#and if there's someone who'd understand...it's audrey

[psylockexs]

Dusting things off

For extra context, check the side chapters Unexpected Gifts and Big news for a little town

Following up Amelia's tip from the previous day, Taeyang headed over to where this other venue was. How the Fengs hoped to manage two places with such an apathetic leader was beyond him. Maybe they had too much faith in their daughter or they simply didn't care for their clientele.

However, when he got there, he saw this older guy in a very formal suit. Was he there for a meeting with someone or...?

Aym: You must be the one I'm meeting. My wife told me to expect someone.

Tae: Your wife?

Aym: Haha, most of my investments have been by her advice. offers his hand Aymeric Villareal.

🤝

Tae: I'd tell you my name, but I suspect you know it already.

Aym: Ha, your reputation precedes you, Mr Shin. I wouldn't have agreed this with just anyone. But uh, these tables don't make for good sitting. Shall we talk in the small space upstairs?

Tae: Sure.

Aymeric led Tae to the office which looked like it had been recently renovated 🤔. At least that's what the floor looked like.

Aym: I heard how you dealt with Adrianna Feng and her outbursts. How did you manage that? Everyone that tried to talk to her just got bat down like insects.

Tae: I'm not one to bend to someone's tantrums, especially if they're misplaced. If I'm working with someone or I have to be around them often, I prefer a mutual understanding. Adrianna doesn't have an inkling of that in her.

Aym: Oui, she doesn't. You must be quite skilled to deal with people like her.

Tae: Eh, I've done this practically since I left school, so...in the blood I guess.

In Tae's mind: 'Literally and figuratively...'

Aym: nods Well, I won't hold you with all this flattery. This is honestly just a courtesy to sign over deeds and all that boring legal stuff.

Ok, so far it all seemed above board. However, what was to say that Aymeric didn't want a piece of this pie, so to speak? If Tae took the reins of this place, no doubt it'd probably outshine its former glory. But with Audrey's previous intel, Tae couldn't help but wonder if Aymeric was doing this genuinely.

When in doubt, set the playing field to your liking.

Tae: Just one thing, Mr Villareal?

Aym: Hm?

Tae: If you sign over the deeds of this venue to me, I'd like no involvement or interference from you or your wife in how I run this place.

Aym: 👀

Tae: Call it intuition, but I'm still recovering from...let's say, almost being burned by someone in a similar position to yourself.

Aym: Oh. I see. So a necessary precaution on your part. I respect that.

Tae: Mmhm. I've no doubt you'd add some value, but I need to watch my own back. Too often were those previous doubts turned into physical action. It's something I'd like to avoid in the future.

Aym: That's understandable. Ok, I'll hand you the papers and excuse myself from any involvement. That said, I hope to see this place restored to its former glory. It holds fond memories for me.

Tae: I'd hate to disappoint.

With that, the papers were signed and Aymeric made his exit, leaving Tae with his thoughts for a while.

'Aymeric Villareal. Where have I heard that name before...'

If his hunch was right, this could be good. Very good, in fact. Settling down in Nordhaven was a nice privilege, but there were other reasons for the trio to be there. There was a very slim chance that Maria Erwin's previous acquaintances had clout here, and that clout might very well be disguised as a legitimate business. What do people like to do after a hard day's work?

In Nordhaven, you head to a music bar and take in the ambience. What better place to listen to gossip than a music bar? Everyone's too drunk or entranced and they start talking their business.

On top of that, Tae hated to think about it but the woman that called him in the States. Could that have been Aymeric's wife? She was the only who'd mentioned two venues being at the center of a dispute. Tae had witnessed one part of such a dispute. Interesting 🤔.

Still...that old man was married to her? She had some bravery brokering while in the act 😅. For all their antics, he was certain neither him, Mik or Lore would pull something that brazen. The memory made him recoil internally. Yuck... 🤣. Thankfully, his attention was drawn to the venue's decor.

