#(with like a semester of vocal lessons thrown in there but that's only enough to lament how terrible you are)

[dreamaze]

wings i read all ur tags !!!! (lucky me being online rn hehe) and i could just agree with you a thousand times over 😭😭😭 like not to be a nerd but this whole thing does stem from the idea in theatre that really happened in the 19th century (male leads/romantic heroes becoming tenors nearly exclusively) and accommodating scores and it just swept over pop music a century later to this day. the idea that tenors > pleasant sound and baritones > bad sound is so ridiculous. (ok nerd time over) and the fact that i still have to wait for bts songs comfortable in tae's range (boy in luv not withstanding and even that pushes it) as well as in his solos is absolutely baffling. i love the way they all distribute lines among each other but it is unbelievable that the usual pattern goes jk's lines > tae's lines when they are not close in range. not to mention that while vmin songs are always sweet, they BOTH talked about how tough it is to sing together. even namjoon mentioned how the rappers have a hard time to adjust to the high vocal line keys (which weren't as high in earlier songs). like in general just let lower voices get their time to shine. very few groups do this (well) but it's 2k21 and we deserve those low notes and beautiful songs for that baritone range too !!!

Al, I went to school for ('classical') music (composition) so these nerd hours are ALWAYS OPEN. And I'm really glad to have someone to discuss it with because it's kinda been plaguing me ever since I started listening to BTS. (I don't listen to much pop music in general, so they were initially a pretty big anomaly for me.) I honestly hadn't thought about how the characterization of tenors as the romantic protagonists in theatre/opera vs. the side roles or antagonists being relegated to lower voice types has manifested in contemporary pop music, but it makes a lot of sense! The dichotomy is so outdated, and the only real bad sound is forcing singers way out of their natural range. (And I have a minor beef with how this also translates to pop singers not developing their chest range because everything is written higher, higher, but I will set that grievance aside for now because part of that is also a genre/style thing.)

this got long so here's a cut to spare everyone else --

I completely agree about the line distributions, and this comes back to the laziness, for lack of a better term, or flat-out indifference in the actual composing process. It should be natural forethought to accommodate your bari's range in the melodic material, rather than always force him to cycle through the same line rotation that the tenors are covering. There are obviously some exceptions in BTS songs (after they moved beyond those early stages of rough belting, which ?? hm, potentially unhealthy for different reasons if not trained properly). Like the ending of Sea is one of the most beautiful and gutting moments to me out of any of their songs. I will also throw out there, before I forget, that the deliberate choice to have Tae sing at the top of his register can be very effective. Specifically, I am thinking of his line 'Kill me softly' in the bridge of Blood Sweat & Tears. It is strained, particularly in that era of recording, but it works because it feels like a conscious choice that both reflects the text and heightens the drama of that moment. But for the most part ... again, it seems like the majority of his assignments are out of convenience to the tenors and to spare the composers the challenge (???) of writing something that is just a little different. And it's not like he would never share lines, because there is overlap between his range and a lower/mid tenor. I suppose the real frustration from me is that with a little bit of creativity and intentionality, this shouldn't be that difficult??

It broke my heart a little when he said that Friends was really challenging for him because I love vmin as a duo. I really wish it was easier for them. I get that the genre is a bit of a limiting factor here because the harmonizing is never going to be that complex. But their parallel octaves in Blue & Grey are SO BEAUTIFUL and showed to me at least that there are ways they can make it work. (Also side note, I think B&G is one of their strongest and most thoughtful instances of line rotation, bless u Tae.) And it's been a little while since I've listened to it, but their Fix You cover was also a fantastic example of how they can all (rap line included!) harmonize comfortably when the key is a little lower. (Rant topic for another time since I'm already rambling too much here: also, why such a hard division between vocal and rap lines?? Give them all good vocal training, it will help their voices grow whether they're singing or rapping! HOBI VOCAL LINE WHEN *ahem* anyway~~~) I love the tenors, I really do, but quite frankly they would benefit just as much from strengthening their lower ends. I think Jimin said parts of B&G were challenging for him because they were so low, but I once listened to his lowest phrase like 10 times in a row because I couldn't get over how striking it sounded. (probably wasn't even the whole phrase, it may have just been the pick-up at 3'02", that's how obsessed I was!! I had to stop myself from doing it again just now.)

I've been rambling a lot and should pipe down now, but I guess I will end with: please, composers, treat your baris more equitably! Also I can't wait for KTH1 because he is finally going to be able to shine in his element without making a tenor cry.

P.S. I am always here for more conversations like this (with anyone!), and to Al specifically, if you ever want to share some theatre recommendations with me, I'd be honored. ♡

[heidianderson]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐃𝐈 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍.

[DANIELLE ROSE RUSSELL, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER] who’s that? oh it’s {HEIDI ANDERSON}. i hear they’re {SIXTEEN} and a {JUNIOR} at {CRAWFORD COUNTY DAY}, have a voice like {SELENA GOMEZ} and are part of {CANARIES & FILM SOCIETY}. they’re known to be {COOPERATIVE & PRIDEFUL} and {TIMID & UNTALENTED}. some people say they remind them of {THE SCENT OF DISAPPOINTMENT, PITCHY TONED VOCALS, LATE NIGHT PODCASTS, AND PERFECTLY COILED LOCKS}. only one way to find out!

BASIC INFORMATION

FULL NAME: Heidi June Anderson

NICKNAME(S): N/A

AGE: Sixteen

DATE OF BIRTH: August 31st

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, California

CURRENT LOCATION: Lima, Ohio

ORIENTATION: Pansexual

RELIGION: Her dad wants her to practice Scientology, but she refuses, so no religious affiliation

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Democrat

OCCUPATION: Student/Vocal Adrenaline Slave

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Lives w/ dad

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: English, some Mandarin Chinese

FAMILY

FATHER: Cooper Anderson

MOTHER: June Robinson-Anderson

SIBLING(S): N/A

EXTRA

SUN: Virgo

MOON: Gemini

RISING: Virgo

LIKES: True crime, being noticed, the color blue, making her dad proud, gold jewelry, headbands, freshly ironed cotton shirts with matching cardigans

DISLIKES: Disappointing her dad, feeling like she’s not living up to her mom’s potential, New Directions, anyone who doesn’t go to Carmel, bright colors, manipulation

HEADCANONS

When Cooper Anderson travelled back to Lima in the spring of 2012 to visit his younger brother what he was not expecting was to meet a girl eight years his junior studying literature at Lima’s Ohio State campus. June Robinson was exactly the kind of girl Cooper liked to get his hands on. Pretty, recognized his celebrity status, and was smart enough to keep up a conversation with and while normally their story would have ended after their one night stand, they decided to exchange numbers and keep in touch. This led to nightly texting which turned into good morning texts which turned into FaceTime calls which turned into June hopping on a plane to California (the same week as Cooper’s own brother’s wedding). By the time June had landed, Cooper had been given the news that his younger brother had gotten married to his high school sweetheart, the older Anderson just had to retaliate. There was no way he was about to not be told about his own brother’s wedding let alone not be in attendance to cause a disturbance, so he did what any sane person would do. He proposed to June, without a ring, but he covered that one up by telling June that there were going to go to a jeweler and pick out a ring that she wanted. The two didn’t plan to get married that week or even that month, but somehow after June had her pretty engagement ring on, they were running down to a local courthouse.

After the marriage was finalized, June had the most amazing trip in Los Angeles before going back to Lima and finishing up her semester before fully transferring to a campus in LA where her and Cooper could live together and start their life. For two people who jumped the gun on getting married, they surprisingly handled domestic life fairly well. They were happy. Cooper was acting. June was writing. Their income was fairly stable, even if sometimes Cooper had to pick up a random commercial gig or June had to do freelance article work just to make sure they could pay rent for the month. They made things work and despite Cooper’s poor acting chops, he managed to make it big doing random B-list movies and playing roles in random crime shows. Everything was just so good and one thing they agreed on. No kids. Why would they mess up something that was already so perfect?

Well, that was all said and done until they were coming up on their 8th anniversary. Maybe they did want children or maybe they were having a bad case of relationship boredom. They had already travelled, excelled in their careers, what more was their to do besides have a couple of kids? Which is exactly what they did. Heidi June Anderson was born on August 31st, 2024 happy, healthy, and giggling. And again, things were completely fine until they weren’t. It wasn’t long after Heidi’s birth that things started to go south. It had nothing to do with Heidi specifically, but more of the events that transpired after her birth. June got lonely, she wasn’t writing as often, and she was in a rut. It didn’t help that Cooper had some hot blonde as a co-star either on his new movie while June was still recovering postpartum. So, she found solace in a close friend of hers and it wasn’t long before Cooper pieced things together and found June with another man in their own bed. Incoming divorce and custody papers. Everything happened when Heidi was way too young to even piece together a memory of her mother and wanting to move on from the life she built in Los Angeles, she moved away to some European country but that wasn’t the last time Heidi saw her mom. They worked out an agreement where Cooper got full custody, but June had all the visitation rights she wanted as long as she was in town. That wasn’t very often though and by the time Heidi was ten, the visitations stopped altogether. 

Growing up with Cooper as a dad wasn’t the worst possible situation. They had pizza for breakfast and cereal for dinner and Cooper always made Heidi watch any movies or tv shows he had been in and made her review and critique them all (Heidi was always one to point out Cooper’s lack of pointing in certain scenes). This meant she had to sit through many, many hours or Cooper “starring” on multiple crime dramas and she gripped onto that. Her entire life she had been shown the showbiz side of life, getting chucked into singing, dancing, and acting lessons and even though she was still watching her dad’s content, she fell in love with crime shows, begging Cooper to put on episodes that wasn’t even his. She wasn’t about to up and become some kind of criminal, but the cases were just so entrancing. 

At some point during Heidi’s childhood, Cooper began to realize that he couldn’t raise Heidi by himself. He needed some sort of help from his family so Cooper packed himself and Heidi up to Lima, Ohio. Partly for help via his own family, but he also was more hopeful that June would visit Lima to see her parents more than come to Los Angeles to see her ex-husband and daughter. While in Lima, Heidi spent most of her time with her paternal grandparents while Cooper would be off travelling back and forth to Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and anywhere else he could find work.

Now in her formidable teenage years, Heidi had almost chosen to go to William McKinley High School. They had an okay academic and arts program and she lived in the district, but her dad would stand for no such thing. Him and his brother both attended Dalton Academy for most of their teen years and Heidi’s own mother had attended Crawford County Day and was a crucial member to the Canaries during her own high school years, Heidi’s options were limited and she knew the path her dad wanted for her. She was an Anderson! She was born to sing and act! So, she ended up at Crawford and opting to go for uniforms and rich girl tactics and quickly joined the ranks of the Canaries. 

The only problem with Heidi being in the Canaries is cut down to one simple fact - she’s simply untalented. She can’t sing, dance, or act very well. This is something her own dad would never say to her, but she’s simply an okay performer. The only real reason she’s still able to compete and be on the team is because with her extensive background of dance classes and vocal lessons, she can hold a pitch and she can learn choreography and her slight athleticism has allowed her to keep up with whatever's thrown at her on the Canaries. She may not be a lead, but she certainly adds character and a booster by the name of Cooper Anderson.

