanie. Never learned how to do anything with his hair. 

--Crossover between SPN and Walker, would Cordell and Sam be friends? Absolutely. Both trying to do their best in a weird world to make it a better place and hopefully ease other people’s pain. Sam and Dean found themselves in situations where there’s no perfect answer and Cordell deals with the same type of things.

--Fave Harry Potter book & movie & spell? Book--Deathly Hallows, Sorry, missed the rest! Oh Expecto Patronus lol

--Craziest/funniest bts moment? 2 moments, one where he was awaiting birth of first son Tom, scene where Sam is chasing Kevin around. Same situation where Jensen was waiting for twins--Jensen getting that call. Just a weird situation where something huge is going on personally while trying to act. Talks about Jensen not having his passport and it had to be all hands on deck to find Jensen’s passport and get him back in the states for the birth.

--If SPN all over again as a different character, who & why? Biggest part of him says he has to be Sam. He would be Sam again. But if he HAD to change he would be Lucifer. Mark made it seem like such a fun character to play. Also possibly Chuck, Rob was phenomenal. 

--Would love to do/have reaction videos for cast reaction to reaction videos. (Me too, Jared)

--Had a hard time thinking about who he was going to be without SPN 

--How did you start your acting career? Acted in middle/high school. Won a contest to be trophy presenter (pulls out surfboard award thing) at Teen Choice awards, met an agent & auditioned over tape. Was supposed to be premed in school but got Gilmore Girls.

--What is always on your Thanksgiving table? Turkey, as much as possible. Stuffing, pumpkin pie. Big Dallas Cowboys fan so would always watch Cowboys game and make awful turkey nachos (tortilla chips with Thanksgiving leftovers) that night

--How would Sam spend his time in quarantine? Giant library at bunker doing a lot of reading. Would probably use a pedometer to make sure he got his steps in for the day. Sam is an introvert.

--What country would Sam and Dean like to visit on vacation? Puerto Rico. Wishes Sam and Dean got their beach vacation that they had talked about. Not sure if the car could have gotten there. Maybe they could have found some floaties for it lol.

--Were any lines adlibbed or added by him and Jensen (finale)? Yes. In the barn scene when Dean tells Sam to keep going, it was written Sam said he couldn’t do it without you (Dean), Sam thought he should say it more similar to the pilot, which is what they did. First thing Dean said to Say was Heya Sammy and Sam was Dean? Sam thought those should also be their last words on the bridge. J2 tried to convey how they thought the characters felt in that barn scene especially. When Sam says It’s okay, you can go now, Jared thought Sam’s son should say the same to him at his death.

--Sam wearing Dean’s watch in the finale? Jared happy fan caught that. Jared thought it was something Sam would have kept and worn.

--Jared doesn’t catch the reference SamLicker81 lol. 

--Jared had a lot of time to think about Sam’s ending, at first he thought it was jarring but how do you feel about anyone’s ending? Would you ever be ok with your own ending? There was a finality to it that no matter what happened it would be difficult to wrap his head around. Once he digested it, he felt it was the best way to tell Sam’s story. Sam tried to live his life the way Dean would have wanted him to life his life. He tried to do what Dean would have wanted. If Dean had come back 20 years later and saw Sam hunting he wouldn’t have liked that, he wanted Sam to live his life. That’s what they all fought for, for whoever was left to live as normal a life as possible.

--Any other props end up at Jared’s house? Yeah he has some stuff. His stand-in Jason had got 2 picture frames for Jared and Jensen, got copies of the last call sheet along with their marks (red tape for Jared, blue for Jensen), and framed them. 

--Super excited about producing and acting on Walker, felt like he and Jensen were pseudo-producers on SPN but will be different on Walker, hopefully he can help guide the story in a way that’s best for the show

--Acting advice? Everybody is different. Acting is trying to be somebody you’re not...but don’t try to be somebody you’re not. Don’t try to be like another actor. Just be you and figure out what story you want to tell, remember you’re there to tell a story, commit to who you are and who you have been. There are things you’ve been through no one else has, so don’t discredit that.

--Fave song that reminds you of Sam? Carry on Wayward Son, especially having just watched the finale, it’s such a powerful song. 

--Pre and post COVID scripts? They can’t fire me now! Biggest deal with post COVID script was the mandatory 2 week quarantine. There were going to be a lot of beloved characters in Heaven with us but it was just a scene or 2 so they couldn’t really ask Rob, Richard, Samantha Smith, Jeffrey Dean to come sit in a hotel room for 2 weeks for one scene. The Heaven Dean deserved was filled with people but because COVID it ended up being just Sam and Dean.

--One thing he will miss the most? The crew/family. Life long friends made over 15 years. He grew up a lot on SPN, been through so much and so much history with those people. It’s so different shooting Walker right now because with COVID there’s less human contact. Misses human contact (with fans too).

--How did you prepare to shoot Dean’s death? How could you possible prepare to shoot Dean’s death? We shot it in September, I had known about since June or July 2019, had been reading the script since February. Lot of time spent on set was trying not to cry. Massive massive fight scene, shot for 3 days but 30 seconds on screen. One day for after Dean’s been impaled so they wouldn’t have to fight all day then get emotional. Was emotional about that scene, didn’t want Jared to get in the way of Sam’s story.

--Did Sam tell his kid about all the hunting stuff? Yeah of course, told him all about uncle Dean, why he was named after him, and the importance of taking care of himself and not spending his life saying goodbye to friends and family and then his son just wanted to get a tattoo.

--There are tons of shows Jared wishes SPN could have crossed over with. Would have been funny to cross over with Walking Dead, for them to see John and he doesn’t know who they are.

--First people Sam would want to see in Heaven? Obviously Dean. Bobby. Mom. Sully. Sam’s Heaven is mostly Dean. He wanted Sam’s wardrobe from the pilot because that was Sam’s happiest moment, going on the road with his brother. 

--If he had the chance to work with Jensen again (and he WILL he says, hopefully sooner than later)...Jensen has a standing invitation to come to Walker, but they will find something somewhere and it will be great.

--What weird or gross food do you enjoy? Jared eats everything and a lot of it. Except olives. Doesn’t really like chocolate despite his sweet tooth. Doesn’t like black licorice. Will try anything once. Loves spicy food.

--Advice for people with anxiety? One thing that’s worked for him is just accepting that it’s not going anywhere. If you’re trying to get rid of anxiety you’ll frustrate yourself. Talks about Eddie Vedder saying he sees his demons as somebody who’s riding in the car with him. Take care of yourself. You got this.

--Grateful for you guys, hope to see you soon.

For me, Lou's lyrics are pretty easy to interpet & I usually can get the message he is attempting to convey. Because he writes so candidly, you know? He really opens up and is so raw & real. That's not to say Haz isn't, I just feel like even in his songwriting, he hides his true sentiments behind embellished, overly elaborate, obscure metaphors. I feel most musicians use that space to finally let go & feel liberated to really right straight from the soul, y'know? Like Lou, he would never say the

+ things he does in songs out loud but he just lets himself go completely and it's beautiful. I think Haz is a phenomenal lyricist & I adore him to bits but I feel sad he is still so unwilling to be truly vulnerable & open with us y'know? I want to know Harry, I'm sick of Harry Styles™ the brand, the facade. The only song of Lou's that still stumps me is Miss You. I don't think you can just conclude anything based on one song but looking at HS1 too, sure it could be just fighting and drifting

+ apart and miscommunication (or lack thereof) & I feel like I was almost brainwashing into believing what people said over what my own intuition told me, everyone just drilling in: THEY NEVER BROKE UP, I felt like I was less of a supporter to think that, I felt guilty, like I let hl down almost. But as a cynic & a rationalist, it always niggled at me. I believe in the inevitable failure of 97% of relationships at that age. They just don't last. And I'm sure there's someone reading this who's

+ like, well fyi my parents were lab partners in high school and are still together with a bunch of kids. And that's great. Ah a walking paradox, being a romantic & a cynic. Anyway, the thing is, maybe they did, maybe not. Certainly, I lean towards it being very likely they did. Hardly any het 'relationships' at that age last. Now bring in two boys who are closeted and in love and in THE boyband of the era and undergone a series of absurd narratives and can't sit next to each other but are told

+ to make out with girls on NYE and hold their hands and strut about to a crowd of adoring fans as the actual person they're with is joyously playing football one minute and on the verge of breaking down the next because what if the fans like this fake relationship more, what if they like -her- more? I could go on & on, but you get the point. Thing is, maybe they did, maybe not. Does it really matter, in the bigger picture? They're together now and for once, I do have faith it'll last this time.