Ohhh this was a jazz bar, alright. He'd happily keep the decor, but those tables. Far from ergonomic, a little dangerous with that tablecloth and just...not it. Changing the tables should be easy enough. Tae wasn't stupid, though. For a bar that hadn't been touched in 20 years, it looked very well maintained. This honestly made his job easier, but also raised more questions in his mind. Just who had been keeping it warm? 🤔

While Tae was busy mapping out ideas in his head, a figure peeked through one of the windows.

Aaron had warned her not to get involved with anything regarding the Symphony. That name only meant bad things. Ugh, really? So what if it closed 20 years ago in suspicious circumstances? Times change! What mattered was how it would be run here and now...he looks busy.

Ashley breathed a sigh of relief. The guy hadn't seen her. Maybe she could sneak in and take a quick look. In and out, just like in high school. No one knew she visited various museums or libraries cuz she always snuck out when no one was looking 🤭.

Just a few steps, a small prayer that the door didn't have bells aaaand...

She was in! The smell of the brickwork! The sheen of the floor! Heavy curtains, posters, a whole stage with instruments to boot! Ahhh, this was one of her dreams come true! Jazz music, who gives a fuck about that but the ambience! It was like she was stepping into a movie!

But in her awe, she made a big mistake...

'Wow...it's such a vibe...'

...Shit.

[rosetyler42]

Ericka: Yes, albiet skewed. Her moral compass is generally guided by loyalty and justice. She does like to bend the rules alot, but she's ALWAYS loyal to a fault and will do what she thinks is right, even if she has to break rules to accomplish this.

Lucy: Yes. Mostly her moral compass is defined by "Confuse don't abuse", "Scaring's our job but We're not mean," and "It's all fun amd games until someone gets hurt." However, she has a similar loyalty + justice thought process as Ericka. The biggest difference is Lucy hasn't had to develop as much of the ruthless "Whatever it takes to do the job" her parents did. But she's still willing to kill or die for her family and beliefs.

Simon: Probably one of the strongest, even HE is willing to kill or die for his family and friends. Most of the time though, he's a shy somewhat timid pacifist who'd rather make friends and diffuse situations. He IS however the most pragmatic and practical of the two twins.

Alice: Again, like Ericka it is skewed. UNLIKE Ericka, hers tends to be more "Do what it takes to get what I want/need" in fairness, she's trying to survive a hellish environment. It also depends on whether you mean Alice or Susie: Susie is more violent and ruthless while Alice is kinder. Both have a strong dislike of liars.

Audrey: Yes. Despite also living in ink hell and having to kill to survive, she'd much rather hide or banish than hurt others. She's also willing to hear people out no matter what she's been told about them or how dangerous they seem - a trait Wilson capitalizes on. However, this also gives her great compassion and empathy for the ink creatures. So, Good and bad.

@lovelylivelyv 's Jack Nephalem: He's pretty chaotic, but yes. He has Alice's strong morals with Bendy's mischieviousness. This is partly what keeps him sane and helpful. That said, he's SOMETHING of a less crazy more clean Beetlejuice.

Ford: YES. It's skewed, but alot of the morally grey things he does are all in the name of science or protecting humanity. Even when he WORSHIPED Bill, the MINUTE he finds out he's been manipulated and the horrors of what Weirdmaggedon could mean for reality and our world, Ford swore he would destroy him with NO dilemma at all.

Fidds: Ehhhhh...not really, particularly when he's insane. As Dipper says, Fidds will pretty much build deadly robots for anyone who's nice to him. When he was YOUNG, he was more the voice of reason between he and Ford, trying to convince him to give up on the portal for his own good at the good of humanity. His post-clarity self also expresses a desire to build something NOT used for evil. But his unpredictability and passion for destructive devices do get in the way of his moral compass. Particularly his tendency to build deadly robots to cope.