EXTRA LINKS

Pinterest Board | Playlist

[thechoir-roomhq]

WELCOME TO THE CHOIR ROOM, HEIDI ANDERSON (danielle rose russell fc),

here is your SCHEDULE! you have twenty-four hours to turn in your account and post an intro. good luck and have fun with the semester!

[DANIELLE ROSE RUSSELL, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER] who’s that? oh it’s {HEIDI ANDERSON}. i hear they’re {SIXTEEN} and a {JUNIOR} at {CARMEL HIGH SCHOOL}, have a voice like {SELENA GOMEZ} and are part of {VOCAL ADRENALINE & FILM SOCIETY}. they’re known to be {COOPERATIVE & PRIDEFUL} and {TIMID & UNTALENTED}. some people say they remind them of {THE SCENT OF DISAPPOINTMENT, PITCHY TONED VOCALS, LATE NIGHT PODCASTS, AND PERFECTLY COILED LOCKS}. only one way to find out! [lexi, 20, she/her, est]

PLEASE LIST AT LEAST THREE DETAILED HEADCANONS BELOW

When Cooper Anderson travelled back to Lima in the spring of 2012 to visit his younger brother what he was not expecting was to meet a girl eight years his junior studying literature at Lima’s Ohio State campus. June Robinson was exactly the kind of girl Cooper liked to get his hands on. Pretty, recognized his celebrity status, and was smart enough to keep up a conversation with and while normally their story would have ended after their one night stand, they decided to exchange numbers and keep in touch. This led to nightly texting which turned into good morning texts which turned into FaceTime calls which turned into June hopping on a plane to California (the same week as Cooper’s own brother’s wedding). By the time June had landed, Cooper had been given the news that his younger brother had gotten married to his high school sweetheart, the older Anderson just had to retaliate. There was no way he was about to not be told about his own brother’s wedding let alone not be in attendance to cause a disturbance, so he did what any sane person would do. He proposed to June, without a ring, but he covered that one up by telling June that there were going to go to a jeweler and pick out a ring that she wanted. The two didn’t plan to get married that week or even that month, but somehow after June had her pretty engagement ring on, they were running down to a local courthouse.

After the marriage was finalized, June had the most amazing trip in Los Angeles before going back to Lima and finishing up her semester before fully transferring to a campus in LA where her and Cooper could live together and start their life. For two people who jumped the gun on getting married, they surprisingly handled domestic life fairly well. They were happy. Cooper was acting. June was writing. Their income was fairly stable, even if sometimes Cooper had to pick up a random commercial gig or June had to do freelance article work just to make sure they could pay rent for the month. They made things work and despite Cooper’s poor acting chops, he managed to make it big doing random B-list movies and playing roles in random crime shows. Everything was just so good and one thing they agreed on. No kids. Why would they mess up something that was already so perfect?

Well, that was all said and done until they were coming up on their 8th anniversary. Maybe they did want children or maybe they were having a bad case of relationship boredom. They had already travelled, excelled in their careers, what more was their to do besides have a couple of kids? Which is exactly what they did. Heidi June Anderson was born on August 31st, 2024 happy, healthy, and giggling. And again, things were completely fine until they weren’t. It wasn’t long after Heidi’s birth that things started to go south. It had nothing to do with Heidi specifically, but more of the events that transpired after her birth. June got lonely, she wasn’t writing as often, and she was in a rut. It didn’t help that Cooper had some hot blonde as a co-star either on his new movie while June was still recovering postpartum. So, she found solace in a close friend of hers and it wasn’t long before Cooper pieced things together and found June with another man in their own bed. Incoming divorce and custody papers. Everything happened when Heidi was way too young to even piece together a memory of her mother and wanting to move on from the life she built in Los Angeles, she moved away to some European country but that wasn’t the last time Heidi saw her mom. They worked out an agreement where Cooper got full custody, but June had all the visitation rights she wanted as long as she was in town. That wasn’t very often though and by the time Heidi was ten, the visitations stopped altogether. 

Growing up with Cooper as a dad wasn’t the worst possible situation. They had pizza for breakfast and cereal for dinner and Cooper always made Heidi watch any movies or tv shows he had been in and made her review and critique them all (Heidi was always one to point out Cooper’s lack of pointing in certain scenes). This meant she had to sit through many, many hours or Cooper “starring” on multiple crime dramas and she gripped onto that. Her entire life she had been shown the showbiz side of life, getting chucked into singing, dancing, and acting lessons and even though she was still watching her dad’s content, she fell in love with crime shows, begging Cooper to put on episodes that wasn’t even his. She wasn’t about to up and become some kind of criminal, but the cases were just so entrancing. 

At some point during Heidi’s childhood, Cooper began to realize that he couldn’t raise Heidi by himself. He needed some sort of help from his family so Cooper packed himself and Heidi up to Lima, Ohio. Partly for help via his own family, but he also was more hopeful that June would visit Lima to see her parents more than come to Los Angeles to see her ex-husband and daughter. While in Lima, Heidi spent most of her time with her paternal grandparents while Cooper would be off travelling back and forth to Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and anywhere else he could find work.

Now in her formidable teenage years, Heidi had almost chosen to go to William McKinley High School. They had an okay academic and arts program and she lived in the district, but her dad would stand for no such thing. Him and his brother both attended Dalton Academy for most of their teen years and Heidi’s own mother had attended Carmel High School and was a crucial member to Vocal Adrenaline during her own high school years, Heidi’s options were limited and she knew the path her dad wanted for her. She was an Anderson! She was born to sing and act! So, she ended up at Carmel and quickly joined the ranks of Vocal Adrenaline. 

The only problem with Heidi being in Vocal Adrenaline is cut down to one simple fact - she’s simply untalented. She can’t sing, dance, or act very well. This is something her own dad would never say to her, but she’s simply an okay performer. The only real reason she’s still able to compete and be on the team is because with her extensive background of dance classes and vocal lessons, she can hold a pitch and she can learn choreography and her slight athleticism has allowed her to keep up with whatever’s thrown at her on Vocal Adrenaline. She may not be a lead, but she certainly adds character and new sparkly costumes to the team each competition.

[gingerpeachtae]

Concentric [8.2]

masterlist

Words: 4.2k

Genres: fantasy!AU, angst, fluff, enemies to lovers, eventual smut (?)

Warnings: violence in the form of punches, kicks, and badassery

Summary: You had been ready for the end of the semester. You had been ready to spend time away from your best friend, Jimin, and finally move on from the feelings you harbored. Yet, after your friend was forced to reveal a secret, you found yourself in a new world that was chock full of magic, war, and wonder. So, here you were, basically thrown into your own fantasy novel, with your best friend on one side, and six male warriors on the other.

A/N: Links will be updated later!  Also if anyone finds/knows the movie reference I threw in here I will love you and squish you forever. Engoy! 💙

Jungkook’s chest was heaving as he evaded the punch sent toward his face, his body slightly shifting to the left to avoid the fist. At the same time, the green-eyed Saeni followed the shift in his weight to turn and punch the female with long, yellow hair in the gut. The force behind the attack effectively caused her body to collapse inward. Before she could completely fold over, Jungkook grabbed the back of her head as he spun out of the way of another attack and forced her face down to meet his rising knee.

He didn’t wince as the sound of crunching bone reached his ears.

He didn’t flinch as blood gushed out of her now broken nose and over her smeared pink lips.

He didn’t grimace as her body sagged and fell to the ground.

He didn’t falter as the fifth and final asshole cursed and came at him yet again.

He only narrowed his eyes at the charging male, assessing his opponents’ moves and plotting out his sequence of attacks. As Jungkook widened his stance to shift his weight lower, his chest continued to rise and fall heavily.  Though it wasn’t out of pain or exertion. No, the fight was too easy for that. Rather, it was out of barely controlled anger. Looking at the scene, it might’ve been difficult to believe that his fury was being restrained, but you had to give the male credit for not doing worse.

Jungkook exhaled as he blocked a kick to the left side of his body with his forearm. As his opponent retaliated with a kick to the other side, Jungkook caught the leg in his arms. His green eyes flickered dangerously. His opponent’s flashed with panic. Predator and prey. A wheeze was heard from the other male after Jungkook sent a fist into his abdomen. As the sound was forced out, Jungkook let go of the male’s leg with one hand and grabbed the straps crisscrossing the chest in front of him. With a hissing inhale and a miniscule grunting release, the burgundy head pivoted and threw the Saeni on the ground. Hard.

Thinking that was the end, Jungkook snarled at the group of either moaning or unconscious Saeni before smirking. He was finished with them. But just as he turned to leave them, he heard a heavy body staggering to its feet. With an annoyed sigh, Jungkook faced the male with a buzz-cut that he had just slammed into the earth. He raised his brows as if to ask “are you sure you want to do that?”

“What’s... what’s wrong with you!? We looked up to you, for Exia’s sake! You were our idol! But you’re just a fucking psycho!”

When Jungkook had stumbled upon the scene earlier and saw Y/N and his hyung gearing to fight, he had instantly bristled with anger while approaching. He didn’t like to see his kiela threatened. He had no doubt that Tae hyung could handle himself, and even Y/N seemed like she could hold her own now after just a short while of training. But he still didn’t like seeing it. Didn’t like seeing them in the possibility of danger. When he walked over, ignoring the five annoying, doting Saeni, he surprised himself by checking in with Y/N before his brother. He still wasn’t sure why he had done that. Regardless of the reason, he still felt a pleasurable shiver run down his spin as he took in the wild energy in her eyes. Obviously, Jungkook hadn’t let her know that, instead he only showed her concern. The Saeni had relaxed after she gently nudged him and reiterated that she was fine… well, he had until she pulled him back and leaned in close. Jungkook’s eyes had widened in shock and he almost gasped at her sudden proximity. While he did sharply inhale, it ended up being at the words whispered in his ear. As she leaned away, worry on her face, Jungkook felt rage rise and build within him. It only took a glance at his brother to note that Tae was indeed upset, but he needed to hear his hyung verify what was said. At Tae’s weak confirmation, Jungkook swore he saw red invade his sight as rage flooded his body. His hand automatically wandered down to forcefully grip the handle of his dagger. All he wanted to do in that moment was unleash that crimson emotion upon the fuckers that spawned it. And he had been about to. Yet, another glance at Tae made him realize that it wouldn’t help his condition. As much as he wanted to physically protect his brother, he knew that it wasn’t the best solution. It would only make him more upset.

Even though one of the assholes began snickering at Tae, Jungkook breathed deeply and constructed a mental dam to contain his anger. He willed himself to stay calm as he turned his attention to the five Saeni, but he almost broke when he recognized them as previous tormentors of his brother. It caused him to grasp his dagger tighter and repeat a mental reminder of staying calm, staying calm, staying fucking calm. He managed to do so… sort of. After darkly threatening the small group, he sent them scurrying off. His eyes softened and was about to pull Tae into his arms, but he heard something that made him stiffen. It was what one of the jackasses spat out as he and his posse fled. It was this jackass actually. The one stupid enough to stumble to his feet again.