Also sidenote, I hope it's cool to come to your inbox and just go off tangents & rant & ramble. I mean it's kinda too late now lol 😂 but idk I swear I never intend ongoing off multiple tangents but it just inevitably happens?? Hope you can make some sense of my incoherent, mindless bs and at least find it somewhat entertaining. I like talking to you as well. You are the first person who is so open-minded & accepting of diff opinions & genuinely seems to want to hear what's on my mind.

okay well FIRST OF ALL, you are ALWAYS welcome to come rant to me goodness knows I would LOVE to hear from someone else who adores lyric analysis as much as I do! If you’re looking for anyone else to chat with, @louciernagas has some amazing analysis of her own and also adores song lyrics and might have a different take than mine! But here’s my take:

I think Harry processes stories differently than Louis, and I think it really really shows in their songwriting. For example, Harry had “raconteur” as his Twitter bio for a while, I’ve heard. ‘Raconteur’ is ‘storyteller’ in French, and my conclusion from that is that he likes to see himself as a storyteller. So he mostly writes abstract notions and large pictures and feelings and ideas that he’s felt over the years, and when he fills it in, he’s telling a story. It’s easier for him, I think, to process things if he can remove himself from it. If you look at the first draft lyrics for Lights Up that Tyler Johnson spilled the other month, they read, “lights can’t know their way out the dark running through your heart. Lights can’t help you know who you are. Do you know who you are?”. The final draft of this line reads “All the lights couldn’t put out the dark running through my heart. Lights up and they know who you are. Do you know who you are?”. I think it’s worth mentioning that the primary difference between the first version of this song and this one is the addition of a first-person pronoun in the final draft. 

Either way, this song would have been about him, and HIS self-discovery and HIS liberation, right? But the way that he chose to write it at first was without placing himself into the story. And like...I think he does that a lot. And then, of course, he does the reverse, too. He says “I” did this or “I” did that and it may not be him at all. I’ll tell you a funny trend I’ve noticed is that the songs that seem most personal to him are about someone else in broad strokes, or about himself in broad strokes. But I think it’s because it’s easier for him to tell true stories if he doesn’t have to say that they’re about him. 

For Louis, I would say it’s the reverse: he HAS to make his stories about himself because it’s the only way he CAN tell his stories. He’s learned to use his words as a weapon against everyone who thought he was too young, not good enough, not kind enough, too stupid, that he didn’t have enough star power, etc. He’s ALWAYS had to prove them wrong, and the only way he had was his music. So he SAID that they would go out and drink cheap wine until sunrise and that they lived in this *specific* apartment complex and that he would tell the truth if his partner wanted him too. He SAID that he’d like to go to the pub every sunday, if he could (and I think the music video for JLY even names the pub haha), that the reason he has done every single thing he has is for the other person. He HAD to say it, not for us, but for himself. HE had to tell the stories he needed to, and he did. And THAT is what makes his album - and all of his songs - so so special to me. They have that element of “fighting back” as well as of telling stories. 

I, personally, tell stories like Harry does. I like to talk about things I know or have experienced as if I’m coming at them from a different angle, because it’s easier on my heart that way, sometimes. Sometimes, the only way I have to say the truest things I know are to make someone else say them or to talk about them as if it were about another person. That’s kind of what fantasy is, in a way. It’s what storytelling is. But I *so* admire the autobiographical quality that Walls has to it, because I would be terrified. 

And as for ‘do I think they broke up?’ I’m very very much in the “who cares” camp - just like you! Maybe? Maybe they did in 2016 at some point. But like...as evidenced by the entire quarantine (and the last like..year and a half), they aren’t broken up NOW, and that’s what I’m gonna go on. And everything else doesn’t really matter, you know? The rest is confetti. 

okay fghsgdj yes you can say girl ! my pronouns are she/her :) okay but fr pause, i read this like 3 minutes after you posted it (or at least my notif said 3mins lmao) bUT IM IN BED AND I USUALLY HAVE MY COMPUTER OPEN WITH YOUR RESPONSE SO I MAKE SURE I ADDRESS EVERYTHING AND THEN SEND IN THE ASK ON MY PHONE HDGSJSH anyway, time to get my ass up 😔 but wait i find you so funny like honestly, reading that cracked me all the way up. and i feel the “lol” thing so hard!!!! idk why i do it all the time (i’m tryna stop) but i’ll say something with lol at the beginning and lol at the end... it might be a defense mechanism at this point lol (😔) AND (i need to stop with the uppercase too it’s not funny anymore) I DONT KNOW WHY I LAUGHED SO HARD JDHSK WHEN YOU SAID ALSO AGAIN HAHAHAH LIKE UR HAHHAH also my sleep schedule is not pretty either lmao but i’m homeschooled so i never have to get up for anything? hhdhsis idk but i’m glad you slept!! you need sleep!!

also (pls no i cannot) why did i not know what ykwim meant until i reread this?? like it makes so much sense- anyway! i think it’s so cool that you’re excited for university! idk why but i do lol like you’re getting ready for the future (masters degree and all that) & you’re (maybe) going to england anyway so that’s cool haha (hopefully when you go you can see your relatives 🤞🏾)

the fact that you get happy seeing my asks i- 💓💓

you make me wanna go to London & England so bad urghhhh like i’ve only been out of the country once (to Canada for a family reunion) but it sounds so prettyyyyy & i’m so sorry that cov*d is messing everything up and i hope you can see your relatives soon :(

now to address the whole english speaking/writing: I FIND THAT SO WEIRD DUHSKSJ i don’t know how an english speaking person could say that if you don’t write it 100% grammatically correct.... that it’s wrong? when literally, over here at least, WE’RE SO GRAMMATICALLY INCORRECT HAHHAAH in both the way we talk and write!! and lol you’re welcome,, AND THE PARAGRAPH DID MAKE SENSE HDHSJSH & your rant is fine because... that is actually a bit ??? bc no one writes with 100% grammar lol

OH MY GOSH (see this uppercase thing is addictive) YOU STUDIED LATIN FOR 6 YEARS??? that’s really cool 🥺 the way that you know/speak 3+ languages i- NOT EVEN 3+ LIKE 6+ (german, english, latin, french, serbian, italian, and everything that comes with latin lmao) even if it’s just a tiny bit like wowee. it is really fascinating!!! i had the opportunity to take latin and i... didnt. i took art instead BUT ONLY CUZ MY FRIENDS WERE IN THAT CLASS AND ART LOOKED FUN IM SORRY

PLEASE WHY DO YOU KNOW EVERYONE?? that sounds so fricking cool tell your mom (mum or mama it’s really fine lol) that she sounds awesome. i think Jamaica would be fun either way!! i mean it looks pretty from pictures? i was a baby so i honestly have no recollection hahaha

LMAOO NOT U SAYING THIS IS LONGER THAN SOME OF MY FICS- PLEASE GIRL IM TELLING YOU I VERBALLY LAUGHED HAHAHAHAHAH but yea you really don’t need to apologize i like reading everything you say 🥺 HDKSHS AND UR FINE WE WERE JUST TALKING ABOUT ME BEFORE uhhh hmm uhh lemme think i, well, i saw chaos walking yesterday (big tom holland fan over here) and it was alright.. my mom acted a fool at all the jump scares LMAO but it was funny... since i’m talking about movies (this is hella random i know) but i like shark movies HDKJSSJ my favorite is the meg (it’s so good ohmigosh) and the 47 meters down movies aren’t bad either... i have two younger brothers... iiiii AM IN LOVE WITH MUSIC PHEW anddd i’m homeschooled (i think i mentioned that lol) i think that’s a good amount ahahaha AND IM HUNGRY RN JDHSJ

now. please. let me address the edit. i just want you to know that.. when i talk about your fics and i finish them and everything i’m not looking for more? like obviously if you’re writing i’m gonna read it but you don’t need to feel pressured or anything (idk if you do) to put more fics out lol like they’re great and i’m just sending the praise bc i love the ones that are there :’) but i’m so happy you’re working through your writers block!!! yay so so happy for you!!! and PUHLEASE anything you write is fantastic, i feel the exact same way when i write but girl. you’re fine. it’s gonna be great. (idk if this made any sense but... okay)

(and my cousin calls her mom mama so it’s really okay hahah i even call my mom mama sometimes) (and where you got the number “16 sentences” beats me but i still cracked up) (is this me pretending i had tags? maybe) HAHAHAHA OK BYE ❤️❤️ why did this take me so long to send i have no clue, AND WHY AM I OVERTHINKING EVERYTHING I SAID SHAJSHSJ ANYWAY BYE btw i love us too... like iconic // lovely anon 💓

me reading this:

also the dedication you put into sending me stuff— like with the laptop and phone and ahsksk 🥺🥺🥺

i’ll update you when i’ve started uni btw, i’m getting more and more excited every single day haha but i still have 3 weeks until it starts and even then I’ll obviously have to get used to it and everything, but you’re making me even more excited about it sksjshsg

yeah i wanna go to england too dkshsh let’s be sad together over the fact the we can’t travel eksjsh😔😭 but hopefully the wait will make it even better in the end <33 also i talk to loads of relatives over the phone at least once a week so it’s not too bad for me! but i miss their house 😭lmao

and i knowww snshsh so many native english speakers just make so many mistakes— and obviously i get that some things are slang but some things are simply wrong ajsh, the thing is no one has ever told me that my english is bad (i know it’s not bad anyway, but i’m still insecure) or no one has ever pointed out any mistakes, but yeah it’s mostly just insecurity dkshsg but yes thanks for saying what you said (previously as well as in this ask)😌🥰