Bill: THIS, of ALL my blorbos, is the "Your moral compass is a roulette wheel" guy. I DO think he has morals in he hates seeing others oppressed or held captive. But he's far too much of an anarchist and nihilist and WAYYYYY too willing to torture to get what he wants. He also thinks human pain and suffering is hilarious. So sometimes he just hurts humans for fun.

Mabel: Pretty much! Her biggest thing is self centeredness, or not really thinking about how her actions can effect others. Beyond that, she's mostly driven by a desire for fun and wants to be a good person. She even sometimes acts as the conscience between her and Dipper. She gets SO hung up on being a good person she becomes OBSESSED with appealing to the unicorn rather than listening to Wendy's way of doing things. For a 12-13 year old cloud cukoolander, she's pretty moral.

Coraline: She's a bit more of a rule-breaker than Mabel, and less driven by niceties (she can be kind of a jerk, especially to Wybie. Though this is understandable.) but she still values her friends and family over everything else.

Bloo: He's more like Ericka, Jack, Mabel, and Lucy; his moral compass is mostly driven by his own sense of loyalty and justice more than rules, along with his love of fun and silliness. He's willing to break or bend rules for alot of things, he can be lazy and self centered. But he refuses to leave Mac behind to be eaten by zombies and his heartbroken when he thinks Eduardo is dead. In general, I see Bloo as as protector big brother friend for Mac. Albiet somewhat immature and without Mac's impulse control and reason. Essentially he's a jerk with a heart of gold.

Shego: It's skewed, but even SHE has lines she won't cross; Animal cruelty, stealing a kid's wheelchair, hurting kids without reason, strong loyalty despite being a bit of a tsundere, etc. That said, she has little problem killing beyond it being alot of messy work.

Eclipsa: Yes, particularly when it comes to violence. That said, het biggest loyalty is to her family, and she's willing to do ALOT of creepy messed up things for them. But she also got Globgor to go vegan in order to date her and despised killing unless she had to, mewman or monster, probably because she did not want to become like her mother. She's still one of the most ruthless characters in the show however.

Meteora: The biggest thing is she clearly dislikes having the throne stolen from her and being lied to about who she was. However, she stole souls and youth and was willing to have Star and Marco KILLED graphically.

Pomni: She is one of the more moral of the group, though she's often this close to losing it.

Caine: Mostly seems to follow his own morals.

Mr. Ring-A-Ding/Lux Imperator: He's a god if Discord, so his morality's kind of messed up. His entire goal was setting off an atom bomb and he kidnapped a theater full of people. He almost killed the Doctor by sucking his regeneration energy, and made illusions for gaslighting and manipulation. That said, he's not without benevolence and humanizing qualities: He did bring back Mr. Pye's dead wife (and clearly enjoys romance as a consept) is bound by the God of Discord honor rules along with cartoon logic, is actually quite polite and a charmer, etc. He also got perhaps one of the most benevolent peaceful ends for a malevolent Doctor Who villain. He mostly wanted light/food, which he got all he wanted and more. Once he got that, he seemed happy, and dissipated without hard feelings. So it seems he operates on at least the principle of "You feed me, you have my favor. But if you're a threat and/or insult me, OR are just in my way, face my wrath." Makes sense for a godlike entity.

Every poll on this blog is about fictional characters only. This request was sent to us and we made a poll in response to it. Send any Blorbo-related question you want to our inbox and we’ll make a poll on which people can vote with their own Blorbos in minds

[booasaur]

Snowpiercer - 3x08

[piastrinorris]

[Kicks in your door, visibly vibrating]

HELLO MY LOVE did you really expect me to see the prompt "Being cast as the main characters in a school play and having to perform a romantic confession scene together. You're okay with it since it's your friend playing the love interest, and they (probably) don't mean it anyway. But when they start acting it out, it almost feels real. Once the scene has ended, you realize how much you wished it was" AND NOT IMMEDIATELY SEND IT IN FOR ONE MR. EDDIE MUNSON!?