“That bitch must be their whore.”

A new wave of pissed off flooded over the destroyed mental dam as Jungkook remembered what set him over the edge and caused him to do… all this. After getting a nod of approval from his hyung, Jungkook tracked down the Saeni he had kindly pardoned earlier. He wasn’t so lenient with them this time.

With a growl, Jungkook stalked forward and grabbed the still staggering male, pushing him back until he hit a tree. Then, Jungkook pinned him against the bark with a strong forearm.

In a low, deadly voice, Jungkook leaned his face in close and said, “You should choose your words more carefully in regard to both him and her. Am. I. Clear?”

The male’s eyes widened in fear and his bottom lip trembled at Jungkook’s expression. Clenched jaw and unwavering. Cold. Dangerous. Threatening.

Whimpering, the male choked out, “Y-yes.”

The burgundy head scoffed at the male’s pathetic response since he had been oh-so lively and vocal just a moment ago. “I hope you took notes watching your idol beat the shit out of you and your buddies because next time…” Jungkook chuckled humorlessly. “Next time you won’t survive my lesson.”

Jungkook removed his arm from where it restrained the male, but in the same instant and without hesitation, he decked the male in the head. The blow caused his body to go limp and collapse on the ground. He sneered at the crumpled body and turned his head, catching the terrified eyes of the two conscious Saeni who laid on the ground, clutching their hurting bodies. Jungkook raised his brows at them and they shakily whispered that they understood. Satisfied that they got the message loud and clear, he turned around with a disdainful click of his tongue. Walking away from their pained whimpers he felt no pity. When they finally were no longer in his sight, Jungkook sighed as he stopped to inspect his thrashed knuckles. His form had been perfect, of course, but nobody could prevent the ripping of skin when hitting as aggressively as he had. He made a tiny noise of discomfort as he flexed and fisted his hands, testing the pain and swelling. More blood oozed out from the torn skin, but he was glad to feel that nothing was broken. With red smeared across the back of his hands, the green-eyed Saeni huffed and went searching for water to wash away the mess.

You stood at the edge of the pack of Saeni trainees milling about. Most of them ignored you or didn’t acknowledge your presence. Some sent confused looks in your direction, murmuring questions to their friends as they watched you, a stranger, anxiously converse with an older Saeni.

Your hands toyed with your bow while you spoke to Tae, who was trying to reassure you that everything was going to be fine.

“Fine!? These guys have been training for years! How am I going to be fine!?” You screeched back at him in a whisper.

He sent you his signature grin and ruffled your hair. “I highly doubt they’ll make you spar. It’ll most likely just be lessons on different weapons and maybe some disarming techniques.”

Although you hoped he was right, you were also conflicted. You wanted to train more. You’d already improved so much in the short time you’ve been working with Jungkook and you wanted to keep going. But sparing? You shook your head at the thought. Sure, you spar with Jungkook, and sometimes Yoongi and Tae, but they were aware you were a beginner. They knew the limit. These trainees don’t. They wouldn’t hold anything back. Not that you particularly wanted them to go easy on you, but what if you seriously got hurt? What if you died today? 

Hey, death registration? It’s me again. New cause of perishing.

As your internal freak out continued, you heard a masculine voice taunt you in the back of your head.

Aw, is the little human too scared? You better just quit.

You spewed out a hushed curse at Jungkook for egging you on when he wasn’t even there.

“Stupid coconut head. Thinking he always knows what’s best… I’ll prove him wrong. I’ll show him I’m not scared. I mean, what’s the worst that can happen? Dying?” You scoffed, but it came out a little unhinged. “Please, that’s nothing. It’ll all be fine…”

“Um… little scorja?” Your insane muttering was starting to worry your blue-eyed friend.

His voice brought you back to reality and you snapped your mouth shut so hard that the clack of your teeth was audible. He blinked at you but didn’t say anything as a swooping bird stole his attention.

You sighed and cradled your bow between your thighs as you gathered your hair behind you in a band. When Tae turned back to you, he giggled at how you were awkwardly holding the bow, but his strong brows lowered when he looked up to your face. Before you could question it, he whispered that he was going to advise to you keep your hair down and ears hidden.

“Why?” You whispered back.

“Most Saeni have heard about Earth and humans, but many treat it like a fairy tale. They don’t think it’s actually true.... which means they’ll ask questions about your ears. And more questions mean more chances of people learning about Chim. Plus, we don’t know who could be draikensu.”

Oh shit. I didn’t even think about that!

You rushed to untie your hair, but Tae stopped you with a gentle smile. “It’s too late now, just leave it up. I know it’s more comfortable for you that way. Just be sure to come up with a good excuse if someone asks, okay?”

“Okay. Sorry.”

The handsome male cooed at you. “Aw, don’t worry about it. It’s okay. Now you better go join the others.” He pushed at your shoulders, making you turn until you faced the mob of trainees before he gave your butt a soft pat. “Don’t want you being late for school.”

You let out a stream of light laughter, nodding at his words. Though before you left, you made sure to turn back and give him a kiss on his cheek.

“I’ll see you later, Tae Tae.”

“Learn lots and be safe!”

Doing you and Tae’s routine exchange before every morning training session helped ease your nerves. You lifted a hand and waved at him over your shoulder but didn’t look back as you entered the throng of young Saeni. Not having a destination in mind, you just wandered about. Not going out of your way to make eye contact with people, but not hiding either.

Two Saeni boys approached you as you continued further into the fray. They stopped in front of you, which in turn caused you to stop as well since you weren’t in the mood to embody a bulldozer. One of the boys had brown hair that almost hid his eyes while the other had dirty blonde hair.

“Why are your ears like that?” The ladder asked, tilting his head to the side like a puppy.

Aw fuck, already!? What should I say!? Uhhhh………. got it!

“I had them cropped.” You deadpanned.

Internally, you smacked yourself. Seriously, Y/N? Are you a Doberman?

Not the best answer, but whatever. It would do.

The boy’s eyes widened in disbelief. “W-what? Why would you do that? Didn’t it hurt?”

You shrugged. “It’s a thing to do where I’m from.” Then, you tilted you chin up, attempting to look badass. “It’s cool, isn’t it?”

“Wha-no! That’s scary!” He gingerly touched the tip of his Saeni ears before scrambling away from you in fright.

You watched, a little amused, as he half-ran to a group of three other boys and started to animatedly point at his ears then back at you. You gave them a little finger wiggle of a wave, which made them squeak and look away.

“Sorry about him.” The remaining boy gave you an apologetic smile before dragging his thumb down his chest in greeting. “I’m Soobin by the way.”

Shit. Should I do it back? It would be suspicious not to, right?

Coughing as you awkwardly copied his gesture, you replied, “Hi, I’m Y/N.”

“So, Y/N, may I ask where you’re from? I have to say I’ve never heard of that particular… trend.” He tucked some of chocolate-brown hair behind his ears.

“Ah, it’s pretty far away, you won’t know it. I’m just here…” you were scrambling to come up with an excuse when your eyes landed on Tae, “… visiting my cousin! Yeah.”

The boy followed your eyes and his lit up in recognition. “That’s your cousin? I’ve heard about him…Taehyung, right?”

You stiffened, hoping he wouldn’t bring up Tae’s draeva as you hesitantly nodded.

“Whoa, that’s so cool! His kiela is notorious for being one of the strongest. Jeon Jungkook is one of the members, for Exia’s sake!”

You blinked at his outburst. Great. Another bloody fanboy. But hey, I’ll take that over the other thing.

You relaxed your muscles while rolling your eyes. “Tch. That asshat isn’t anything special.”

He gasped at your words like you had just poured water over his burrito. “You can’t be serious. He’s amazing!” Then he lowered his voice to a whisper but that didn’t mask his giddiness. “I heard he was going to help instruct today!”

You waited for him to say that it was just a rumor, but when he stayed silent you threw your head back and groaned.

Fucking hell, they’re all gonna turn into shrieking fans when he gets here.

“Alright, listen up!” An enormous voice rose up and filled the clearing, causing you to flinch in surprise at its sheer volume.

“Looks like it’s time to get started.” Soobin murmured before sending you a bright smile. “It was nice to meet you, Y/N.”

“Likewise.” You returned his smile and watched as he retreated to join that small group of boys.

They all threw their arms around his form when he arrived. They seemed really close and you wondered if they would end up in a kiela together.

As you watched their reunion, the crowd of trainees had grown quiet while waiting for more instructions. You went up on your toes and looked around to try to find where the booming voice came from. Luckily, the voice yelled out again, making it easy to locate it.

“Today we have a seminar on various weapons and techniques for you lot. You may choose which lesson to go to and for how long. You’re welcome to switch between lessons as you please. After two hours, we will regroup here to have a special guest take over. That is all.”

Your eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion. This is a lot less formal than I anticipated.

You quickly inhaled and shook your head, telling yourself to just go with it. You gripped your bow a little tighter as you spotted a few other Saeni holding bows and walking together. You figured you might as well start with what you were most comfortable with, a.k.a. archery.

You’re a bad bitch, Y/N. You’re a scorja. You got this.

You continued to mentally hype yourself as you jogged forward to catch up with the other archers in training.

After a multitude of lessons, numerous embarrassing moments, a few smug successes, and a bunch of ear-related questions, you found yourself back where you had been two hours earlier. You were standing next to Soobin and his friends, though you had to hold back a chuckle because the one that had run away from you still eyed you a bit cautiously. You weren’t offended, though. You could tell he was a sweet boy. They all were.

As you had walked back to your starting point, you noticed that someone had installed a big ring filled with sand in the clearing.

“Must be for the guest instructor.” You muttered to yourself.

That loud ass voice from before yelled out again, telling everyone to quiet down before explaining who the guest was.

You sighed and gave Soobin a nudge. “Looks like you were right.”

The boy didn’t pay you any mind, though. He was too busy gaping at the figure striding toward the front of the group. You could hear the awe of his presence travel through the trainees.

“Oh my goddess, it’s really him.

“Is that actually Jeon Jungkook?”

“No way.”

“He’s so hot.”

“I can’t believe it.”

“He’s a legend.”

Obviously, you didn’t swoon over the asshat’s appearance. You simply rolled your eyes at his entrance and gave him a crisp middle finger, disregarding the fact that he probably couldn’t see you or your finger right then. You could see him though as his strides stopped. You could see his hands. You lowered your brows in puzzlement. Why did they look weird? They looked irritated and bruised. But why...? Was he hurt?

When he reached the instructor, he called out in a clear voice, “Alright, guys. Now it’s time for the fun stuff. Each of you will be paired off with another trainee. When your names are called, you’ll come into the ring and spar. I’ll be officiating and commenting on each match.”