Okay now for latin— girlll i don’t blame u for choosing art over latin esp. when all of your friends are doing art as well!! I’d choose art over latin as well lol skshsg but in year 6 we had to choose between latin and french, and at the time i didn’t like french? which was dumb of me and now i wanna learn french ekdhs but i don’t regret choosing latin at all bc if i properly learn french one day then i’ll already know understand loads of stuff (or at least some stuff lol) just thanks to latin 😌😌 but still, art>>>latin skskshshgs

I wanna watch chaos walking too!!! But i don’t get when/where/how it’s out lmao, cinemas are still closed here so i’ll either have to wait or find it somewhere online... il*egally 🥰 i don’t have high expectations at all btw but i like daisy and tom and the dog🥺 so i think i’ll enjoy it

GIRL SHARK FILMS SHARK FOLMS SKSJSHSHS okay so there are a few classics i haven’t watched yet, and also a few new ones that i haven’t seen yet BUT I LOVE SHARK FILMS SO MUCH SKSHSGSGSKK the first like proper shark film i ever watched was the shallows (which i like but my brain is still too small to comprehend what happened at the end (i mean i get it but i just can’t imagine it— idek if you’ve seen the film but skshhs)) and after watching it three times it does get a bit boring (but now whenever i see pictures or videos of big waves i’m just waiting for a shark to show up like come ON SKSJSG

^^^that pic/scene really traumatised me sksjsh but i still like the film

I only watched jaws like a few months ago, and i get that it’s a classic and also that it’s old and they just didn’t have the best.. equipment or special effects or whatever but i mean... look at meg and then look at jaws.... no disrespect to jaws at ALL but the meg is so much cooler. (That one scene on the boat where the shark just JUMPS OUT OF THE WATER AND SKSJSHHSUSJHA i get such a shock every time it’s so good (and the dog aww aksjshssli 🥺🥺🥰 and the boy with the ice cream lmao he’s iconic)

47 metres down, wow, i liked that film too. (i’ve only watched the original/first one i think) i mean that is such a fucking nightmare scenario like ALSJDHSNEMSKDJSHSJSKWBALSODUEWBSLDKHDJSNSKSKSHSGEBWKAISGSHEKEKSKLDJDJDHDHSHAGGA (that’s the best way i can express my feelings about that scenario lmao)

oh and i’ve recently been watching more horror films but i don’t know if they’re for me... I like the thrill and whatever but i just end up being scared for my life when i have to go to the bathroom at night or when i’m trying to sleep bc suddenly my mind is flooded with all the scary shit from the films 💀💀💀

and music i mean... you know those people who just don’t listen to music? WHAT IS WRONG WITH THEM???? i honestly like all genres especially in the last year, i am IN LOVE with Nicki Minaj + Megan andddd Stormzy and i like Harry Styles but i prefer his first solo album (and obviously one direction has bangers i have a throwback 1D session at least once a month), I also love MGK especially his new stuff and otherwise i mostly listen to german artists lmao. So who do you like?💖 (WHY DO I FEEL LIKE YOURE GONNA SAY SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT SKAHAGUS IF YOU LISTEN TO COMPLETELY DIFFERENT MUSIC DONT JUDGE ME AJSHDJS) (i know you’re not gonna judge me but)

++ @ the thing you said about writing, don’t worry, i don’t feel pressured at all!!! (not by you and not by anybody else.. except myself sometimes lol) and i’m just very happy that you liked my fics 🥰🥰🥰 and if i start telling people that i’m writing a fic then sometimes it puts a bit of (healthy) pressure on me. like yes sometimes it really is writer’s block, but sometimes i really am just lazy ddkshhd so now that i’ve told you i’m writing a fic i might get my ass up quicker than i would if i hadn’t told anyone 😌😌😌

“Like ships in the night, you keep passing me by”

Do you own a black leather jacket? A pleather one, yes. Something badass about wearing one haha.

Do you find musicians or athletes more attractive? I’ve been attracted to more musicians, but that’s cause I’m more familiar with them. I don’t see a lot of athletes as someone who doesn’t watch or care at all about sports. Although, guys in baseball uniforms are nice. haha. Oh, back when I was like 13 or 14 I remember thinking Andy Roddick, a tennis player, was hot. I saw his photo in a magazine. Are you better at spelling or writing? I think both. How many siblings do you have? Two. If you could have an ice cream sundae right now, would you? No.

Do you use emoji's? Yeah. I don’t go crazy, but I like to use them as I see fit. When was the last time you lost a tooth? I broke a tooth like 10 years ago and had to get it pulled. You ask this question like it’s the norm to loose a tooth when I’m pretty sure the people who take surveys are past the ages where you lose your teeth.  Do you like bendy or regular straws better? I like to use coffee stirrer straws cause the holes are small. If someone signed you up for karate lessons, would you take them? Uh, no. What's your favorite song? I have numerous favorite songs.

Click shuffle on any music device. What's the 12th song that comes up? Nah. What's your most used website? Tumblr and YouTube. Do you come on this website as much as you used to when you first found it? Not as much, no. I used to spend like all day on Tumblr back in the day. Now I typically just get on at night as part of my nighttime routine of Tumblr and surveys. That’s also when I watch the most YouTube cause I like to listen to ASMR at night. I feel like I probably go on YouTube more now than before or perhaps it’s about the same. Do you drink hot tea? Once in awhile. It’s usually when I’m feeling really anxious or really sick.

“& it’s too cold outside for angels to fly”

Is there anyone you want to see in concert really bad? I’m sad I never got to see Linkin Park. I don’t know if they’ll decide tour now, but it wouldn’t be the same without Chester. :( Do you like Abercombie? Nah. Do you still take a survey even if they don't capitalize letters? Yeah. Does your computer have word correct on it? It’ll do the red squiggly line if something is misspelled or it doesn’t recognize the word and if I hit control and click on the word it’ll offer a suggestion if it’s a recognized word. What's one of your wishes for 2013? Well, we’re towards the end of 2020 now and I just pray we’re able to get through the rest of the year without anything else crazy coming at us. Do you fight with your mom often? No, my mom is my best friend she and I very close. We just bicker sometimes. Would you rather have your son have the name Daniel as first or middle name? Sounds more like a first name to me, but meh I don’t really care for the name at all. I don’t even want to have children so it doesn’t matter lol but if I did I’d go with another name. Have you ever made up a food combo & everyone tired it & loved it? Pizza rolls and mustard. What was the last movie you watched? Would you recomend it to people? Bringing Down the House the other day cause I happened to catch it on TV. It came out in like 2003 so it’s not new, but I’ve always liked it. I think it’s funny. What is one word you cannot seem to spell? Every time this question comes up I always say “onomatopoeia” for some reason and damnit I have yet to spell it right without having to look it up. I don’t know what it is about that stupid word that I just can’t seem to remember lol. It’s a word I never use unless this question comes up, so I guess maybe that’s why, but still. I should be able to spell it. Were you born on an odd or even number? Even. Do you like Ed Sheeran? I like several of his songs. When you type, what hand & finger do you use to hit the space bar? I use my right index finger. I don’t type the proper way, I use my index fingers lol. I type really fast that way, too. Do you like to take pictures of you in the mirror? Only if I want to show the shirt or outfit I’m wearing.

“you are the best thing that’s ever been mine”

Have you read the book Lord of the Flies? Yeah, it was required in my 10th grade English class. Would you rather type or hand write notes? My handwriting is trash, but I feel like handwritten notes are nice. Do you like the number seven? I don’t have anything against it. Do you believe that when you go to heaven, you become an angel? No. I believe in angels, but not that we become one. Angels are another of God’s creations. They’re ministering spirits. They’re their own thing and humans are another. How much money do you plan on spending tomorrow? I don’t plan on spending any money tomorrow. Are you good at writing poems? No. I dabbled a bit with it when I was like 16 and angsty, but they’re so cringe. I still have the journal stored away with them and I’ve gone back to read them as an adult and yikes. Do you come on here daily? For the most part, unless I’m really not feeling well. What's one thing you wish you were perfect at? No one is perfect, but it’d be nice to be a functioning adult.  Can you play the saxophone? Nope. Does it bother you when people breathe loud? I will say I feel uncomfortable when someone has a breathing problem because it makes me hyper focused on my own breathing and I end up feeling like I can’t breathe.  Are you going to any concerts in 2013? Can you believe it's going to be 2013? I didn’t. The last concert I went to was back in 2009. Were you in love with the movie Mary Poppins? Not in love with it, but I like it. Do you like breadsticks? Yes. Have you ever been on a mountain? Yeah, I took a gondola ride up to one. If you had to get rid of one of your sense, which one and why? I’d really rather not.

