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Cinderella? She shook her head, smile growing on her lips ( he was always so annoyingly funny) "Now that you mention it," She starts, pushing her frame from the kitchen counter. "These floors could use a little rejuvenating." She'd been examining the floors, looking between her feet and circling the counters until she stopped promptly before him. "Luckily for you, Gus," she smirked, her rounded eyes now lower as she inched closer. Whatever energy she had left depleting by the second, "—This will be the last time we'll have to clean another house."

Tirelessly, the weight of her head pressed softly against his frame, and she hummed a tune mostly to herself. She was officially worn ( completely ) out. "I blame myself for staying this long; now I have to driiive." She groaned, rumbling against his torso like an old car. The noise hadn't stopped either, only growing in intensity as she dragged her head up to rest her chin against him. "Ehhhh" So dramatic ( and yet very on-brand).

After a few minutes, she mustered up the energy to get through the rest of the drive to Connors. To hell with proper goodbyes. The night for little Miss Elliot was over. And look at that, at least they made it there in one piece. "The next time I try to convince you to go out with me, remind me to go home early." She laughed, sinking into the driver's seat. "All that talking, God, I'm not breathing air for the next 72 hours. I refuse."

It was, surprisingly, enjoyable to see her in her element. The room gravitated to her and he didn’t blame them one bit. Hell, he practically orbited her for years now. Still, Connor would never admit such a thing and instead remind her how agonizing this night was for him, even if it wasn’t completely. He was a perpetual complainer. 

He did his best to deflect any conversation directed at him to Elliot. There was only one person in that room he’d like attention from, and no, it wasn’t the older woman who eyed him like he was prey that night. 

“You have some weird and horny coworkers,” he mumbled to her at one point in the night, voice low and near her ear with a chuckle. 

When the night came to an end, he helped clean and was doing his best to not complain about being there so long. He was more of a fan of the classic Irish Goodbye, where he exited parties without anyone noticing. But, for Elliot, he’d stay behind.

Tossing a piece of garbage into her bag before she tied it, he did his best to not show a look of relief when she asked if she could stay. He was hoping that would happen, because even though he stood by her side that night, it felt like they had no time for themselves. Instead of jumping up and down with joy, he simply shrugged nonchalantly and nodded. “Yeah, of course. You about ready? Or do you feel like scrubbing some floors while you’re at it, Cinderella?”

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ANNIE WILSON AND LIAM COURT 90210 3.11 | “Holiday Madness”

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What's that you're growing? I brought you flowers. 'Course you did. Thank you.

THE GORGE — 2025, dir. Scott Derrickson

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And here she thought he was actually going to say something nice. Her green eyes ( with so much power) rolled harshly into the back of her head, narrowing them like daggers; with feigned offense, she put on a pouty-lipped face. "Mmm, it Can't be helped," she defends, stiffening her shoulders towards her ears. "It's my act of service," because talking too much for someone who didn't like it as much seemed like a fair trade; with closed eyes, she shook her head softly, really driving the point home. "And!-and, you need a lot of it. Thank you." Upon opening her eyes, her gaze fell onto his hand. One subtle brush of her hair should seem so weightless, yet it weighed so heavy on her mind; the look on his face, how he watched her. She felt seen, and somehow, it comforted, embarrassed, and flustered her all at the same time.

With fickle eyes, she avoided eye contact. Whatever he was doing or whatever that even was, she needed a moment to breathe some kind of composure back into her small frame. "You— should," she spoke softly. "You should definitely do that. I wholeheartedly support those actions." Smiling, her cheeks grew bigger as she spluttered, raising her fingers to his face as if wiping away his stare. "Please!— Oh my God."

"Well, don't you two look cozy in the middle of the room."

It was just the beginning of what was to come as work friends gravitated towards Elliot. She'd mingle for hours, dismissing the awkward questions regarding their relationship and whether or not he was in one. Apparently, the personal quest to find out more about Elliot's life started much sooner than her typical clock in time. She'd have to figure out something to thank Connor with later. He definitely deserved it after tonight.

With the guest list narrowing, Elliot decided to stay behind and clear up some of the mess. With a trash bag in hand, she deftly tied the knot, her fingers working quickly to secure the contents. Leaning casually against the cool surface of the kitchen counter, she looked at Connor. "Can I stay with you tonight? I'm positive I won't make it back to my place alive." Well, she could have, but she also didn't feel like it.