‘i hIghLY DouBt tHe’LL mAKe yoU SpArE’ my ass. You found Tae through the crowd and sent him a small glare, but he just beamed and gave you a big thumbs up in return.

“This will be done tournament style and at the end there will be one final winner. That trainee will earn a private lesson with me tomorrow.”

The trainees’ murmurs grew even more exciting at Jungkook’s closing statement. You think you even heard a squeal. They all wanted that lesson and would be out for blood. You, on the other hand, couldn’t really care less. You got private lessons from the male on a daily basis. You didn’t need to win this thing. You just needed to stay alive and not make a complete fool of yourself. But when you looked back up at Jungkook again, you saw that his eyes had found your form and were locked on you. As you met his gaze, you thought you saw his green orbs soften for a moment, but then he smirked lazily and raised a single brow.

Okay, fuck it. I’m winning this thing just so I can rub it into that asshat’s face.

You shifted your gaze away to find Tae once more, humming to yourself when you finally did. Though when you caught sight of his grey hair and headband, you noticed that there were more Saeni gathered around him now. Four familiar faces.

Oh no…

Oh yes. The rest of the kiela, except for Jimin who was probably still trapezing around with the princess, came to watch. Well, that’s just diddly-darn peachy.

“They better not cheer like overbearing parents at their kid’s soccer game,” you grumbled as you started making your way toward them.

A sudden thought made you pause mid-step and look over your shoulder at the five young Saeni you had befriended. Turning around, you gave Soobin another nudge. This time, he gave you his attention and you asked if they wanted to meet Jungkook’s kiela. You grinned at their enthusiastic responses and dragged them over with you.

At the sound of your approaching steps, the members raised their heads to greet you.

“Hey there, little scorja!” Hobi jumped up and pulled you into a tight hug. As he let you go, he finally saw the anxious faces of the boys behind you.

“Who you got there?”

Stepping to the side, you gestured to the in-awe boys. “These are my new friends, Soobin, Yeonjun, Beomgyu, Taehyun, and Heuning Kai.”

Namjoon, ever the leader, immediately smiled. “Hey, guys. It’s nice to meet you. Do you want to sit with us?”

You hid your giggle behind a hand at the rapid, eager nodding of their heads. You watched fondly as they sat amongst the kiela and nervously talked with the members. Once you were assured they were good to go, you gently placed your bow on the ground before plopping down next to Tae.

“Sorry, little scorja. Looks like you’ll be sp-”

“Did you see Jungkook’s hand?” You blurted out, interrupting the male.

“They looked bruised.” You couldn’t help the slight hint of concern that leaked into your voice. “Like he got in a fight.”

“Oh…” Tae shifted to look for Jungkook, both to see for himself and to hide the tiny smile playing at his lips from you. “Well, I’m sure he’s fine. He’s a big boy…”

He looked back at you and gave you a smirk so sly it was slightly terrifying. “… in more ways than one.”

“Kim Taehyung!” You smacked his arm.

“Aw, your face is heating up!”

“Shut up, no it’s not.” You weakly defended your warm face but still hid behind your arms as Tae began to laugh.

Finally, after observing round after round after round of matches, your name was called. You yawned as you stood up and stretched your arms over your head. Making your way over to Jungkook and the ring, you heard the kiela as well as the younger boys yelling out small cheers of encouragement. It was cheesy and embarrassing, but it made you smile.

You entered the sand-filled ring, shaking your hands out as your stepped over the perimeter.

“Sweetheart,” a soft voice spoke up.

You didn’t need to look up to know who it was. You knew that voice.

“Coco,” you replied.

Your smile began to fade when you saw his hands. Now that you were closer, you could see that his knuckles were all split and puffy. He definitely had hit something.

Seeing your lips turn into a frown he followed your line of sight and said, “You don’t need to worry about me. I’ll have Yoongi hyung heal them later.”

You faked a scoff and crossed your arms. “I wasn’t worried. I know you can handle yourself. You’re a big boy.”

As soon as the words passed your lips you felt your soul completely shrivel inside of you.

As Jungkook slowly raised his brows at you, you stumbled over your words.

You were trying to explain that you simply copied his own brother’s words, but what came out was “I-I didn’t-that’s not-I mean-no-you’re big but-um-not what I meant.”

The following seconds of utter silence stomped your raisin of a soul into dust.

Finally gathering yourself together again, you avoided those green eyes as you sighed and pinched the bridge of your nose. “Just… can you please just call up who I’m fighting.”

Jungkook coughed to hide his laughter. “Of course.”

“Kim Jennie!”

Not much later, a beautiful girl with slender limbs made her way into the ring. After exchanging greetings and ignoring Jungkook’s amused snorts at your fumbling Saeni hello, you were ordered to go to opposite sides of the sand pit. As you left for your mark, you heard Jungkook whisper under his breath so only you could hear.

“Don’t let me down, little human.”

You looked at him out of the corner of your eye as you walked past. “Don’t worry, asshat. I got this.”

You really had no idea if you had this, but fake it ‘till you make it, right?

As your opponent got ready, she called out to you with an arrogant voice and cocky smirk. “I’m known as my group’s secret weapon. You’ll find out why in a second.”

Resisting the intense urge to roll your eyes at the girl’s dumb words, you dramatically gasped instead. “No way. That is so punk rock. What’s your secret?”

If she was a “secret weapon” why the fuck would she tell me? Idiot.

Your ridiculous answer to her laughable threat made her stance waver. “Wh-”

You never got to hear what else she wanted to spew out of her mouth because a shrill whistle rose up to signal the start of the match.

previous [8.1] — next [9]

[ambitionsource]

AMBITION Season 1 ♫ “Special Snowflakes” [ 1.04 ]

CREATED BY Esther (rapunzles) & Maggie (quincywillows)

BABY, IT’S COLD OUTSIDE – The performers hustle to make a statement at the annual winter showcase. Hoping to bridge the divide, Riley endeavors to make friends with the techies. But getting in good with Isadora and Lucas may ask more than she can handle.

47 Minutes (8.5K words) || No warnings apply.

[ ← Under Pressure ] [ S1 Synopsis ] [ Extra, Extra → ]

( Follow along with the music on Spotify here! )

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

The holiday season is upon us at AAA! Spirits are high and the students are chipper as they wander the halls in their best sweaters. Small gifts are exchanged, books are haphazardly thrown into lockers. Temporary academic freedom is soon upon them!

On the wall outside the black box theater, focus is drawn to one poster in particular. It’s an advertisement for the annual winter showcase, a four-night event in which each class gets to show off their stuff after a busy semester of honing their craft.

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

Inside the classroom, all our usual favorite performers are assembled to discuss the event. CHARLIE GARDNER is back with his usual harem of girls, a safe distance from his former tutee. In the corner, FARKLE MINKUS searches Hanukkah gifts for his family, working through a lengthy list. This is the week where performance slots are divvied up, and all of them are eagerly chattering about who is going to get the closing number. RILEY MATTHEWS, naturally, doesn’t see what all the fuss is about, questioning it as YINDRA AMINO stands behind her and braids her hair.

Riley: Don’t we do a group closing number? What’s the big deal?

Farkle: Haven’t you been here for like months already? How are you still not caught up on how things work around here?

ZAY BABINEAUX, seated up on one of the desks nonchalantly, pays Riley the courtesy of explaining why it’s such a big deal who gets placed where.

Zay: It’s the standard rules of performance memorability. You either want to open or close: if you go first, everyone else will be subconsciously compared to you throughout the duration of the show. If you go last, though, you’re freshest in the audience’s mind and are able to essentially blow everyone else out of the water.

Maya: Which, as we all know, is my calling card. So it would be an honor to do so this year, thank you very much.

Farkle disputes this, claiming the closing spot is his to behold. Yindra leans over and points out to Riley that this bantering is the exact reason they all have to audition and get placed in a specific order, rather than just volunteering for placements. Riley raises her eyebrows, still not totally on the same page as her more ambitious classmates.

Zay declares that they’re both wrong, he’s got it in the bag. When Maya and Farkle express skepticism, Zay hops off the desk and steps up to the plate to prove his point.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Santa Tell Me” as performed by Ariana Grande || Performed by Zay Babineaux (feat. AAA Sophomores)

Zay kicks off this upbeat and dance-worthy Christmas contemporary, loose and playful with it. He sings around each of his classmates in the classroom, concluding with Riley and giving her an affectionate tap on the nose, before leading the brigade out into the halls.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

The sophomore class takes to the halls, following Zay and his pop hit and collecting fellow students along the way. It’s refreshing to watch a number in which everyone involved is just having fun, and everyone is actually participating.

JACK HUNTER  spots them from down the hall, conversing with CORY MATTHEWS. But it’s the holidays, and he just wants the week to be over, so he doesn’t bother to reprimand them for dancing in the hallways. They make their way to the auditorium.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The performers enter the theater and disrupt the quiet that the techies were enjoying, LUCAS FRIAR, ISADORA DE LA CRUZ, and the others conversing at the center of the stage. As they get closer Lucas makes a quick exit, hopping off the stage and disappearing before he gets inevitably pulled into the chaos.

DAVE WILLIAMS, DYLAN ORLANDO, ASHER GARCIA, and NATE MARTINEZ aren’t so lucky, but it’s honestly not a problem. The holidays allow for momentary truces, and they join into the fun and energy of the number as the full assembly claps and dances together to the conclusion of the song. Shawn and Angela enter together as Zay is showing off some impressive vocal runs, more so surprised by how everyone actually seems to be getting along for a second.

As the number comes to its end, Angela commends Zay for such an impassioned performance. On the flip side, Shawn shuts it down with a swift “NO ARIANA” for the showcase. They’re going for classic, he states. Zay is offended. Maya and Farkle are like ha ha.

Cue title sequence.

INT. AAA - ERIC’S OFFICE - DAY

Riley has a new initiative in mind as far as leaving her mark on the school. Clearly, this performing thing is rigged and stacked against her, so performing is not going to be how she wins people over. But she’s been more attune to the cultural divide than anyone else considering she’s not so deeply entrenched it, and she can’t get her mind off it – especially considering the kindness Isadora extended to her and the weird conversation she had with Lucas.

So her mind is made up. She is going to befriend the techies and bridge the divide.

To do this, however, she knows she will need help. So she goes to her uncle Eric and essentially lays out her grand plan. She’ll befriend the techies, and hopefully doing so will allow her to find the key to bringing the school back together.

Eric: I do support this notion, but I have to warn you it’s not going to be easy. Grander men than you have tried.

Riley: Well, maybe it doesn’t take a man. Maybe it takes a scrappy, plucky gal with cute brown eyes and… questionable hand-eye coordination.

Eric can’t help but smile at that one. Riley continues, explaining that she’s already had good moments with a good number of the techies one-on-one, and she really believes she could make something happen. But she needs to know any relevant information about them going in, so she wonders if Eric has another history lesson up his sleeve about the tight-knit cohort. She requests any pertinent information she should know about them going into this, deeper than the brief overview we got in the pilot.