“the first cut is the deepest”

Can you swim? Nope. Do you usually wear shorts around your house all year long? No, I wear leggings all year long. Do you remember Sesame Street? Of course. It’s also still very much a thing. Do you believe every word that comes out of peoples mouths? Of course not. You have to take some things with a grain of salt or healthy dose of skepticism. You gotta gauge what is being said and who is saying it, too, and make the judgment. That doesn’t mean I don’t trust my loved ones or that I think everyone is a liar or something, but people can give misinformation unknowingly, so it’s not always being done intentionally. It’s just not a good idea to believe every single word that comes out of people’s mouths. Do you like the questions that really make you think? Depends on my mood.  What are you asking for for Christmas? Just a few little things. What time do you plan on going to bed on Tuesday? I don’t have a set bedtime for any given day, I go to bed whenever.  I’ve talked a lot about my messed up sleep schedule in surveys. It’s certainly not planned. How many of your friends are online right now on here? I have no idea who’s currently on. I’m kind of the night owl of the survey community who’s up doing surveys while everyone is asleep like normal people. When they’re getting up in the morning, I’m going to bed, ha. :X Do you know what Je means in French? I do, actually. How often do you write in red pen? I don’t recall the last time I used a red pen. Do you cut your own hair? No. I used to trim my own bangs back when I had ‘em, though. Do you have any pictures in your room from concerts? No. Would you ever name your son Harry? Again, I don’t want to have children, but Harry is another name I don’t particularly care for. Have you ever had your nails done in french tips? Yeah, the one and only time I got my nails done, which was for my 8th grade promotion. Is it harder for you to type on a keyboard that isn't yours & not used to? Yes, for sure. I also don’t type as fast on my phone than I do on my laptop. 

“I wish I was a little bit taller, I wish I was a baller”

What shoe do you take off first? Hm. I think my right. What do you think a good teen couple name would be for a story? Uh I don’t know? If you were coming to the states from another country, where first? I’m from the states. Would you pay $82 for facial products? No. Do you get a lot of compliments often? Nope. It’s rare. Was Mean Girls one of the best movies in your opinion? I wouldn’t say it was the best movie, but it’s a favorite of mine. It’s just a classic, ya know? One of those nostalgic movies with a lot of memorable quotes.  If it was Sat, 2 in the afternoon, what would we find you to be doing? I’d most likely be asleep. Do any of your best friends have red hair? No. Would you like to be on the cover of Seventeen magazine? No. Or any magazine. Would you rather go to an Adele or Bruno Mars concert? I mean, I like songs from both so I wouldn’t be opposed to either one. Would you like to live in Sweden? No, but I’d love to visit. Are you concerned about your weight? Yes. I’m too underweight.   Do you know anyone who has the middle name Sebastian? I don’t think so. Do you remember where you got your first kiss at? Of course. Did you ever watch the show 8 Simple Rules? I watched it here and there cause it was part of the TGIF lineup that had other shows I liked.

“I hope you’re in the mood, because this is going to be a long ride”

Does your computer need to be cleaned? Underneath the keys badly need to be cleaned. Would you ever name your child Sushine, Raine, River etc? I kinda like Raine. Is it any of your friend's birthday today? No friends.  When is the person you like birthday? I don’t like anyone in the romantic sense. Do you like yogurt? Nah. When you type, do you ever mix letters around by accident? (EX: ot - to) Yes. Do you like butterflies? No. I’m afraid of ALL bugs/insects, even the ones people think are cute like butterflies and ladybugs. Nopeee. Do you consider the tomato a fruit or vegetable? Tomatoes apparently can be referred to as either one. I always thought they were a vegetable.  Does it rain over where you live? Yes. It hasn’t rained since like March or April, though. We Californians get excited when it rains cause it doesn’t happen often lol. I hope we get some soon. It’s been cold now at least, which I love. Is there any snow on the ground? It doesn’t snow in my city. :( Do you like soup? I only like ramen. When's the last time you made cupcakes? It’s been a few years. How many lamps are in the room your currently in? My lights are off. Have you talked the person you like today? Have you ever been bullied? No.

On Set with Sam | ♥

I had 3 different ideas for this but this one got the furthest. I must tag @mschfavngz​ ♥ 

I guess there could be a part 2 if anyone wants it. I’m SUPER into this.... subject. 😉

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

The Sabrina Netflix Instagram was updated with one story: a picture of Kiernan and Gavin both kissing Sam on the cheeks with a little red font ‘LOOK WHO’S BACK ON SET’.

The fandom went crazy with Caliban back on set right at the beginning of filming the next part. Every theory was brought to life but every Sabrina cast member kept silent.

Kiernan’s story was then updated: a picture of her sad with Sam behind her, also sad ‘I just miss @kleoshane_mua & wish she was here’.

“She’s at my apartment, she’s just sleeping.” Sam explained, “The jet lag and she hasn’t felt good.”

“But I got her a gift.” Kiernan smiled, “A super, special, surprise gift.”

“I told her to come visit today.” He shrugged, “She said she was going to sleep.”

“I will facetime her until she comes to see me and only me.”

Sam laughed, “I told her that you would want to see her.”

“And she naps? While I have a GIFT?”

“She has a… surprise too…” He smirked, heading to wardrobe as Kiernan was called to set. “I’ll try and get her here later.”

Kiernan: WOW I am so lonely on set it would be neat if you were here.

Kleo: There’s 80 people on set, I highly doubt you’re lonely. 😉

Kleo: We’re in the same apartment place as you, so just come by on your way home.

Kiernan: WHY DIDN’T SAM TELL ME THAT? I’m offended. Tell me the room and I’ll be there right when I’m done.

Kleo: Because he’s a guy and he doesn’t think it’s important.

Kleo: When it’s very important because this means SO many pizza parties while rewatching Lizzie McGuire with Abbey.

Kiernan: On another note, I told him I have a gift for you (I’ve ruined the surprise) but he said you have a SECRET SURPRISE FOR ME. 🤔

Kleo: 🤷‍♀️

Kiernan stood impatiently behind the cameras watching Sam film a scene with Gavin. The director couldn’t even cut the scene before she started questioning him.

“You’re at the same apartment place as me? Why didn’t you tell me?”

Both guys were wrapped with towels and handed robes as they were soaked from the previous scene. “I don’t know.”

“Well you’re not invited back to your own apartment after this because I’m going there.”

“I’m going on lunch.”

“And I’m going on lunch and you’re not invited.” Gavin pointed at her.

“I’m invited over you.”

“I’m invited over everyone.” Chance chimed in, not even knowing what he was talking about. “Where are we going?”

“Sam’s apartment on lunch. Kleo is there and I need to see her.”

“And I just want to go because Kiernan wants to go.”

“And I’m going because it’s my apartment?” Sam laughed, “I’m also going to shower off this… goo.. and change into dry clothes.”

“Me too and you’re definitely not invited to that.” Gavin joked, smacking Sam’s butt as they ran to the trailer area.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

Kiernan: There’s an entire van of people headed to your apartment right now because I said I was going and everyone else said they were too.

Kiernan: So I hope you’re awake.

Kiernan: We also brought Chinese food.

“I told you, she’s asleep.” Sam repeated, “You’re all in for a surprise now.”

“I thought it was just a surprise for me?”

Sam shrugged, pulling keys from his pocket, “It’s a surprise for everyone.” He unlocked the door and an apartment mirroring Kiernan’s was there. No decorations, just furniture and luggage. 

Cuddled up in a ball on the couch was Kleo, fast asleep, covered in a huge blanket she had bought Sam for set but soon after kept for herself. 

Kiernan, Gavin, Ty, Chance and Abbey not-so-quietly followed him in; putting bags of Chinese food on the empty table. 

“Kleo, babe. You’ve got visitors.” Sam said, sitting down on the couch next to her head, “Might want to wake up.”

“Who?”

Five different people said, “me” before she opened her eyes and smiled, “Hi guys.”

“Oh my god I know your secret.” Abbey almost screamed before covering her mouth. “I just saw something.” She mumbled between her fingers.

Everyone began looking around before Kleo started talking, “Ignore the fact that I’m in workout clothes and I haven’t been working out.”

“As if we all wear workout gear to workout.” Kiernan laughed.

“I also have gotten sick all morning and haven’t showered since we left Aus.” Kleo reached for Sam’s hand and he pulled her to stand up. “But—“

The blanket dropped and everyone gasped at her stomach, sticking out, clearly showing she was pregnant.

“Surprise.” She smiled, unintentionally grabbing her belly. “This is why I’m tired and sick.”

“Oh my god.” Was all Kiernan could get out before running across the room and hugging her.

“I saw the prenatal vitamins on the kitchen counter.” Abbey laughed, lining up to hug her next.

“How the hell did you two keep this a secret?” Gavin asked, “You’ve even posted pictures and stuff.. how..”

“A lot of old pictures that had never been on Instagram.” Kleo laughed, “I just got past the point of looking like I gained weight. I finally look like I’m pregnant. Some pictures I can get away with an oversize hoodie and still post it.”

“Oversize hoodie..” Sam laughed, “She takes my clothes.”

“Because you’re half of the reason I need new clothes.” She grinned, making her way to the table full of Chinese food. “Please tell me this was intentional.”

“Sam kept suggesting it…” Chance said, “I just thought he was craving the Chinese food.”

“Fried rice and eggrolls are all I ever want.”

“And anything with cheese.”

“Anything. With. Cheese.” She agreed, “The heartburn is worth it.”

“Were you just planning on keeping this a secret for as long as you could?” Ty laughed, “Because it’s.. obvious..”

“I was going to go to set tomorrow and see who noticed.”

“Everyone would notice.” They all laughed, “Miranda, Lucy and Michelle are going to freak out.”