Anyway that's what I'm doing, and adding in a Brennan Lee Mulligan style pleEEEEASE for good measure.

Genre: Fluff

Word count: 1590

A/N: This ended up being FAR too long for a drabble since I ended up using actual lines from the actual play and stuff, but how could I not. Anyway, I love you @denim-mixtapes and I hope I did Little Shop of Horrors justice!!!

Backstage, the buzz of excitement and gossip and last-minute stress is very loud everywhere except within your radius, where everyone quietens down. It's no secret that you and your on-and-off boyfriend had The Argument To End All Arguments a week prior, and you'd understandably been off your game, but you couldn't miss opening night. Especially not with how excited your director was at the chance to perform her new favourite off-Broadway show, Little Shop of Horrors.

An almost eldritch amount of eyes follow you to your dressing area, and you try your absolute hardest to maintain your composure the entire time. You let out a heavy sigh once you get to your dressing table, sitting in your seat and staring at your reflection as you hold your head in your hands.

Why is it all on me? you silently ask yourself. I did everything to make him happy and it still wasn't enough. You and your co-star, Eddie, had even made sure to never even kiss on stage, despite your director's anguish. You didn't want... him to get upset at seeing you kiss someone else, and Eddie was happy enough to keep to your boundaries. Plus, it was way more fun to goof around together acting as though you were in a far more exaggerated "passionate embrace" than your scripts let on.

His voice saying, "Knock knock!" behind the curtain that separates your dressing area from his takes you out of your own headspace, thankfully. You invite him in and see him all dressed up. No matter the costume department's best efforts, no wig could contain that hair, so Eddie wore it in a ponytail, with Seymour's big glasses framing his soft eyes. "Nervous?"

You gesture around you. "Actually no, the constant gossip that I know is about me is doing nothing for me, especially not on top of first-night anxiety. God, who'd feel like that?!"

Eddie laughs, putting his hand on your shoulder. "You're gonna kick their ass. And the Asshole's ass. And all that anxiety's ass. Good job this isn't a matinee, you'll be too tired from all the ass-kicking!"

You laugh, "Thanks, Eddie. You're the best." Despite being caked in makeup, a slight blush still forms across his cheeks. Eddie's been great, this whole time. Every time you've been nervous about playing Audrey, Eddie has a way of making you feel like she's an extension of you. Even if it took him a really long time to get used to you doing her voice.

Act One goes smoothly enough. You're able to spot your family in the crowd, so you have an extra anchor around to keep you going even at times when Eddie is offstage. But at one point, as you're watching from the wings, you watch as Eddie double-takes, and for a fleeting moment a look of anger appears on his face. It's not enough to break character, but enough for you as someone who's helped him through his lines a million times to notice it isn't part of the routine. You scan the crowd, and feel your stomach fall as you see it. Him. Why is he here when he was the one who broke it off?!

Eddie high-fives the tech crew as he runs off from the end of Act One, and finds you pacing up and down. He knows immediately. "Hey. I saw him, too. But you know what? C'mere, look at me," he takes your hand and holds it high, just beneath your faces so he knows you're focusing on him. "We're not gonna let that jackass ruin opening night, you know why?" You shake your head. "Because he's Y/N's problem. And tonight, you're Audrey. And I'm Seymour. And the night doesn't end until we get ultimately tragically devoured by a big, foam-y plant puppet. Right?" he asks with a grin as you laugh. You nod and he kisses your knuckles. "That's my Audrey!"

Thankfully, you'd rehearsed your part as Audrey so much that you could afford a little less effort into concentrating on lines, as you know them in your sleep, and a little more into making sure you don't look in his direction again. You get through the first number of the act just fine. Eddie runs offstage for a second, just as the script says.