Eric agrees, giving her a little more on each of them by flipping through the yearbook again and finding their photos. As he points to each of them, he gives us a little more about each of them. It’s the first verbal establishment that Dylan & Asher are a couple (and basically inseparable), first hints that Isadora isn’t neurotypical, and some silly commentary on how Dave is just… a special human being.

When Eric begins detailing Lucas’s misbehavior and track record with the school, Riley ventures the question of what Eric really thinks about him.

Eric: And all that was just last month.

Riley: So, what? Do you think that’s all he is? Is he a lost cause?

Eric: No. No, I don’t think anybody is. But it’s difficult to figure out just how much good there is inside a person when they won’t meet you at the same level.

Riley absorbs this, her wheels turning once again. Finally, it’s time for her to do what she’s always done best – meddle.

Angela appears in the doorway, asking if Eric is ready to go. When Riley questions what is going on, Eric explains that he is stepping is as an impartial guest judge to help figure out what the order of the winter showcase performances should be. Riley once again is impressed by how intense all of this stuff is around here.

When Angela asks if she has any special requests for them to take into consideration as far as her placement, Riley waves her off. She’s not going to add any more trouble to the situation, and she’s got bigger fish to fry. Riley glances at the open yearbook one last time, looking at the photo taken of the sophomore techies.

INT. AAA - HALLWAY - DAY

Riley catches up to Isadora on their way to the auditorium, approaching cautiously and waiting for verbal acknowledgement before she approaches. She wonders if it would be alright for her to join her at lunch that afternoon, a request that surprises Isadora. She’s inherently distrustful, trying to find the ulterior motive at play.

Isadora: What, bored with your starlit classmates already? Really have to slum it already?

Riley: No, no. No, not slumming. No, I just – you were really nice to me the other day.

Isadora: I gave you a paper towel.

Riley: And a paper towel was exactly what I needed! It would be an honor to repay the kindness and join you for lunch. Not that I’m – not that me hanging out with you is a kindness. I’m not saying… I only mean –

Isadora: We eat at the corner table. If you’re truly that desperate.

Isadora opens the door to the auditorium, disappearing inside. Riley does a little dance to herself, before catching the door and jogging in after her.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

Angela, Shawn, and Eric have taken seats in the center section of the auditorium, the remainder of the class scattered in front and behind them. Up on stage, Maya, Zay, and Farkle stand waiting for permission to begin – the only three that desperate to scrap for the closing slot. When Maya makes such a commentary about how they must be the only three that care enough, Yindra fires back with the sentiment that it’s more like there’s no point in trying because they have a mysterious way of always getting what they want.

Angela asks if they all understand how this audition will work and have had enough time to study the song. All of them scoff, expressing varying levels of confidence and cockiness.

Zay: Please. I could do this number in my sleep.

Farkle: I only got the sheet music this morning and I’m still certain I can sing circles around the rest of these dumb-dumbs.

Maya: Can we just put our money where our mouths are already? Standing so close to mediocrity is making my mascara run.

Eric gives Angela a nod, gesturing for the three of them to begin. They take their places, the three of them lined up and facing away from the audience.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” as performed by Brenda Lee || Performed by Zay Babineaux, Maya Hart, and Farkle Minkus

The three divas split up the lines, taking turns spinning around and launching into the song. Although the track is relatively innocuous and certainly not a diva number, they somehow manage to turn it into one. While performing choreography together, they’ve got their full wattage smiles on but are also lowkey elbowing one another and working to stand in the front the most. It’s well-performed and honestly so humorous to watch.

As they finish the number they strike a pose, the three of them close together and out of breath and grinning through their teeth. But they also sneak a few choice words in to each other, smiles unmoving.

Farkle: I’ll eat both of you alive.

Maya: You say that as if you could beat me in a fight and I wouldn’t easily break your twigs-for-arms.

Zay: I’m seriously going to vomit all over you and your designer shoes.

Charming! We love a trio of polished performing divas ready to tear each other to shreds.

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

The techies are seated at their usual table, the rest down the row while Lucas and Isadora take their usual spots across from one another at the end of the table. Life is proceeding as normal… until Riley floats towards them and plops down next to Isadora, commenting on how wild that diva performance was and launching into chatter.

Isadora isn’t fazed by her presence considering she knew it was coming, but Lucas is floored. He freezes with his fork halfway to his mouth, staring at Riley as she engages Isadora in conversation. It’s impossible to tell whether his reaction is negative or not, but he’s definitely not breathing anymore. Isadora snaps him out of his shock.

Isadora: Lucas, did you forget how to use your limbs? Either eat it or don’t.

Lucas clears his throat, dropping his fork. Riley can’t help but smirk a little bit, sort of reveling in the feeling of having the upper hand. Isadora raises her eyebrows at his weird behavior.

Isadora: What? You act like you’ve never seen another human being before. You know Riley. What, do you need me to introduce you two?

Lucas: No, yeah, I know her. I just didn’t… realize she would be joining us.

Riley meets his gaze, not allowing herself to be intimidated. She offers him a smile, waiting until Isadora is done talking to take the reins of the conversation again.

When she asks about their holiday plans, Isadora mentions the small party that the techies are throwing. It’s a tradition they’re attempting to start off after a successful run last year, and they’re already eager to start prepping for it. At this suggestion, Riley lights up. She fancies herself a bit of a party planner, and offers her services in helping them plan the festivities.

Essentially, she inserts herself into the techie party plans, and Isadora and Lucas don’t care enough or still don’t know how to react properly enough to refuse, respectively. So they’re like sure… fine. You can help. Riley has found her in.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

After deliberating and based on an inscrutable variety of criteria, Eric has the honor of announcing that the closing slot will be going to Maya this year. Everyone is like woo, big surprise. Angela also informs them that the remainder of their slots will be posted on the wall outside the black box, before Maya jumps up and interrupts the news bulletin.

Maya: Thank you, Miss Moore and Mister Matthews. It truly is an honor to have been chosen.

Zay: No one asked for a speech!

Maya: Now, I know that my selection may be a bit of a bummer to some of my less talented but equally driven classmates. Fear not, hopefuls, because as it turns out my closing number may just need a dance partner. Thus, I’ll be holding auditions to see who can actually keep up with me.

This actually intrigues them. Then, she turns to NIGEL CHEY, pointing at him and gesturing him towards her.

Maya: Chey, front and center. I’ve got a proposition for you.

The class departs, buzzing with this new opportunity. Eventually they all shuffle out, and soon enough it’s just Angela and Shawn remaining. They take to cleaning up the auditorium in silence like they usually do, but in the spirit of the season Angela decides that maybe she’ll broach a conversation. She asks him what his holiday plans are.

Shawn is gruff in his response, stating he has none and that he’s always hated this time of year. Angela is like “well, with that attitude,” but Shawn goes on to point out that he hasn’t had anything to celebrate since like the early 2000s, so what does she expect from him? Considering part of that lack of cheer is her fault, Angela is a little stung by the guilt she suddenly feels.

Still, she’s not just going to let this drop. She states that he shouldn’t spend the holidays alone. It’s not right. He shrugs her off, but there’s a seed planted there. Wonder what it will harvest…

INT. AAA - CLASSROOM - DAY

Riley joins Isadora after school to help Dave and JADE BEAMON make decorations for their party. They’re all homemade, and as they work together Riley gets to learn more about the two of them. Most importantly, she learns that Jade is a wicked talented costumer and basically single-handedly makes most of what they perform in during class. Riley is stunned to learn this, and it’s clear that she is fiercely underappreciated by the performers.

Dave asks if Riley is going to come to their party this year. Riley isn’t sure how to answer, but Isadora steps in and basically claims it’s up in the air, “as people say”. This isn’t a flat no, so Riley will take it.

INT. AAA - DANCE STUDIO - DAY

The class is assembled in one of the available studio classrooms, crammed up against the mirrors while Maya and Nigel stand front and center. Maya thanks them all for coming, before throwing focus to her potential three dance partners – Farkle, Zay, and Charlie. She also gives a special thanks to Nigel for agreeing to perform with her this afternoon, carrying his violin with him. Now, it’s time for the games to begin.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” as performed by Lindsey Sterling & Sabrina Carpenter || Performed by Maya Hart (feat. Zay Babineaux, Farkle Minkus, and Charlie Gardner)

Nigel launches us into the auditions, playing his violin to the classic holiday tune with a vigor. While Maya is orchestrating all of the nonsense, Nigel is clearly the musical star of the number. Maya theatrically surveys the three boys, before pointing to Charlie and wiggling her finger at him. Come hither, auditionee #1!

Charlie and Maya dance together ballroom style while she launches into the song. Charlie is a great dancer, and they’re not a bad match. But she has other dance partners to test out, Farkle practically chomping at the bit to show his stuff. So when she wraps the first verse she spins Charlie away, moving onto the next one.

Farkle steps up next, the two of them continuing to waltz. On the lyrics “you’re a monster, Mr. Grinch,” Maya looks very pointedly at her partner and Farkle makes a snarky face in response. They continue their pas de deux as Nigel launches into his violin solo, Maya transferring to Zay halfway through and allowing herself to be swept away. She gives Farkle a sassy little wave. He rolls his eyes, waving the two of them off and marching back over to stand with Charlie.

Zay and Maya work effortlessly well as dance partners, evenly matched. They’re energetic, polished, and almost a given pair considering Zay is the best dancer in their class. Maya spins him away and back towards the other two, coming to stand in front of the three of them and surveying her options (“Now given the choice between the two of you, I’d take the…”).

This is where the number turns on its head. Rather than making a choice, Maya opts for the “seasick crocodile” and dances away from all three of them. They stand there for a moment, bewildered and trying to figure out who she chose – Charlie nudges Zay and points indicatively to Farkle, seeing as he must be the seasick crocodile. Farkle holds his arms out, offended.

But no, none of them are the seasick crocodile, and none of them are going to be her dance partner. The whole thing was an elaborate ruse, and Maya will be taking to the stage for the closing number on her own. She dances around the rest of the number gleefully, dancing out of reach of the boys who try to stop her after they realize they’ve been duped.

As each of them approach her, she dodges and essentially knocks them to the floor.

Maya: The words that best describe you are STINK! [ Charlie hits the floor ] STANK! [ Zay hits the floor ] STUNK! [ Farkle falls and she steps over him delightedly. ]

The class is in hysterics, no group enjoying this spectacle more than the techies. Lucas and Isadora are in stitches, leaning into each other and trying to stifle their laughter. Riley is just in shock, somewhat amused but also mortified on their behalf.

Maya finishes out the number with a flourish, dancing with Nigel as he continues to play. Zay doesn’t even bother to get back up, crashing onto the floor and flipping Maya the bird.

Maya ends with a cheeky little laugh, coming to Nigel’s side as he plays the last note on his violin. She leans up and kisses his cheek, hitting their final pose. She snapped!

As the kids are clearing out, Farkle grumbling to whoever will listen about how ridiculous this whole scenario was, Riley hangs back and waits for a moment with Charlie. She makes sure no one else is around before approaching him, telling him that she thought he made a great dance partner and didn’t deserve the ridicule. He waves her off, claiming it’s not that big a deal and worse could’ve happened.