“Lucy joked about it today when I said you were sick.” Sam remembered, “She said I had probably knocked you up. And I laughed… and then left the makeup trailer because I didn’t know what to say.”

“You should have just told her she was right.” Kleo laughed, “Imagine the look on her face.”

Kiernan tried to mimic the face the all knew Lucy would have made before they all burst out laughing.

“Little bean is the size of an orange now, weighs two ounces and is growing hair and eyebrows.” Kleo read off her app that she checked every day, “Five months to go…” She groaned, “Less morning sickness and trips to the bathroom. Thank god.” 

“She peed fourteen times on the flight here.” Sam said, “She finally had to just tell the flight attendant she was pregnant because she seemed like a psycho.”

“I had to beg the last time because we were about to land but I was also about to pee in a water bottle.”

“She had an actual water bottle out and told me she was going to use it.”

“It’s not like you can hold it. It’s there and it has to come out. There’s no muscles to hold pregnant pee.” 

Sam laughed to himself and it seemed like Kleo immediately knew what he was thinking about, “Don’t…”

“We were leaving dinner one night and she.. she…” He could barely talk as Kleo just covered her face, “I made a joke about something dumb, it wasn’t even funny. And I got in the car and she never got in the car.”

“I was peeing by the car.” She told on herself, “I squatted down right there, in the parking lot, thankful I had a dress on and I peed.”

Sam turned his phone to everyone and pushed play, “Kleo babe, what just happened?”

Kleo tried to push him away as she got into the car, laughing at herself as she had just had to take her underwear off. “Sam I want to kill you.”

“What happened though?” He held the door open and she sat in the passenger seat with her arms crossed, “Just tell me.”

“I peed in the parking lot.”

“The parking lot of a restaurant.”

“It’s your fault.” She pushed him away and closed the door. He filmed the small wet spot of pavement before going to the driver seat to pester her more. “Stop filming me, drive home.”

“Babe, babe, babe. Just. I can’t. You just went down and peed.”

She rolled her eyes at him, “Because your pull out ga—“ the video cut and everyone laughed. 

“There’s so many videos and pictures I wish I could just post everywhere.” He scrolled through his camera roll: Kleo crying at a coffee commercial, Kleo eating french fries dipped in mustard, Kleo asleep on the bathroom floor, Kleo using his legs as some sort of pillow to go to sleep, a video of her holding a little pair of Converse and crying, her weird clothing selections and ways of falling asleep and the last sonograms they had gotten.

The black and white pictures were barely recognizable aside from a head and a body. “But we don’t know if we want to find out what it is.”

“I have thought about that a lot. But I don’t think I could do it.” Abbey said, “I’m too crazy about things. I would want to organize and have everything set and ready to go.”

“Same.” Kiernan agreed, “But for some reason, you two are the perfect people to not find out.”

“You’re so quirky.” Gavin joked, “So hipster.”

“Everything white.” Ty said, “No color.”

“No color at all.” Kleo laughed, “White and maybe ivory. Wooden toys. Gender neutral names. No pain medicine. At home birth. In the bath tub.”

“Cloth diapers. Organic food. All recycled everything.” Sam added, “Except for the fact that you want to be at a hospital and you want medicine.”

“Oh drug me up, I don’t want to feel a thing.” She laughed, “My cervix becoming the size of a bagel is something I don’t want to feel, ever.”

“A bagel?!” Kiernan asked, “I knew it would stretch but a bagel!?”

“That’s what the birthing coach said.”

“Awww, little Sammy and Kleo at birthing class. That’s precious.” Abbey said, “Did you do the whole breathing thing and stuff with a workout ball?”

“Actually, yes. It was really boring, then gross when they showed the video and then I couldn’t stop thinking about Cinnamon Toast Crunch so I told Sam to listen.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 

One by one they surprised the rest of the cast and crew. They were the only ones to know aside from their families and the last person Kleo toured with as a makeup artist.

Sam got a punch in the shoulder from Lucy for not telling her she was right earlier in the day. 

Miranda couldn’t stop hugging Kleo, kissing her head and telling her she was, “glowing.”

Michelle thought it was a joke and so did a few others. Kleo proved them wrong by pulling up her oversize shirt to prove it was her real stomach. She almost peed on set once from Gavin shoving pillows in his shirt and claiming he was also pregnant by Sam, but she made it to a bathroom just in time.

As they all filmed she fell asleep everywhere. In a dressing room, back stage, on a set they weren’t using and on Sam’s lap while everyone played cards.

@kleoshane_mua: Sam + Kleo = ❤️

-@kiernanshipka: I can’t wait to meet the little demon baby of hell. 💕

-@gavinleatherwood: I’m mad that @samcorlett didn’t get me pregnant first.

-@ty_cotton: I have high hopes that #Mabrina follows in your footsteps.

-@tatigabrielle: I am obsessed with your new outie belly button. 😍

-@chance_perdomo: A little Duke or Duchess of Hell. Perfect. 😈

“I posted a picture and I’m putting my phone on do not disturb.” Kleo yawned, crawling on the couch.

“That would be why my phone is going off every thirty seconds.”

“Yes, Daddy.” She nodded into his chest, wiggling her way to get comfortable on top of him. “You smell good.”

“I showered?”

“I like it.” She shoved her head into his chest, “You’re comfy.”

“I’m glad?” He just watched her as she finessed her leg between his, her hand up his shirt, “Better than when I was covered in goo?”

“Way better.” She snuggled against him, her face in his neck, “You smell so good.”

“You said that.”

“I know but.. “ She took another sniff, “It’s different. It’s the pregnancy nose. Second trimester. I also haven’t felt sick in a while but my boobs hurt so bad.”

“They’ve grown.” He laughed, “Are you comfortable yet?”

“No.” She giggled into his neck, “I’m not.”

“Okay?”

“Second trimester.”

“Second trimester?” He repeated after her, “Do you have to pee?”

“No, that hopefully will go away for while.”

“Is the baby moving a lot?”

“Well not right now.”

“Does your back hurt?”

“No.” She kept giggling, her hand wandering around his chest, down to where his sweatpants began. “They call the second trimester the Honeymoon Period.”

“There’s no way anything is happening like that.” He stopped her hand, “You could, wait.. couldn’t you cause contractions?”

“Not this early.” Sam looked down and her bottom lip was sticking out, “Nothing bad can happen, I promise.” She shook her hand from his grip and ventured further down, “And there’s no way you’re telling me no right now.”

“No.” He tried to push her hand off of him but she gripped onto the top of his pants.

“I’ve had to look at you all day shirtless…” She wrapped her hand around the back of his neck, “..wet…” She pushed herself up to straddle his lap, “…and being all moody with your lip biting and eye rolling..” Her nails dug into his scalp, “And the groaning when you were tied down…” 

Kleo was in his face, biting her own lip just thinking about the sounds he made all during that specific scene. “There was a reason I left early.”

“Oh do tell..” He smirked up at her, grabbing onto the back of her legs. 

Without missing a beat, “I was so turned on.” She said, sitting up, intentionally resting her weight on his hips. 

“Don’t say stuff like that around the baby.” He joked, rubbing her stomach. “But it is a little in the way.”

“I don’t think. You understand.” She took a deep breath, squeezing a part of his t-shirt in her hand, “That I will do anything. And I mean, anything, right—

“Woah, woah, woah, calm down momma bear.” Sam laughed, “You tell me what to do and we can do it.”

Without even answering she grabbed his face and pulled herself down to kiss him, baby bump slightly hindering how close she could get but she didn’t even care. All that mattered was that she could feel him pushing his own pants off before he grabbed onto hers.

1) How'd you get into Japanese Musicals?, 2) Favorite Celtic Myth?, 3) Favorite POTO Cast (Real Trio that existed together + make a trio of anyone you want)?

(1) I feel like this is a fairly common origin story for the international fandom of Japanese musicals, but I got in, primarily, through German musicals that had been given Japanese productions. I had the...luck (?) of falling into Frank Wildhorn musicals around 2011-2012, which was perfect because it was timed EXACTLY so that I was there when the very first Japanese production of Dracula happened, and so I watched the proshot of that. I thought it was okay, not my FAVORITE (that went, at the time, to the German, though now I’m firmly #TeamKorea), but it was good! And it was a good introduction. 

Because of the German production of Dracula, I fell into Elisabeth (aka “The Reason I took up German in the first place) and, like a ton of people, fell into the Takarazuka production of Elisabeth (and The Scarlet Pimpernel, because Wildhorn) because of that, though it still wasn’t a great, overwhelming love for me. It was okay, it was pretty, but not an OVERWHELMING love. 

I was interested in Lady Bess...fairly early on, I want to say 2014-2015, not long after its premiere, because I was like “Oh, Kunze and Levay are doing a musical on Elizabeth I? PRETTY COSTUMES?” I think I actually was there to see the very early press releases, ft. the English demos, as they were released. But, of course, Lady Bess was a bit of a white whale. There was NOTHING on it, the cast album was phenomenal, but that was ALL, really. Very little in the way of video, very little in the way of pictures (now I could probably find them, but back then I was a bit on my own), nothing in the way of plot. So, I basically gave it up for lost, though I retained hope that, one day, SOMETHING would surface on it. 