If he had any sense, he would've told her he couldn't come tonight. If it had been anyone else, that is exactly what he would've said. He wasn't quite willing to admit it, but Elliot was his kryptonite in that way. He was at her beck and call. It was equal parts heartwarming as it was pathetic.

Connor felt the corner of his lips twist in response. He was fighting that smile, too busy scowling and brooding like he always did. It didn't take long until he gave in and smiled down at her. "I think we both know you talk enough for the both of us," he teased.

Absentmindedly, Connor reached out and brushed a piece of her hair that fell out of place. His smile softened as he took in the sight of her. He already knew that whole room would likely want to talk to her - how could they not when she looked like that?

"Fine. I'll suffer through it. Maybe I'll just Jasper stare at everyone and scare the shit out of them to get us out early." Connor then did his best impression with a dead facial expression and intense widened eyes.

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Caro Diario 1993 | dir. Nanni Moretti

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Sandwiched between a crowded room and fake plants, Elliot parked her chunky heeled feet between Connor's. She stared at him, struggling to keep a straight face. Social gatherings took most of her energy after the fact; she was expected to meet and mingle and do all sorts of exhausting things with people the majority of her co-workers were closer to than herself. And maybe it was easier because she dragged Conner along. She'd admit it here or there, but he did make things a lot easier for her sometimes.

Controlling whether to show her teeth or bite her tongue was an internal battle. She didn't want to put him in an uncomfortable position, but who else would suffer in a corner with her later? Besides, watching Connor visibly fight his dissatisfaction with a social life was far more entertaining than not. Her head bobs, she huffs a short breath and she settles on a grin (technically, it always ends in a grin) and slides her hands into his pockets slightly cocking her head.

"Alright, grumbly old man. I promise I won't force you out into the big loud world anymore—after tonight," and she meant it, unless there just happened to be something else that came up that involved her presence and a plus one, then, well, tough luck. "Luckily for you, my co-workers only throw these shindigs to be nosy about everyone's social lives outside of work. So, they'll either stare everyone down like Jasper in Twilight or get real personal with me on my next shift. So, I guess, leave the talking to me."

@oldastime | liked for a starter, based on this post

There was a time when social gatherings were fun—when he actually enjoyed being in a crowd. That time had long passed. Now, as he stood in the middle of the party, surrounded by chatter and clinking glasses, all he could think about was how little he wanted to be there. The older he got, the less patience he had for forced small talk and shallow interactions.

With a quiet grumble, he shoved his hands deep into his pockets. “I don’t wanna talk to anybody else. I don’t like anybody else.” It wasn’t dramatics—it was just the truth. The only person he gave a damn about was the one he’d come with.

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Hercules dir. Ron Clements, John Musker | 1997

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Who would you be?

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FRIENDS (1994-2004)

1x06 | “The One With The Butt”

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©

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Clueless (1995) 🎬 Amy Heckerling

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Plot: Good ol` roadtrip!

based off the first prompt

open to anyone

Elliot had been frantically dashing around her house, trying to get everything ready. She couldn't have felt more unprepared when her friend arrived right on time while she was still in disarray. Her heart sank at the sound of knocking, and she flung herself at her phone lying across her bed to Facetime them, "You're early!" She says, trying to diverge from the fact she procrastinated the whole time. Rolling off her bed and shuffling to the door, she abruptly ended the call and swung open the door. "Don't hate me," a nervous chuckle escapes her mouth, and she steps back, unleashing her mess of a home to the other. "Soooo, I may have gotten a little too excited last night and didn't get a (damn thing) done until now. Ta-daaah." she declared, clasping her hands together as she welcomed her friend inside and closed the door. "I can make you toast? I'll give it a little extra flair and add some jam if you're in the mood for something special," she proposed, grinning as she approached them. "Eh? Eh?" she said, flashing a goofy expression and nudging them with her elbow.

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starring florence pugh and andrew garfield ✰ we live in time (2024) dir. by john crowley

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CAMILA MENDES as ANA SANTOS UPGRADED (2024) dir. Carlson Young

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ELIZA DUSHKU as Annabel Soul Survivors (2001) dir. Stephen Carpenter

↳ Eliza dancing at the rave requested by @gxpsymarie

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No Hard Feelings (2023) dir. Gene Stupnitsky