Riley asks him if he would consider doing a duet together. She’s still got Lucas’s words rattling around in her brain about the real her, and she’s taking plenty of steps lately to be a little bolder. As she points out, just because they don’t have the closing number doesn’t mean they can’t vocally blow the roof off this place, so to speak. They don’t have to be divas to put on a dazzling performance, especially if they combine their efforts.

Charlie doesn’t need to be asked twice. Charmed and more than happy to comply, he agrees to a duet with Riley. Maybe a little too eagerly, all things considered.

INT. MATTHEWS APARTMENT - DAY

That afternoon after school, Christmas decorating is on! This is a normally coveted tradition in the Matthews household, but due to how on the rocks Cory and Topanga have been as of late, even the holiday spirit is dwindling a bit. Auggie doesn’t notice so much, but Riley is well aware of the chill that has settled in between her parents.

Thusly, it’s a relief when she gets a text notification from Isadora that they’re here for their next techie party errand. Riley informs her parents that she has to run, Cory only getting to question where she’s going for a moment before she’s out the door. He probably wouldn’t much prefer the answer anyway, so he should be grateful.

INT. SUPERMARKET - DAY

The next task for the techie party is in full swing – grocery shopping! Riley joins Isadora, Asher, and Dylan as they cruise through the store, stocking up on all needed supplies. That is to say, Riley and Isadora have the list and are doing all the work while Dylan pushes Asher around in the grocery cart and they keep adding extraneous, unnecessary items to the list.

Asher: [ reaching for an obnoxiously sized jug of apple cider ] Oh, dude, we definitely need this. Isa, can we get this?

Dylan: Yeah, Isa, we need to get the cider!

Isadora: We already have our listed drinks, put that back. Would you stop picking up whatever is in arm’s reach? We’re not shopping with Rockefeller.

Riley utilizes the opportunity to be as helpful as possible, reaching for whatever Isadora states next from the list and keeping up conversation. She tries to get a little bit of dirt on the techies, mostly as to why they’re so grumpy and constantly at war with the performers.

Asher: It’s really not that much of a mystery.

Dylan: Yeah, you’d be this way too if you were constantly ignored.

Isadora: Or put in a ton of effort just to see it get disrespected and disregarded.

Dylan: The performers have no idea how much we do for them, and the teachers perpetuate it.

Asher: And they never say thank you.

Isadora: Do you have any idea what it’s like to have no one acknowledge all the hard work you do?

Riley: Oh, I’ve got a hunch or two.

Dylan and Asher change the subject as they get to the candy aisle, reaching for a specific type of chocolate and claiming to Isadora that they have to get this. They have to, because it’s Lucas’s favorite and it is technically on the list. Technically. Please, Isa, pleeeeease?

Isadora: Alright, alright. Whatever. Gremlins.

Isadora off-handedly explains to Riley that Lucas never adds anything to the list and lets everyone else decide what food they’ll have but he only has one necessity – chocolate. There’s something slightly endearing and unexpected about that.

Riley: Yeah, I noticed he hasn’t exactly been around much on these party planning trips.

Isadora: [ defensively ] Well, he’s got a lot going on. But also, he’s got the most difficult job at the end of all this, so we don’t really push him to do much more.

Riley isn’t sure she wants to know what that means or entails. But Isadora has already moved past it, chastising Dylan and Asher for adding like five things to the cart that they didn’t account for and directing them towards checkout.

INT. JACK’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Shawn is over at Jack’s house for dinner, a tradition that seems to be semi-regular between the two of them. Over the meal, the two of them are reminiscing about what Christmas used to be like back in the good old trailer park. This is where Jack’s reputation as a man who built himself from the ground up is truly reiterated, but he does not hold as much bitterness in his heart over it as his half-brother.

Shawn: Christmas was shit, don’t you remember? I mean, there was the year that dad gave us each a basket of used clothes from the thrift store, and he didn’t even wash them.

Jack: Well, that’s what the laundry basket was for.

Shawn: Or when he used to volunteer as Santa at the mall and we’d wake up on Christmas morning to him passed out, still in costume, on the floor in front of that scraggly piece of crap we called a tree.

Jack: Oh, come on. I always liked hangover Santa.

Shawn: Why is it such a big deal that I let the holidays back into my heart or whatever? This isn’t a Dr. Seuss book, my heart isn’t going to grow three sizes just because I elect to plan some stupid festivities for the break.

Jack isn’t sure what advice to give him, but he points out that it’s less about the holiday and more his heart. Like, he thinks Angela is just looking out for him in regards to getting out of the rut he’s been in for the last few years. Yeah, the holidays don’t mean much, but maybe they can be the first step. Shawn doesn’t look convinced, but it’s a thought…

INT. AAA - BLACK BOX THEATER - DAY

The sophomores are assembled before class, working on homework and other projects before the bell rings for lunch. Farkle declares to whoever will listen that he’s figured out the trick here, the reason Maya was selected over him. It’s because he’s Jewish.

Farkle: I mean, why would they give the closing slot in a largely commercially Christian dominated showcase to the Jew? It’s problematic, but not inherently surprising.

Zay rolls his eyes. He’s so tired. In any case, Farkle has decided that rather than complaining about the problem but not doing anything to remedy it, he is planning to write a Jewish holiday song of his own. Enough of this dreidel, dreidel crap. He’s going to dedicate his showcase slot to singing something truly Jewish… as soon as he writes it. That can’t possibly go wrong.

INT. AAA - CAFETERIA - DAY

Riley is with Lucas and Isadora at lunch again. She is keeping track of all their party preparation tasks in an agenda, and it’s clear that Lucas finds this amusing. Isadora admits that she’s been a lot of help so far, prompting the question yet again whether or not Riley will be invited to attend this shindig. They’re warming up to the idea, but there’s still hesitation. They just don’t know if Riley will be able to handle what it requires to be in attendance, that’s all.

Riley: Oh, I can handle it. Whatever it is, it’s handled. It’s not even a thing.

Isadora: It’s more a matter of whether or not we think we can trust you.

Riley: Well, okay then. Let’s prove it. Take me for a test drive.

[ Lucas chokes on his water. Isadora gives him a look, and Riley of course never realizes when she says something potentially questionable. She’s got a knack for it. ]

Isadora claims that before deciding any of that, they still have a couple of tasks to complete. Mainly, getting a Christmas tree. This surprises Riley, who is still in the dark about where this party is even taking place. Isadora clarifies they’re only looking for a small one, but won’t divulge more information than that.

Throughout the exchange, there’s a quip between Lucas and Isadora that hints at the fact that she’s autistic. Riley takes this information in stride.

Riley: Oh, you’re autistic?

Lucas: Is that a problem?

Riley: No, no, not at all. I just didn’t know. I’m a very huggy person, so let me know if that bothers you.

Isadora: It does. Don’t hug me.

Riley: Got it. No hugs for Isa. Make sure to tell me if I do anything like that subconsciously, okay? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.

Isadora obviously appreciates this sentiment, and Lucas seems mildly impressed. He’s like wow, someone respecting my best friend and being generally considerate? In this school? That’s hot.

This all bodes well for Riley. She might just get her in with the techies yet.

INT. MAYA’S APARTMENT - DAY

Maya is hard at work going through lists of Christmas songs, narrowing down which song she’s going to do at the winter showcase. Her mother enters from her room, dressed in her uniform for work and in the midst of tying up her hair. Maya asks if she has a moment to help her narrow it down, Katy sliding into the seat across from her at their table.

Maya: I’m thinking “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” because you know, classic. But there’s a lot of potential in taking “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” and really amping it up from the lame low levels that Andy Williams kept it at.

Katy: Both good options. But you know, [ reaching out and taking Maya’s hands across the table ] my favorite Christmas song was always “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.” Don’t know why, it just always made me truly feel the holiday season.

Maya: Yeah, it’s a great song. But it’s not going to blow everyone else out of the water.

Katy: … does it have to?

Katy doesn’t get time to elaborate on the question, already going to be late for work. She leaps up and gives Maya a kiss on the top of the head before fluttering off. Maya absorbs this sentiment, clearly not prepared to get philosophical and change her whole way of thinking on such short notice. She looks back to her shortlist, dissatisfied.

EXT. CHRISTMAS TREE FARM - DAY

A light snow is falling as Isadora, Riley, and Lucas make their way through the rows and rows of fir trees. Isadora leads the charge while Lucas sort of lags behind, rattling off a very specific list of criteria to Riley and explaining her full-proof process of finding the perfect tree. She’s a tree expert, essentially, so really they should be in and out in no time. No waiting up! Isadora marches onward, clearly a woman on a mission.

Riley watches her go, glancing over her shoulder towards Lucas. She debates whether to say something, hesitating before striking up a conversation. It’s clear that Lucas isn’t nearly as scary as he comes off at school, but he also… really doesn’t know how to interact with people. Let alone Riley Matthews.

Riley: How about you?

Lucas: Huh?

Riley: Would you consider yourself a tree expert?

Lucas: Oh, uh… no.

They’re side by side now, walking at the same pace. Riley explains that tree shopping is all part of the celebrations with her family, to which Lucas doesn’t have much to say (Lucas: Oh, we don’t celebrate. Much). But Riley’s a rambler, so she just starts nervously going on about what Christmas preparation at the Matthews entails.

Lucas is a little like oh so she’s still talking, okay. But he listens anyway, stuffing his hands in his pockets and torn between glancing at her and staring at the ground. She’s really hard to look at, for some reason. And snowflakes keep getting caught in her hair and her eyelashes…

Lucas: [ interrupting her ] You’ve got snow.

Riley: I’m – I’m sorry?

Lucas: Snow. It’s… you’ve got some on your –

[ He gestures noncommittally to her face. Riley sort of reaches up, towards her eyes, and he gives her half a nod. ]

Riley: Oh. Oh.

[ Riley works to wipe her eyes. Lucas glances away, sort of embarrassed for no reason. Feeling bashful is unfamiliar to him. ]

Lucas: Yeah, you got it.

Riley: [ After a moment. ] You’ve got some, too.

Lucas: Huh?

Riley: Snow. Just there –

[ Riley, not thinking, reaches up and almost goes to… what? Wipe at his eyes? But he backs away from her. ]

Lucas: I’ve got two hands.

Riley: Oh, yeah. Right. For sure. Yeah.

Well. That could’ve been worse. Lucas wipes at his eyes while Riley looks away, pressing her lips together and trying not to overthink that whole awkward conversation.

Isadora saves them both, running back up to them and claiming that she’s found the perfect tree. Her excitement is palpable and totally divergent from the persona she puts off at school. As she darts away, Lucas jogging off, Riley looks after them. After a moment, she smiles, before following in their direction.