Then, 1789. Attending the European Musicals Streamathon in....around 2017. Seeing the Takarazuka 1789. It was like LIGHTNING. I’d loved the French production, though I fell out of it due to the general disdain for it that I felt in the French Musicals fandom at the time, but, if I’d loved it before, the Zuka made me fall in love with it x10. I wrote fanfic, for the first time in my fandom life (or, at least, fanfic that saw the light of day), I got involved in the world of Takarazuka (I’m not as much there as I am with Toho, and I know some people probably think I actively dislike it, but it IS where my roots are, and I retain a ton of affection for it), attended streams, etc. It got me into the rabbit hole of Japanese musical theatre, really, though Toho would have to come a little later. 

Then, in 2018: The announcement that Lady Bess was coming back. I don’t know how, but even then, I had the sense of “What if they do a proshot, like they did for Elisabeth and Mozart? What if we get that?” And then, shortly afterwards. The announcement. It was a “HOLY SHIT” moment, because I’d been waiting for FOUR YEARS and there it was. And it was expensive, especially for a family that. Well, no nice way of putting it, we’re well below poverty level. 

It was also...perfectly if also morbidly timed as well, because 2018 is on the record as being one of my most difficult years, even next to 2020. In 2018, I was a senior, just wrapping up my undergrad, I was overworked, exhausted, terrified of not getting my capstone in, and my uncle had just died in the last month or so of my program (along with my paternal grandfather), with my mom, who’s generally my #1 supporter, not able to be there for me at home because she was often over at his place, taking care of him.

 I was, frankly, absolutely miserable. 

But my mom told me that, as a present for dealing with....everything, I could get any Japanese musical that I wanted. And I chose Lady Bess. 

I remember taking it back from the post office, SO excited because it was actually REAL and I could hold it after all that time, and then getting my mom and aunt to play it in the front room so that I could finally see it. And then, with that first shot of the night sky as the overture plays, as Ascham takes the stage, I was totally in love and, more than that, my family was, too. 

Then the announcement that 1789 was going to re-run. As soon as I saw it, I thought of Lady Bess, and I was like “....are they....?” And then the resulting announcement shortly afterwards, which had me conflicted because, on one hand. It was *1789*. Arguably the single greatest musical love of my life, the musical that got me to write and publish fanfiction. And it was the TOHO one, the one that the entire fandom had been curious about since 2016. But also. My family had just spent the money on Lady Bess. It was hard to justify pre-ordering 1789, no matter how in love they were with Lady Bess. 

But, as it was, I had a streak of luck - I’d been given some money as a  graduation present by a close friend of the family (which was given under the STRICT order that I buy something “frivolous”), and so, with nothing else really frivolous to spend it on...I was basically vibrating around six months later, when the proshot arrived in the mail, and got to put it in the DVD player. 

If my family fell in insta-love with Lady Bess, they REALLY fell in love with the energy of 1789. To the point where we watched either it or Lady Bess once a night. And, from there...I was sold. No real going back for me. The last year, I’ve not been able to keep up with the new releases (I know when they happen, but I can’t buy them), but I’m still very much IN, and it’s me the chance to know some very, very awesome people. It was a long road, but definitely worth it, in my opinion. 

(2) Cath Maige Tuired! My actual baby, my child, the love of my life, the one that really got me into it in the first place. (Read the Elizabeth Gray translation, skip the Stokes.) It was reading John Carey’s article on “Myth and Mythography in Cath Maige Tuired” that I realized that people could study this stuff AS A FIELD and, not only that, but Americans could do it to, and since that point...I never really wanted anything else, besides the odd break. It is funny because, when I was doing aforementioned Capstone, my mom wanted to read up on it, since it was a major part of my work and she wanted to get involved. And I was like “Sure, here!” 

...since I’d been reading CMT since I was 14. I had forgotten that it contains one of the single most explicit sex scenes in medieval Irish literature. 

Coming from a fantasy background, it’s probably the closest you can get to a fantasy novel, in terms of scope and characterization - you have this vast variety of characters who, even though we don’t get INTERIORITY into them as such, do have quite a bit of depth to them once you pick below the surface, and it has a hundred different angles. I think that the best description was by Mark Williams, who described it as being “like shards of mirror stuck into the ground at angles to one another”, because that really is it. You have a hundred things going on, a hundred characters reflecting and refracting against one another, a hundred different social contexts, and the result is a work that, while seemingly a very simple tale about kingship and power and good and evil, is very complex. 

(3) I can’t speak as much about acting since, in all honesty....I haven’t. Really. Watched any POTO bootlegs. All the way through. (I’M A FAKE FAN, I KNOW. I KNOW.) 

That being said, I THINK that, as far as trios that have played, Kim So Hyun, Hong Kwang Ho, and Son Jun Ho have my entire heart. Kim So Hyun has a BRILLIANT voice, and a very distinctive porcelain doll-esque appearance that fits her very well, Hong Kwang Ho has a magnificent voice (first fell in love with him in Death Note), and Son Jun Ho....you can tell that he’s married to Kim So Hyun in real life because there’s such a tenderness to their performance - It really sells R/C. 

Honorable mentions include Claire Moore’s Christine, who’s had my heart from the first time I heard her very distinctive, haunting “oo” cadenza, Ivan Ozhogin, Celia Hottenstein (got to see her live so I’ve had a soft spot for her Christine ever since), Jeremy Hays, Hugh Panaro (who was once kind enough to deal with a teenaged fan at stage door for a concert of his and take a picture, as well as sign my playbill) and....there are definitely others. 

World on Fire, Ep 6

Summer 1940

The bittersweet sense of hope from last episode sours in the first couple of minutes of this episode.  The Germans have arrived in Paris, an “open city” on the condition that it is not bombed.  Webster and Albert watch the arrival with dread.

In England, the characters are still relatively safe.  Harry returns home, to Robina’s relief, with Demba as a guest, to Robina’s confusion.  Demba needs a place to stay before traveling to Scotland to train with Free French, Harry explains.  Free France was the government-in-exile led by Charles DeGaulle (and is not to be confused with Vichy France, the puppet state led by Petain).

“Well, this is going to give me something to talk about at bridge club.”

Demba, Robina, and Harry switch back and forth between conversing in English and French.  Demba compliments Robina on her French, throwing her off balance.  Harry is still suspicious of what his mother isn’t saying.  Adding to the awkward group, Lois arrives to give Jan a gift from Douglas.  By now, Robina seems more familiar with the Bennet family than her own son, though that doesn’t stop her from taking verbal jabs at everyone.

Robina’s arc is about how to unlearn prejudice, but she has a long way to go. She jokes that Demba’s training in Scotland would be miserable like Dunkirk. She calls Jan a “backwoods” boy, even though she obviously cares for him. She still believes that there can be negotiation with Hitler, that the lack of a blitzkrieg on Paris means the Germans will be kind to Britain, that there is a way to settle the conflict.  When World on Fire reaches the Blitz, there will be no more room for her illusions.

(Read More)

The final episodes of this season subtly set up a Blitz plotline with Lois and Vernon, too.  Vernon is still watching Lois perform while giving her the biggest heart eyes.  More familiar faces are in the audience, too, like Geoff and Eddie, who walks on stage and gives Connie a big damn reunion kiss.  

The Canadian pilot, Randy, is interested in Connie, but when he sees that Connie’s heart is taken, he strikes up a friendly conversation with Lois.  He tells her that he has a brother in France (hmm..anyone we know?), and he likes to think that he can protect him as a pilot in the RAF.  Lois begins to tear up and asks Randy if he could watch over her brother Tom, who has officially been declared missing.  

Vernon walks in at the tail end of the conversation and thinks that Randy must be the man who knocked up Lois and abandoned her.  In contrast to Harry’s reaction in episode three, Vernon refrains from decking Randy, but his misguided attempt to fight for Lois’s honor is rather funny, especially to Randy. 

 Vernon later apologizes to Lois for his behavior and confesses that his appearance at her recent show is no coincidence.  He has been following her tour because, despite how little they know each other or how ridiculous it seems, he is “absolutely besotted” with her and wanted to see her again before he goes back in the air.  Before she can respond, Vernon turns and leaves.  Lois watches him with a mix of confusion and tenderness.

The possibility of love and security may come as a relief to Douglas when he finally finds out about Vernon, especially with Tom’s fate left uncertain.  Douglas has shut himself off from the rest of the world, like the show hints he did after his wife’s death.  Also like she must have done years and years ago, Lois carries on with hope for the best and preparation for the worst.  Meanwhile, Douglas refuses to give up hope for the son who, it turns out, is still alive.  

Discovered on the beach and taken to a battlefield hospital, then Paris, Tom is under Webster’s care.  But with the Germans rounding up prisoners of war, Tom’s life is not completely safe yet.  Webster has a plan: he will officially declare Tom dead while the Resistance whisks Tom across the border and into Spain.

Albert hopes he can follow the same escape route, especially when a German officer, Sieber, deliberately warns him of the Nazi policies against jazz players (and by extension, people of African descent).  That night, Albert and Webster have their first argument over their next steps.  Still optimistic, Webster thinks that Albert will be safe as a French citizen, but if things get bad, they should wait until confirmation that Tom made it across the border before sending Albert after him.