The script mentions donning a leather jacket, which obviously Eddie usually has on him. But his is a hand-me-down about two sizes too big, that's always looked boxy on him. The costume department have apparently decided to give Seymour one that fits. And it fits Eddie... Real nice.

Eddie asks, "What do you think?" and in the moment, something makes you forget that you're on stage. Forgetting anything about stage direction, you keep staring, mouth opening and closing like a goldfish. Eddie continues, "You... don't like it?" and you're brought back into the moment. Thankfully, you're supposed to be overwhelmed in character anyway, so stammering and running away is actually expected of you, at least.

Eddie, in place, throws the jacket off as per his character, and moves to join yours. Usually, in this instance, you're directed to look in one specific direction, away from Eddie, as he monologues behind you. But the direction you need to be looking in... You just can't.

Eddie knows, though, and instead of following the direction, he turns your face to look at him, holding your jaw softly as he says, "Just don't cry, please. Oh, look what I did. I only bought it to impress you. That's all I ever meant to do."

Maintaining eye contact, you continue, "I don't know what's come over me. I guess I've been a little under the weather."

His thumb strokes your cheek, "It's Orin, isn't it?" He says 'Orin' with a lot more venom than usual. As though he's alluding to someone else in this case... "You've been down in the dumps ever since his mysterious disappearance. You miss him, don't you?"

Catching on, you deliver the next line as though talking about a certain someone. "Miss him? I never felt so relieved as when they told me he vanished. It was like a miracle. Not to mention all the money I've saved on Epsom salts and ace bandages." Not so much the second, but saying the first line with a certain intention empowers you.

"Then what's the matter?" Eddie asks, cocking his head.

"I feel... Guilty, I guess." The words ringing true feel like a cruel irony. "I mean, if he met with foul play or some terrible accident of some kind, then it's partly my fault, you see. Because secretly... I wished it." You falter a little at the end. You certainly had been wondering whether your relationship was going anywhere weeks prior to your breakup.

Eddie keeps you in the scene, readjusting his grip on you and looking deep into your eyes. "Audrey, you shouldn't waste one more minute worrying about that creep. There's a lotta guys would give anything to go out with you. Nice guys." The way he delivers those lines in particular is like nothing you've ever heard from rehearsal. You could easily kid yourself into thinking he's saying them about you...

"I don't deserve a nice guy, Seymour," saying the character's name aloud once again reminds you that these are someone else's words, and actions, with intentions completely separate from your own life.

That all flies out of the window when Eddie's hold on you tightens as he says, "That's. Not. True."

Knowing that where you're both currently sat is so far off-book, you wonder how much longer until your director starts pulling you back to your intended spots herself. You take the initiative to walk across the stage, again reminding yourself that this is all just a play, and anything else is pure coincidence.

You carry on your performance just fine, but something seems different about how Eddie's performing. If the song didn't constantly refer to the character's name, you're so sure you could replace it with the name Eddie and the song would ring just as true. Every moment you're not singing, you're thinking. Every time you and... Him would have an argument, Eddie would be sympathetic to a point. He'd respect your boundaries, but made no attempt at respecting him in the slightest. He was fine with you going into theater, until he saw you and Eddie interacting for the first time, and then he really wasn't.

You feel stupid for not realising sooner. It wasn't ever a jealousy of anyone getting to perform with you, or he'd have voiced it sooner. He didn't want you getting too close to Eddie, because then you'd realise what love is meant to feel like. It's meant to feel just like this.

As the song comes to an end, you decide to pull an Eddie and go far from the way you've been practicing this scene in particular - by doing exactly what the script says. Eddie gets ready to wrap his arms around you in a big motion, but you grab his hands before it's too late and pull them towards you, letting go to wrap your arms around his neck as you kiss him. His arms rest around your waist as applause fills your ears. You stay like it until the actor playing Mushnik interrupts you, as per the direction, though it does genuinely make the two of you jump.

The next time you're able to scan the crowd, you notice an empty seat that's better off that way.