INT. MINKUS HOME - NIGHT

Farkle is up after dinner, surrounded by crumbled pieces of paper and struggling to finish his song. EZRA MINKUS comes over to bother him, questioning what the heck he’s doing. After Farkle explains his grand pursuit to right the wrongs done to their Jewish culture by the American Christmas commercial industry (which Ezra definitely doesn’t get), his brother begs him to sing the song for him. And so he does.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Jewish Holiday Song (Original Composition)” || Performed by Farkle Minkus

The number is well put-together but unpolished, and continues to reflect Farkle’s perfectionist nature and he continually interrupts himself and changes lyrics, rewriting as he goes. Ezra doesn’t care at all, totally enthralled and encouraging his performance.

The longer he has to just perform it, the more Farkle starts to loosen up and get into it. Halfway through he’s on his feet, at full energy levels, and Ezra jumps up to spin and dance around with him. Certainly more humanity and genuine love of the craft from Farkle than any of his classmates might ever see.

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - DAY

The sophomore class is assembled, spending their class time preparing the stage for the holiday break. Half the class is out in the front of the school, where the showcase will be held.

Most of the techies are gone setting up outside, but Lucas and Isadora are inside with Riley. They’re sitting at the bottom of their usual crop of seats up in front of the technician’s booth, Riley standing in front them but not quite yet allowed to cross the threshold. Behind them, Dylan and Asher are goofing off.

Riley sighs, watching them deconstruct the sets from the first semester. Although it’s been a special kind of hell, she claims she’s going to miss the auditorium over break. Isadora tells her she doesn’t have to say goodbye yet, which confuses her.

Lucas and Isadora exchange knowing looks, before she goes on to explain the final task of the party. Tonight, after the showcase when everyone has left, the techies are going to sneak back into the auditorium and have the party there. Riley is floored by this.

Riley: You mean you’re going to sneak back in after hours. Like, break in. You’re going to break into the school.

Isadora: We warned you. Figured you may not be able to handle –

Riley: No, no, um. I’m not – and how exactly do you plan to do this?

A moment of silence. Riley looks between them before letting her gaze drift to Lucas, who is avoiding her gaze and smirking, twirling a pen in his fingers. Oh, right. Of course he’s going to break them in. Silly her.

Isadora states that Riley has been a big help and is more than welcome to come to the party – if she doesn’t rat them out. It freaks out every goody-two-shoes notion in her body, but she knows what she set out to accomplish this week. She squares her shoulders, ready to be bold. She claims she’ll be there and that she’s looking forward to it.

EXT. AAA - FRONT ENTRANCE - NIGHT

The night of showcase is here, audience members filing into the seats set up outside the school. The front of the building has been decorated for the holidays and lighting systems have been set up to allow for the top of the steps to act as a stage. It’s a pretty cool set up.

Most of the Minkus clan is searching for their seats, Ezra holding onto JENNIFER MINKUS’ hand as they make their way. He looks up towards the building and his face lights up, waving eagerly.

INT. AAA - ATRIUM - NIGHT

Farkle is looking out the doors, catching the eye of his brother. He sees him waving and lightly waves back, before the students are called together for pre-show circle.

Angela gives them all a rousing, energetic speech, telling them to close their first semester out with as much vim and vigor as possible. Everyone nods along, that holiday season acting as a powerful source of energy. With that, they put their hands in and countdown together, launching us into the showcase.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy” as performed by Pentatonix || Performed by AAA Sophomores

EXT. AAA - FRONT ENTRANCE - NIGHT

A montage ensues of the first half of the showcase, all of our recurring characters performing their songs and numbers. Zay opens the showcase, although with what song we don’t know. He definitely performs it with less enthusiasm than Ariana, though.

Haley and Clarissa play their cellos. Chai, Sarah, and Darby do a trio song and dance, dressed in cute holiday outfits. Nigel plays his violin. When Farkle takes the stage to perform his Jewish song, the audience clearly loves it.

No more so than his family. Jennifer is all smiles, and Ezra is dancing along from his seat. Only one thing could dampen this moment – the absence of Farkle’s father, who hasn’t shown up. This stings a little bit, but Farkle knows he’s a busy, important man. He tries not to let it get to him, finishing the performance with a flourish and not letting it show on his face until he’s back safely behind the doors of AAA.

INT. AAA - ATRIUM - NIGHT

Riley is staring out at the assembled crowd, trying not to go back on her decision to be more bold. Shawn approaches her and asks if she’s nervous, which yeah she is, but in front of him it’s more because she’s planning to break into the school later tonight behind his back. She keeps it together, but barely. Shawn wishes her luck, patting her shoulder.

Charlie approaches her, raising his eyebrows and asking if she’s ready. Riley takes a deep breath, then nods. Together, she and Charlie step through the doors.

EXT. AAA - FRONT ENTRANCE - NIGHT

Charlie makes his way to the microphone first, Riley hanging off to the side to wait for her entrance. He gives her a smile. Maya comes up behind Riley, asking when the two of them decided they were going to do a duet together. Riley shrugs, claiming they’re just trying to put on the best show possible.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “The First Noel” as performed by Josh Groban & Faith Hill || Performed by Charlie Gardner & Riley Matthews

And boy, do they keep to their word. Charlie and Riley sing well together, and their chosen duet is a powerhouse all its own. It gives Riley the chance to truly show off her vocal ability, keeping true to her conversation with Lucas and trying to share that level of passion with the rest of the world. She isn’t going to spend the rest of her time at AAA hiding in the background.

The divas are shocked, totally not expecting the new kid to end the semester by actually posing a challenge. The techies look impressed, Dylan and Asher huddling together to exchange a whisper about it. But given the smiles on their faces, it’s nothing negative. Isadora seems impressed too, but when she looks to Lucas next to her, he doesn’t seem surprised at all.

Their performance is met with resounding applause. Riley sort of goes to nudge Charlie in congratulations, but he takes a step further and hugs her instead. Hey, it’s the holiday season. Riley hugs him back, grateful that he agreed to be her duet partner.

INT. AAA - ATRIUM - NIGHT

Maya is preparing for her closing number, doing vocal warm-ups and pacing to herself. Her phone ringing distracts her, and when she picks up it’s Katy on the other line. She explains that something has come up at work, and she’s going to have to close because the other waitress didn’t show, so she doesn’t know when she’s going to get there.

Maya is shattered by this, looking for alternatives, asking if someone else can, wondering if she’s going to make it at all. Katy apologizes profusely before explaining she has to go, quickly. She hangs up, Maya left side-swiped by this news. But the show must go on. Zay comes up to tell her it’s her turn to close the show, but he can immediately tell something is up with her. When he ventures the question, she puts her cool facade back together and claims everything is fine.

EXT. AAA - FRONT ENTRANCE - NIGHT

Maya runs up to the pianist first, whispering to him before taking her place at the microphone. She gives a little introduction to who she is and asks for one more round of applause to everyone else who has come before her – a classic diva courtesy. Then she explains what she’s about to perform.

Maya: I originally had a different planned for this evening. And I’m sure my classmates could’ve told you how in character it was for me. But um… someone really important recently asked me if everything had to be about the performance. And I thought the answer was yes, but I think tonight, I want it to be about something different. Tonight, it’s about her. But I hope you all enjoy.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” as performed by Sabrina Carpenter || Performed by Maya Hart

Maya launches into her mother’s favorite Christmas tune, starting off soft and sentimental. But of course, she is still Maya Hart, and as the song progresses she ramps up the vocals and totally kills it. Everyone is honestly surprised she didn’t go for the big blowout finale, but somehow this was just what they all needed. Somehow, this was exactly right.

As the showcase comes to an end, the full performing class assembles outside the school while Angela and Shawn take center stage at the microphones. The techies are standing off to the side, still sort of in the shadows but present. Angela thanks everyone for coming and for their continued support of their students at AAA, and then rouses the audience for one more round of applause.

Shawn is about to jump in but Angela beats him to it, encouraging a round of applause for the techies as well. The techies seem surprised by this, but everyone happily gives it. Riley is clapping very enthusiastically in the front row of the performers. Farkle and Maya look confused at the shout-out, sharing a look but clapping along anyway.

Then Angela invites them all to join in for one last number, passing the stage off to the students.

Song Cue ♫ ♪ “Sleigh Ride” as performed by Pentatonix || Performed by AAA Sophomore Performers

The true closing number to the showcase is upbeat, fun, and a true demonstration of their combined talent rather than how they always seem to be pitted against one another. Our often forgotten students – Yindra, Nigel, NICK YOGI, CLARISSA CRUZ, and CHAI FRESCO – take the solos.

At the last second, Katy manages to make it and catch the final number. She slides into a seat in the back, meeting Maya’s eyes and giving her a big smile. Maya is… soft, grinning even wider as she performs.

Out of focus, the techies are dancing around and sort of mockingly singing along, so happy that another hell semester is done. Asher and Dylan each have an arm around Lucas, essentially forcing him to sway with them. Isadora isn’t being goofy, and she’s like… you’re all so stupid but you’re my crew so I guess it’s fine. So it’s endearing.

EXT. AAA - NIGHT

The clean-up has wrapped, another winter showcase come and gone. Maya and Zay are hanging around outside in their cutest winter attire, waving goodbye to Angela as she heads out and congratulates them on a great performance. Riley and Charlie exit the school together, Maya and Zay giving them an intrigued look as they approach.

Riley congratulates them all, Charlie approaching and giving Zay a nudge on the shoulder. Maya asks Riley if she’s coming to the after party at Chubbie’s – more out of curiosity than an invitation – and Riley stammers, explaining that she has other plans. But she won’t say what those other plans are, and kind of runs away before they can ask any more questions. Oh, Riles.

Farkle exits the building and comes down the steps, approaching the remaining three. He congratulates them all, as is courtesy, and Charlie commends him for his original song. It was a real crowd pleaser. Farkle tells Maya he thought she did a fantastic job with the closing number, and it’s genuine… even if she was a bit sharp. Maya lets this slide, thanking him for the compliment.

Farkle makes some subtle commentary about how he’s sure they’ll all have a great time at the diner… without him… totally nonchalant. Maya exchanges a look with Zay, before turning back to Farkle and being like “Farkle, would you like to come?” Farkle acts casual, brushing it off, but then he’s like “well if you INSIST.”

Maya shakes her head, leading the way down the street. Farkle is clearly excited, jogging to catch up. The four of them head out in their cute little winter coats and hats, we love them.

EXT. AAA - BACK ENTRANCE - NIGHT

Shawn makes his way to his car, the last one to leave. As soon as his car leaves the parking lot, Lucas pops his head out from behind the side of the building, followed by Isadora, then Riley. Riley asks if the coast is clear, to which Lucas lightly shushes her. The rest of the techies poke their heads around, showing that the full brigade is present. It’s break-in time.

As the opening score of Home Alone underscores, Lucas leads the skilled and effortless break-in for their after party. Riley is nervous, but she didn’t rat them out. She passed their tests. So when Lucas is holding open the auditorium doors for them to dart in and it gets to Riley… he doesn’t turn her away. She heads inside, Lucas glancing over his shoulder before shutting the door behind them.