Things get bad very quickly.  Germans enter the hospital and search for wounded soldiers (even their corpses) while Tom is still there.  Henriette quickly leads Sieber to the morgue and shows him a body that (luckily) is charred beyond recognition.  In a rush of excitement over her luck, she grabs Webster and kisses him.  His expression of supreme embarrassment quickly puts an end to the mood.  (I guess Henriette did not realize where that confetti was from in episode one).

That’s not the last we see of Sieber, unfortunately.  Webster returns home from work to find his apartment overrun with Germans, who kick him out at gunpoint. His sense of safety shattered, Webster runs to the club to look for Albert, but Germans are everywhere, and Albert is gone.  Webster tracks down Sieber in a desperate hope he will show mercy.  Sieber points Webster to the camp where Albert is being held while subtly revealing that he, too, is gay.

Webster finds Albert, who is terrified that if any attention is drawn to him, things will be much worse for him, but Webster will not give him up.  He tries to use his privilege as an American with the commander of the camp, but to no avail. We’re left questioning if Webster’s intervention has singled out Albert for deportation to somewhere worse.

This episode really brings out the similarities between Webster and Nancy, and the risk that their actions as citizens of a neutral country can do as much harm as good.  In Nancy’s case, her attempts to smuggle out her report on the euthanasia program only raised the threat against the Rosslers, but it’s Uwe’s murder of Frau Pessler that breaks the floodgates open.  The Gestapo arrive at Uwe’s work to question him about the woman’s disappearance and at the summer home where Claudia and Hilde are staying.  

Uwe and Claudia are arrested and interrogated, first about Frau Pessler, but then their allegiance to the Reich.  The interrogator humiliates and intimidates Claudia with all of the reports neighbors and strangers have made about her past disparaging comments about the regime, ranging to minor complaints to major accusations.  Uwe is placed in a holding cell so he can hear his wife begin to break.  

Once Claudia is sufficiently confused and demoralized, the interrogator corners her into denying the validity of the Nazi doctors that diagnosed Hilde with epilepsy (thus condemning the family) or admitting that her daughter has epilepsy (also condemning the family).  She breaks.

Weighed down by the realization of what she’s done and the separation that’s sure to follow, Claudia returns to Hilde and tells her to pack.  As Hilde gets her things, Claudia burns the letters from the institute—the first and the second, just as Nancy said there would be.  

When Uwe arrives at the apartment, he finds his wife and child dead of an overdose.  Drawn by his wails, Nancy enters the apartment just as a neighbor arrives.  Uwe rounds on the neighbor, but Nancy cautions “Think of your son.” Uwe grows silent, and the two stare at each other as they realize they have effectively switched roles.

Earlier, Nancy had said she might have contacts who can help the Rossler family.  Now is the time to put those contacts to the test.  Nancy couldn’t smuggle her research out of Germany, but what about a person?  

Uwe and Tom aren’t the only characters preparing to sneak across the border. Harry receives a letter from the War Office for a meeting with one Major Taylor, who wants him to work as a spy.  

(Hey, it’s a payoff for Stan’s spy suspicions!)  

Harry meets Taylor at the urinal.  As far as character meetings go, talking at the urinal is funny—talking in different languages to test someone out as secret agent material while still at the urinal is hilarious.  And with fifty minutes of misery and the occasional tenderness to an episode, it is a much-needed moment of relief.

Given his knowledge of languages and (in Taylor’s interpretation) ability for deceit, Harry could collect information about the situation in Poland and transmit it back to Britain.  The plan is for Harry to parachute into Poland and meet up with members of the Polish Resistance outside of Warsaw.   

This episode in particular shows how Kasia is still on Harry’s mind.  One moving scene cuts between Kasia staring at the photograph of her family and Harry and crying and Harry gazing at the same picture.  He has also started to make more of an effort with Jan, like comforting the boy when he has nightmares about his parents.

All season, Harry has been looking for a way to actively help the Polish people, especially the Tomaszeski family.  But from his station in Northern France to his fruitless efforts with the diplomatic office, he has been left running in circles and feeling utterly useless. 

In the first episode, he wanted to get Kasia out first and come back for her family, and now it seems he has the opportunity to save her the other way around.

The road to Kasia is paved with dangers: the drop could kill him, he could be captured, he could fail to make contact with the Polish Resistance or even make it into Warsaw.  And then Kasia has changed so much.  What if once again, she refuses to leave because of her responsibility to her country and her people?  But he has changed, too.

He agrees to the mission.

Notes

Webster and Albert’s first appearance gets a few callbacks this episode, like Vernon and Lois at the airfield and Webster and Albert again at the club.  One chilling mirror occurs between Sieber and Albert when the German enters the club and stares inscrutably at the jazz band.

Geoff and Stan make a brief apperance during Lois’s performance.  They may have made it out of Dunkirk, but given that this episode takes place in 1940, they won’t be away from combat for long, unfortunately.

When Claudia burns the letters from the institute, the conflagration in the trashcan is reminiscent of the burning photographs in the opening credits.

I wonder if Harry’s codename will be Blackbird.

Forget Me Not Chapter 2 ~Homeward Bound~

“For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.”

2015

He cocked his head to listen if anyone was in the corridor. Satisfied nobody was about, he cautiously snuck into Claire's old bedroom and shut the door firmly behind him. After carefully placing a vase of forget-me-not flowers on the desk, Jamie noticed not much had changed in her room since she left Lallybroch. On one wall was a massive poster of the world map, on the wooden beam above, hung an assortment of dreamcatchers, and on her bed was a collection of stuff toys he had given her over the years. After a brief glance at the bookshelves filled with classic literature and travel books, his eyes wandered to her dressing table. Slotted in the frames of the mirror were a collection of photos, and they were mostly of him, William and Jenny. He smiled as he peeked at each snapshot, conjuring memories from their childhood. He wished he had a more recent photo of her, but that was one thing Claire never granted him as she was never keen to have her picture taken. Although she was active on social media, most of her posts were images of places she had visited, wildlife, food and the odd time her feet, to show off her new trekking shoes.

Over the years, he thought of her often even in times when he was in relationships. How could he stop thinking of her when Claire would faithfully send postcards, cards during special occasions and made-up occasions, and also ridiculous souvenirs that served no purpose except to clutter his apartment. But he kept every damn thing she had ever sent him. In return, he would send her favourite hardback books with forget-me-not flowers pressed into the pages and occasionally a bottle of single malt whisky so she wouldn't miss home too much. 

Every Christmas and a couple of weeks in summer, Claire would come to visit Lallybroch, but Jamie was never there to see her, for the most part, because those times were his busiest at work in France. And whenever he came home, either she was studying in Switzerland, or she was on some adventure with her backpack in some faraway places. Once, only once they had an opportunity to meet in London airport for their connecting flights when she was bound for Scotland, and he was returning to France. Even that chance meeting went awry when Jamie's flight was delayed departing Edinburgh. But today she was coming home, and it would be the first time they will see each other in six years. This time she was staying for good and so was he. 

..........

"God ah hate regional trains! Are we nearly there yet?" Geillis muttered as she slumped on her seat and stretched her legs in front of her. They have been travelling on the train from London for four hours already. "Remind me again why we took the train instead of flying."

Claire closed her book and sighed at her friend. "If we had booked a flight, we would have had to wait for two more days, and I can't wait that long. All the cheap flights were fully booked, and I wasn't prepared to pay a few extra hundred pounds to fly from city to city. I know how you're feeling, Geillis... I can hardly wait to get there myself. I'm even finding it hard to concentrate on reading, thinking of seeing my family again. God, I've missed them." Looking at her watch, she smiled. "Not long to go now... an hour and a half... more or less." 

In actual fact, she had been thinking of Frank for the most part of the journey, and the thought of him made her stomach do somersaults. Claire had seen him the summer before when she came to visit Lallybroch, and she couldn't forget the appreciative look he had given her way when they met at the local pub. He seemed surprised as if he was seeing her for the very first time. And if her instinct is anything to go by, Claire believed Frank loved what he saw.

"What's with the secret smile, Claire? Is it Frank?" Geillis cheeks dimpled as her lips curled into a puckish smile.

Claire grinned. "You know me too well. Yes, alright yes I've been thinking about him, but I'm also thrilled to be seeing my family again, especially Jamie...I haven't seen him for years. God, I've missed him." She paused as she summoned memories from the past before continuing. "Just between the two of us, Jamie is my favourite out of the three siblings. I love them all, but Jamie is the best. Maybe because we're closest in age and we get along so well. As for Jenny, she used to fuss over me a lot, and when I got older, it became annoying. Well, Willie is great too, but he was always so grown up. He rarely played with me when I was little, but in my teens, he spent more time with me when ma and da were busy in the hotel. On weekends he used to take Jamie and me to movies and such, while Jenny was more interested in staying at home and pottering about. "

Thinking back to her childhood memories, the Fraser family was the greatest gift her uncle Lamb had ever given her. Although Claire felt like an outsider in her school and was often taunted for being English, the love her foster family had for her outweighed the heartaches. Her happiest memories were within Lallybroch and days spent with the Frasers. Even though she lost her parents at such a young age and then later, her uncle Lamb, in her heart and in her mind, despite what her schoolmates made her feel, she was never an orphan.