INT. SHAWN’S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Shawn settles into the lonely and plaintive silence of winter break, dropping his bag and keys on the chair by the door with a pronounced thud. He sighs, making his way into the kitchen and hardly bothering to turn on the lights. That is, until a knock at the door disrupts his silence. He pokes his head around the corner, evidently not expecting anybody.

When he opens the door, Jack greets him cheerfully, holding food for a potluck and swooping his way inside. Before Shawn can object, Eric, Cory, and another half a dozen teachers flutter their way inside, giving him warm greetings and setting up stuff in the kitchen and living area.

Angela enters last, clearly having arranged the whole thing. Shawn is like what the hell is this – although with far less bite than his bark would have you believe – when Angela gives him an affectionate head tilt.

Angela: I told you. No one should be alone during the holidays.

There’s a moment where it’s unclear whether Shawn is going to accept this aggressive form of care or kick them all out… until he steps back to let Angela in fully. She smiles, entering as he closes the door behind them.

She actually isn’t done though, as she claims she has something for him. She pulls out a simple gift for him – a book of poems that alludes to one of the reasons they initially fell in love. Reparations, maybe?

Angela: I figured, if we’re working on your frozen heart, maybe a little more culture could help. You used to love these, after all.

Shawn is touched by the gift. He takes it tentatively, before lighting up with an idea of his own. He asks her to hold on, disappearing back into the small hallway that leads to his bedroom. When he returns, he’s clutching something in his hands rather than the poetry. It’s a beautiful artfully crafted seashell. It’s not wrapped, but it was definitely meant for her at some point.

Shawn: I saw it at a flea market a couple years back when I was traveling, and couldn’t help but think… I don’t know why I actually got it. But it was always meant for you.

He holds it out for her, waiting for her to take it. Now that’s tea. Angela takes it tenderly, the two of them exchanging uncertain but soft smiles. Then, Angela nudges them to go mix and mingle with their co-workers. As “Jingle Bell Rock” floats in…

INT. AAA - AUDITORIUM - NIGHT

The techie party is in full swing, the music playing over the sound system considering they’re the ones who know how to run it. Their tiny tree has been set up center stage with a few chairs sprawled around it. The majority are seated around it, laughing and eating and exchanging small gifts with one another. Dylan is seated on the floor in front of Asher’s chair, a string of garland worn around his neck like a scarf. Jade is showing Jeff the quality of the colored pencils she got as a gift in her sketchbook. Isadora is finishing the final touches on the tree decorating, attempting to direct Dave.

Riley is standing a bit away, just absorbing the warmth and marveling at the family dynamic of these oddballs that seem so standoffish at first glance. It’s a wrong perception, that much she’s sure about. The practical king of this very sentiment, Lucas comes over to join her.

He asks her if she feels like a badass or not after her first little taste of danger. She admits that she does, but she’s far more entranced by the little tradition they’re attempting to establish here. Riley makes some soft commentary about their crew and how he’s clearly a major part of that… Lucas waves her off, but she insists that it’s true.

She says something else slightly flirtatious, giving him a smile before floating off to join the main group. It takes Lucas about three seconds to comprehend the fact that that conversation actually happened, during which Dave hisses to catch his attention. He and Jade point above Lucas, where mistletoe has been set up. He and Riley were standing underneath it the whole time and didn’t even realize it.

Lucas, weirdly bashful again and embarrassed, huffs and walks away. Dave and Jade are trying not to laugh, gesturing him towards them to rejoin the group. Thus, the techie celebration ends nice and cozy, warming all of our hearts. God bless us, everyone!

We’re going to need it.

END OF EPISODE.

[heidianderson]

𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐑𝐎𝐃𝐔𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐈𝐃𝐈 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐎𝐍.

[DANIELLE ROSE RUSSELL, CISFEMALE, SHE/HER] who’s that? oh it’s [HEIDI ANDERSON]. i hear they’re [TWENTY] and are known as [THE TEMPEST] around [NEW YORK]. they’re also a [SOPHOMORE] at [NEW YORK UNIVERSITY], and are part of [WNYU-FM]. they’re known to be [COOPERATIVE & PRIDFUL] and [TIMID & UNTALENTED]. some people say they remind them of [PERFECTLY COILED LOCKS, TV STATIC POURING THROUGH A ROOM, & PERFECTLY TIMED ANNOUNCEMENTS]. only one way to find out!

TW: parent abandonment

basic information

FULL NAME: Heidi June Anderson

NICKNAME(S): N/A

AGE: Twenty

DATE OF BIRTH: August 31st

HOMETOWN: Los Angeles, California

CURRENT LOCATION: New York, New York

ORIENTATION: Lesbian (closeted, identifies as pansexual)

RELIGION: Her dad wants her to practice Scientology, but she refuses, so no religious affiliation

POLITICAL AFFILIATION: Democrat

OCCUPATION: Student/Radio Host

LIVING ARRANGEMENTS: Lives off campus in an apartment (roommate needed!)

LANGUAGE(S) SPOKEN: English, some Mandarin Chinese

family

FATHER: Cooper Anderson

MOTHER: June Robinson-Anderson

SIBLING(S): N/A

extra

SUN: Virgo

MOON: Gemini

RISING: Virgo

LIKES: True crime, being noticed, the color blue, making her dad proud, gold jewelry, headbands, freshly ironed cotton shirts with matching cardigans

DISLIKES: Disappointing her dad, feeling like she’s not living up to her mom’s potential, bright colors, manipulation, people using her full name

headcanons

When Cooper Anderson travelled back to Lima in the spring of 2012 to visit his younger brother what he was not expecting was to meet a girl eight years his junior studying literature at Lima’s Ohio State campus. June Robinson was exactly the kind of girl Cooper liked to get his hands on. Pretty, recognized his celebrity status, and was smart enough to keep up a conversation with and while normally their story would have ended after their one night stand, they decided to exchange numbers and keep in touch. This led to nightly texting which turned into good morning texts which turned into FaceTime calls which turned into June hopping on a plane to California (the same week as Cooper’s own brother’s wedding). By the time June had landed, Cooper had been given the news that his younger brother had gotten married to his high school sweetheart, the older Anderson just had to retaliate. There was no way he was about to not be told about his own brother’s wedding let alone not be in attendance to cause a disturbance, so he did what any sane person would do. He proposed to June, without a ring, but he covered that one up by telling June that there were going to go to a jeweler and pick out a ring that she wanted. The two didn’t plan to get married that week or even that month, but somehow after June had her pretty engagement ring on, they were running down to a local courthouse.

After the marriage was finalized, June had the most amazing trip in Los Angeles before going back to Lima and finishing up her semester before fully transferring to a campus in LA where her and Cooper could live together and start their life. For two people who jumped the gun on getting married, they surprisingly handled domestic life fairly well. They were happy. Cooper was acting. June was writing. Their income was fairly stable, even if sometimes Cooper had to pick up a random commercial gig or June had to do freelance article work just to make sure they could pay rent for the month. They made things work and despite Cooper’s poor acting chops, he managed to make it big doing random B-list movies and playing roles in random crime shows. Everything was just so good and one thing they agreed on. No kids. Why would they mess up something that was already so perfect?

Well, that was all said and done until they were coming up on their 8th anniversary. Maybe they did want children or maybe they were having a bad case of relationship boredom. They had already travelled, excelled in their careers, what more was their to do besides have a couple of kids? Which is exactly what they did. Heidi June Anderson was born on August 31st, 2024 happy, healthy, and giggling. And again, things were completely fine until they weren’t. It wasn’t long after Heidi’s birth that things started to go south. It had nothing to do with Heidi specifically, but more of the events that transpired after her birth. June got lonely, she wasn’t writing as often, and she was in a rut. It didn’t help that Cooper had some hot blonde as a co-star either on his new movie while June was still recovering postpartum. So, she found solace in a close friend of hers and it wasn’t long before Cooper pieced things together and found June with another man in their own bed. Incoming divorce and custody papers. Everything happened when Heidi was way too young to even piece together a memory of her mother and wanting to move on from the life she built in Los Angeles, she moved away to some European country but that wasn’t the last time Heidi saw her mom. They worked out an agreement where Cooper got full custody, but June had all the visitation rights she wanted as long as she was in town. That wasn’t very often though and by the time Heidi was ten, the visitations stopped altogether.

Growing up with Cooper as a dad wasn’t the worst possible situation. They had pizza for breakfast and cereal for dinner and Cooper always made Heidi watch any movies or tv shows he had been in and made her review and critique them all (Heidi was always one to point out Cooper’s lack of pointing in certain scenes). This meant she had to sit through many, many hours or Cooper “starring” on multiple crime dramas and she gripped onto that. Her entire life she had been shown the showbiz side of life, getting chucked into singing, dancing, and acting lessons and even though she was still watching her dad’s content, she fell in love with crime shows, begging Cooper to put on episodes that wasn’t even his. She wasn’t about to up and become some kind of criminal, but the cases were just so entrancing.

At some point during Heidi’s childhood, Cooper began to realize that he couldn’t raise Heidi by himself. He needed some sort of help from his family so Cooper packed himself and Heidi up to Lima, Ohio. Partly for help via his own family, but he also was more hopeful that June would visit Lima to see her parents more than come to Los Angeles to see her ex-husband and daughter. While in Lima, Heidi spent most of her time with her paternal grandparents while Cooper would be off travelling back and forth to Los Angeles, New York, Atlanta, and anywhere else he could find work.

During her formidable teenage years, Heidi had almost chosen to go to William McKinley High School. They had an okay academic and arts program and she lived in the district, but her dad would stand for no such thing. Him and his brother both attended Dalton Academy for most of their teen years and Heidi’s own mother had attended Crawford Country Day and was a crucial member to the Canaries during her own high school years, Heidi’s options were limited and she knew the path her dad wanted for her. She was an Anderson! She was born to sing and act! So, she ended up at Crawford and opting to go for uniforms and rich girl tactics and quickly joined the ranks of the Canaries.

The only problem with Heidi being in the Canaries is cut down to one simple fact - she was simply untalented. She can’t sing, dance, or act very well. This is something her own dad would never say to her, but she’s simply an okay performer. The only real reason she was able to compete and be on the team was because with her extensive background of dance classes and vocal lessons, she can hold a pitch and she can learn choreography and her slight athleticism allowed her to keep up with whatever was thrown at her on the Canaries. It also helped that her dad was a huge booster.

After graduation, Heidi originally had her eyes set on Los Angeles. The sun, her hometown, the gorgeous people, but after visiting New York University on a whim during her senior year, she fell in love with the campus. As much as she wished she had hated it, she didn’t. Now she’s studying at Tisch with a cinema studies major and she’s really happy about it all. Initially, Cooper wasn’t happy with her choice, wanting her to go for something in the dramatics, but he’s come to realize that path might not be for Heidi. 

Heidi’s recently started working at her school’s radio. She didn’t mean to, but it provided some extra credits and looks nice on resumes, so she decided to tack her own weekly radio show on. She gets to play whatever music she wants and talk about whatever’s going on in her mind and Heidi’s starting to get really comfortable being in front of the mic every Tuesday.

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