"Here, hand me yer IPad. Ah want tae see pictures of your folk again, sae ah ken who is who."

Claire shifted seats next to Geillis, and opening her IPad, she tapped into the gallery icon. After a few swipes on the screen, she found what she was looking for. "This one here is the last photo of all of us together under one roof. This was taken before Jamie went to a culinary college in France. I was sixteen here. Willie here was on holiday from his training as a chef in Italy. And Jenny, she's the only one who stayed at home. She never had any interest in the hotel, restaurant or further studies. Though she did go to University in Edinburgh to study Business Management. Da said she was born to be a housewife because she loved running the household and cooking." 

"So you're the youngest? You look sae different in this photo...maybe it's the glasses ye were wearing and your hair was shorter."

"Yes, I'm the youngest. Jamie is now 25, Jenny 28 and Willie is 30. I was the baby then and was spoiled rotten when I first came to Lallybroch. Yea, I got rid of the specs after ma convinced me to wear contact lenses because I kept losing them or breaking them. As for my hair, I realised the curls aren't as wild if I kept my hair longer. I hated my hair back then and wished I had Jenny's straight hair. " Claire swiped past more pictures to a more recent one. "This one is from last year, just the Fraser kids."

"Holy mammy of God, are these Jamie an' Willie? They're sae tall an' Jenny is sae wee. Mmm such good looking lads if ah may say sae."

Claire laughed. "I don't know why Jenny is so small. Everyone else in the family is tall, even ma. Jenny and Willie take more after da with their dark hair and blue eyes. As you can see here, Jamie looks more like ma... he's ginger just like you, but he does have his father's eyes."

"Mmm...Jamie looks scrumptious, and he's more buff than Willie. Is he single? You wouldna mind if ah tried tae angle for a date? Unless of course, ye want him for yersel'"

"Don't be daft! He's my brother...and if he falls for you and ends up marrying you, it's like we're going to be sisters. Now wouldn't that be fab? And yes, he's definitely single. He broke up with his French girlfriend a few months back. He never really liked to discuss his relationships with me, and all I know is that he reckons Frenchie wasn't the right girl for him."

Claire loved Jamie with all her heart, and she had time and again reminded him that he will always be her best friend. He had consistently made her feel special, especially on the night when Frank cancelled their dance date when she was fifteen. He had planned to go with his friends after the dance, but instead, he went with her and Willie, stopping by a gas station to buy a tub of her favourite vanilla ice cream. When they arrived home, they both tucked into their treat sitting on the outside balcony, wrapped in a blanket and looking at the stars. Claire always loved looking at the stars, and she thought it was the most beautiful thing. Then she remembered him saying to her softly as he fed her a spoon of ice cream, "Next time you think of beautiful things, don't forget to count yourself in." 

"So does Jamie have a type?" Geillis asked as she enlarged a photo of Jamie on Claire's IPad.

"Funny you ask that. He always told me he prefers brunettes, but his past two girlfriends were blondes. Blokes are funny that way, aren't they? They say one thing and do another, and yet Jamie always told me women are the most complicated creatures. Tsk, men!"

Geillis closed the IPad and handed it back to Claire. "Weel 'tis braw tae be back in Scotland an' I'm sae glad ah will be workin' wi' ye and yer family. How is yer da tae work for?" Geillis asked, straightening up from her seat to rummage for some snacks in her satchel.

"Oh, da is great, you will love him. I spent summer as a kid doing odd jobs at the hotel...helping in the kitchen, in housekeeping and such. I enjoyed it so much that I proceeded to study Hotel Management instead of nursing."

Claire and Geillis met while fulfilling their apprenticeship in a five-star hotel in Munich, Germany. Once their training came to an end, Geillis had planned to apply for a job in New York hoping Claire would follow suit. But Claire declined as she had promised Brian, her foster father, she would come back to work for Fraser Manor Inn once her studies and training were over. As Geillis was intrigued by the Frasers' hotel and wanted to be closer to her friend, instead of going to New York, she applied for the Front Office position with the help and recommendation from Claire, which Brian Fraser accepted.

Jamie and Willie have returned home to Lallybroch a few months back to help with the preparations for the Grand Opening after the hotel went through a major restoration. It was a pact they all made that they would one day return home to work for the family business. Claire had, at first, wanted to travel to Mexico after her apprenticeship had ended. But since the Grand Opening of the hotel is imminent, she decided to come home earlier than planned.

Fraser Manor Inn, having only thirty rooms, is not by any standard grand but more traditional of the Highlands. The pièce de résistance  of the hotel was the restaurant, and the food was very sought after for its exceptionally high standard in taste, presentation and creativity, promoting Scottish fresh and local produce. The head chef Murtagh Fraser, god-father to all Fraser children had earned the restaurant a Michelin three stars; hence, his cantankerous manner was put up by Brian and Ellen. Working alongside Murtagh in the kitchen would be the Fraser boys; William as the Sous-Chef and Jamie as Chef de Pâtissier.

"Weel, I'll give it a go for a year, and I hope yer da will give me a fantastic certificate tae add tae my resume. When does the hotel re-open?"

"Hopefully before Christmas. So you'll have plenty of time to familiarise yourself with the locals and local delights. Da says you can stay in Lallybroch until you find your own place. Otherwise, he has a couple of apartments for rent...normally he rents them out to staff. It's supposed to be for one of us in case we tire of living in Lallybroch."

"Oh good, plenty of time to get to know the local boys before we start work. Or let's say, plenty of time to get to know yer brothers, " Geillis said, her eyes twinkling mischievously.

..........

Jamie and Willie were standing on the platform, waiting for the train to come to a halt and for Jamie, it seemed to take eternally before the screeching and clunking on the beaten old track ceased. The air felt nippy, and although it was only mid-afternoon, it was quickly turning dark. It was a perfect homecoming for Claire, Jamie thought, as autumn was her favourite season. He smiled to himself as he thought of Jenny and his mother preparing Claire's favourite meal of Beef Wellington, thick gravy, roast potatoes and vegetables. Willie had offered to cook, suggesting a more elegant dish, but the Fraser women had shooed him away. Earlier in the day, while nobody was in, Jamie snuck in the kitchen and made Claire's favourite dessert of Raspberry Mille Feuille and Sherry Trifle much to Jenny's annoyance. He had to make it as it was the only request Claire had of him when he asked what she wanted when she came home.

The whoosh of the sliding doors of the train carriages brought Jamie back to the present. As his older brother started to move forward, he followed, looking up and down the platform for a ginger-haired lassie and a curly-haired brunette. There were plenty of people disembarking eager to get off, and others, keen to get on board and out of the cold. The brothers strained their necks watching out for the girls, and it was Willie who saw them first.

"Claire! Over here!" Willie shouted as he started to jog forward.

"Oh my God, Willie...I'm finally home! So good to see you!" Claire squealed as she flung herself to his older brother's arms, while the ginger-haired lass stood back and observed the scene with amusement.

Jamie waited patiently, not wanting to disturb their moment as he leaned on a pillar watching the scene before him. He watched her squeal some more and giggle as Claire introduced Willie to her friend Geillis, babbling and swinging her rucksack onto her back as she went along.   Ah Dhia, she's more beautiful than ever.  Gone was the awkward and shy teenage girl he remembered but instead there stood a bubbly gorgeous young woman full of self-confidence and most importantly, happy to be home.

"Where's Jamie? I thought ma said he was coming with you." Claire asked, looking slightly disappointed.

"Right here, Sassenach," he replied, stepping away from the shadows and opening his arms for an imminent embrace.

She spun around to the direction of his voice, her eyes widening in surprise before her face broke into a most stunning smile he'd ever seen. Gone were her braces and in place were perfectly even teeth. "Jamie!!!" Claire wasted no time and ran up to him.

Jamie lifted her and hugged her tightly as they both laughed and spoke at the same time, of how they missed each other. Jamie didn't let go, and Claire wrapped her legs around his waist to keep her balance, as she rained loud kisses on his cheek. "Fancy a piggyback for ol' times sake?" Jamie suggested, grinning.

Claire nodded her head animatedly, her smile never leaving her face.

Without much effort, Jamie grabbed her hips and shifted her to his back without her feet touching the ground. Once she was safely behind him, her arms around his neck and legs around his middle, Jamie grabbed Claire's duffel back and turned around to his brother. "I'll race ye to the car!" Jamie shouted as he ran off.

Willie laughed at their carry on as he watched Jamie zig-zagged on the platform, Claire's laughter echoing in the air while Geillis face was one of astonishment. "Don't mind them, they've always been like that..." Willie confessed, shaking his head as he chuckled to himself.

"Brother my arse...he's got the hots for her," Geillis muttered to herself, as she watched Jamie and Claire disappeared into the crowd.

"Pardon me...you were saying?" Willie turned to pick up the rest of the bags as he smiled at Geillis.

"Nothing."

"I don't want to race Jamie to the car, but you can tell me how your trip was from London..."